Development Studies faculty member speaks at int'l webinar on service learning in the Philippines

Dr. Mark Anthony D. Abenir, Associate Professor of the Loyola Schools’ Development Studies Program spoke about  “Service-Learning in the Philippines: Origins, Growth, and Development” at a webinar last February 24, 2023 which was hosted by the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Asia-Pacific Community of Practice (IARSLCE APCoP), with the help of the Service-Learning and Leadership Office (SLLO) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU).

The IARSLCE Asia-Pacific Community of Practice was established with the goal of promoting and sharing research on Service-Learning (SL)  and Community Engagement (CE) while also fostering partnerships among SL advocates and practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region.  Dr. Abenir’s talk was one such example of this active pursuit to share valuable knowledge and experience on this topic as he discussed SL in the Philippine context and how it has been instrumental in the way higher education institutions such as the Ateneo de Manila University have helped their students develop an enhanced sense of civic consciousness and encouraged them to be of service to the larger society.

In taking a look at SL’s history in the country, he discussed how Philippine higher education in the late 1960s to early 70’s prioritized being responsive to society’s needs which ultimately led to the establishment of Community Extension Offices in various universities, a concrete example of which is the Ateneo’s very own Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) which was founded back in April of 1975. He also made special mention of how the Ateneo’s Economics Department introduced an SL course in 1975, referred to as the “Theory and Practice of Social Development”, otherwise known as Economics 177. Among the key moments in SL’s history in the Philippines, Dr. Abenir highlighted the passage of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Law of 2001 or Philippine Republic Act No. 9163 as being crucial in facilitating what he referred to as the impetus for the nationwide implementation of SL in our country. But he cautioned that the Civic Welfare and Training Service (CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS) components of NSTP are not automatically considered SL courses, unless the key elements of SL such as placement, application, reflection, and reciprocity are deliberately incorporated by NSTP instructors.

In going through these key events, Dr. Abenir took his audience on this informative and enlightening journey about the historical evolution of SL in the Philippines, from its Western origins up to how it transformed and adapted to aptly respond to our country’s own needs and context.

Dr. Abenir also provided the webinar participants with a glimpse of SL’s continuing growth and development in our country by tackling studies that have been conducted in relation to students, faculty, and community partner organizations, furthering the audience’s knowledge and understanding of SL through the analysis of the experiences and perspectives of these primary stakeholders.

He cited several examples of studies from private higher education institutions in the country whose findings were about the positive effect of service-learning on students, such as enhancing their academic learning, developing their critical thinking skills, fostering empathy and concern for others, and awakening their sense of volunteerism.

As for SL research on faculty in the Philippines, he shared an example of a 64-hour certificate course for faculty that made use of SL to enhance community engagement and develop organizing skills. The results of this pilot program had the participants displaying greater motivation to serve partner communities while encouraging and empowering fellow faculty and students to do the same. Dr. Abenir however described research in this area to still be in its infancy, stating that there is a greater need for further studies to be conducted.

When it came to research on SL and community partner organizations, studies showed that in order to improve SL community impact, students need sufficient time to better understand the partner communities they wish to help in order to truly know their needs, and that their SL projects in response to these needs should take a development-oriented and sustainable approach. Studies also showed that SL initiatives should seek to address realities like the communities’ socio-economic concerns, their need for better access to education, health services and the like.

The final segment of Dr. Abenir’s presentation sought to evaluate and better understand the strengths and areas for improvement of SL in the Philippines, as well as provide input and insights that can be used as a model for other countries looking to explore, incorporate, and embrace SL. He talked about the need to strengthen community social capital, the importance of preparing students for their SL engagements and guiding them in their design of their SL projects, the importance of solidarity-based partnerships between higher education institutions and community partner organizations, and lastly the need for faculty support and training.

Dr. Abenir concluded his presentation by saying that “the evolution of Service-Learning in the Philippines reflects a dynamic interplay between social realities and academic goals. From its humble beginnings as a voluntary service to marginalized communities, Service-Learning has transformed into a pedagogical approach that integrates academic learning with community engagement.” To watch his entire presentation, you may go HERE.