SASFI in Zambales: An Evaluation of its Effectiveness

Abstract

This study deals with the role of non-government organizations (NGOs), particularly the St. Augustine SAMBALI Fund, Inc. (SASFI), as active players in the pursuit for rural development. It presents a general picture of the province of Zambales and attempts to discuss the socio-historical background and nature of SASFI within that context. This, in effect, provides the tool for proving the main assumption of this research: that SASFI is an effective non-government organization, in that it contributes to the attainment of poverty alleviation and people empowerment in the rural areas by giving the members of the community choices and providing for them opportunities for self-development, especially through the programs and projects it is implementing and is planning to implement.