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.