Critical theory as an alternative in analyzing upland development discourse in Mindoro [Philippines]

It was found that the project's components helped the target beneficiaries in realizing their desire to be empowered. The provision of basic social services like roads, water, education, and health service facilities and the availability of alternative employment which leads to the increase in their income helped the project participants in their fight against poverty. The community organizing component made the participants more self-reliant and responsible partner of the government in the protection and conservation of the forest and the uplands in general as evidenced by their active participation in the different income-generating activities and the initiatives of the people's organizations to act as guardians of the uplands. Despite the project's good intention, however, it created some major issues of concern especially on the part of the Mangyan beneficiaries. These issues are related to the fast erosion of their traditional culture and the change of forest cover from indigenous species to exotic ones. While it is true that the project had identified the Mangyans and the upland migrants as its direct beneficiaries, it was found that in the long run, the lowlanders might benefit most from LIUCP [Low Income Upland Community Project]; this is considering that the areas covered by the project are watersheds that drain to areas beyond the project boundary. In the case of the methodology used in this study, it was found that critical theory is applicable in this type of policy subject. The method provided opportunity to the analyst to determine the events that cause such conditions to happen and to reason out why these are happening. A major drawback of the method, however, is the lack of standards and procedures that would help the analyst to have a better understanding of the policy issues or in coming up with solutions to policy problems. After five years of project implementation, and with the use of critical theory as frame of reference, the LIUCP is considered to be a distorted speech