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Mission and Vision

Vision

The University Community Development Program (UCDP), through the Office for Community Development of the University of Santo Tomas, pursuing the effective and sustained involvement of the Thomasian community, envisions partner communities and at-risk sectors that are self-reliant, interdependent, and empowered, contributing to a Philppine society that is “maka-Diyos, maka-tao, maka-bayan, at maka-kalikasan”.

Mission

The UCDP, through the Office for Community Development of the University of Santo Tomas, commits itself to the Christian formation of Thomasians and university partner communities in becoming agents of social transformation.

Program Goals:

To facilitate the organization of self-reliant communities (area/community-based programs).
To facilitate the development of sustainable programs for specific at-risk and vulnerable sectors of society (sector-based programs).
To offer new and innovative nonformal education programs that would contribute to capacity-building for community service or to increase economic opportunities for the learners.
To pursue the stronger implementation of knowledge generation (research) and dissemination (instruction) in the community development program.
To implement a comprehensive community development formation program for the Thomasian community (students, faculty members, administrators, non-teaching employees).
To intensify the partnership with the Church, government, and private institutions towards social transformation and development.
To sustain the institutional development of OCD, particularly resource mobilization and staff development.

The TOMAS Pillars of the University Community Development Program

The Tomas Pillars are the primary strategies to meet the goals of the UCDP.

T – Training and Education for Capacity Building

  • Community-based Training Program
  • Nonformal Education (V-STEP and Distance Education Program)
  • Community Development Formation Program for students and faculty members

O – Organizing for Empowerment

  • Social Services Delivery (HELPS Approach)
  • Networking with church-based, NGO, and government agencies in community development and social advocacy

M – Management for Program Development

  • Program Development Consultancy
  • Staff Development
  • Resource Generation

A – Advocacy, Research, and Documentation

  • Promotion of UCDP
  • Campaign for relevant social, political, economic, and moral issues relevant to community development
  • Community-based researches

S – Spirituality of Transformation

  • Spirituality is woven into the very fabric of community development work.
  • The UCDP is guided by the Christian perspective of social transformation.
  • The UCDP is the University’s contextualization of its commitment towards the realization of the Church of the poor.