The study aimed to find responsive and appropriate ways of undertaking poverty reduction initiatives in the communities of Barangay Paliparan, Dasmariñas, Cavite; Barangay Concepcion, Lumban, Laguna; and Barangays 745, 753, and 754, Singalong, Manila (for DLSU-Dasmariñas, DLS-College of St. Benilde, and DLSU-Manila, respectively), so as to assess the status of beneficiaries of the Caucus on Poverty Reduction (CPR) during the period 2003-2005. Thus, this study sought to:
1.provide a socio-demographic and economic situationer of the micro-finance partners of the different programs before and after program implementation;
2.look at the perceptions of the micro-finance partners of the different programs regarding their present status compared to that prior to the program implementation;
3.assess the training needs of the micro-finance partners to enable them to become more economically productive based on the ideals of community participation, self-help, and participatory development;
4.look into the implementation of the different programs relative to equity and gender concerns; and
5.look into the operation of the different programs, especially on the aspects of transparency and accountability.