The development of Self Help Organizations (SHOs) whose Primary aim is the pursuit of members' social and economic objectives is always a top concern of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This was confirmed by the FAO Conference in November 1991 of the FAO Plan of Action for People's Participation which promotes participatory, sustainable rural development.
Self Help Organizations (SHOs) as defined by FAO are organizations in which individuals join together on the basis of common interests and combine their efforts to imnprove their own living conditions. These are characterized by: (a) a group of people with at least one common goal; (b) joint action by the group towards attaining the group's goal; and, (c) promotion of group members' welfare by joint effort of the members.
In the Philippines, SHOs are mostly Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) which are non profit groups registered with the Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC) or cooperatives registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
