The study was conducted to determine the degree of women's participation in cooperative programs in selected barangays of southern Nueva Vizcaya. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to identify the degree of women's participation in the cooperative; to determine if there is difference in the women's degree of participation in the cooperative based on geographical locations, namely lowland and upland; and to analyze the relationships between women's participation in the cooperative and the four sets of factors inherent in the respondents, namely, personal, economic, information-related, and the motivating factors that seemingly encourage women join cooperatives.

The study was conducted in selected barangays in seven municipalities in southern Nueva Vizcaya, four of which Here categorized as upland while the remaining three municipalities as lowland. The respondents of the study consisted of 172 randomly selected women. Of this number, 94 women were from the lowland and 78 were from the upland.

The descriptive statistics which include frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to describe the women's characteristics along their personal, economic, and information-related factors as well which made them join cooperatives. 85 the motivating factors. The t-test was used to compare the lowland and upland women’s degree of participation in the five phases of organization process of development projects undertaken by the cooperatives. The five phases are: identification of needs, problems and resources available in the barangay; planning and programming of projects, implementation of projects; management of projects; and monitoring and evaluation of projects.

The multiple regression and correlation analysis was used to establish the relationship between the dependent variable (degree of participation) and the independent variables (personal, economic, and information-related factors as well as their reason for joining cooperatives).

Findings
Results revealed that the type of cooperative most joined by both lowland and upland women is the multi-purpose cooperative or MPC owing to the various services offered by this type of cooperative. These women are in their late thirties, a little less than 50% of them had only reached elementary education and had stayed in their place of residence for more than 20 years.

The average number of surviving children of the respondents is five. More than 80% of them are in the farming trade. The average size of their farm is more than one hectare where more than 70% declared ownership on the parcel of land they cultivate.

The respondents are relatively "well-informed" cooperatives. This is broadcast, although more the radio. as regards the result of their exposure to radio than 90% of them "seldom listen" Almost all of them used printed materials of information on cooperatives in the form over as source of brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, and posters arranged according to the degree of preference of the respondents.

In all the areas or activities of the five phases of organizational process of development programs, lowland women involvement was categorized under the "seldom participation". The same degree of participation was observed of upland women except in two areas of participation in the management phase where they "often participate", in helping organize people maintain sustain projects and lead people in maintaining projects.

Lowland women are significantly "more active" in the indicator "assisting in putting together collected data from questionnaires and meetings" under Participation Area I identification of needs, problems and resources of the barangay; "identifying/suggesting activities" under Participation Area II "planning and programming"; and "joining groups or committees" under Participation III in the implementation stage, compared to their upland counterparts. Upland women, on as the other hand are "more active" in leading people maintain project which is under the management stage than their colleagues in the lowland.

Lowland gave significantly more emphasis women in the encouragement of self-reliance and self-help among family members, access on loans credit from banks and other lending institutions and the establishment of good working relationship anong rural people and field workers an motivating factors which made then join cooperatives as compared to the upland women.

The personal, economic, information-related, and motivating factors which affect women join cooperatives were found to be significantly correlated with the degree of their participation in all the five phases of organization process of projects undertaken by the cooperatives. This indicates that the degree of their involvement in the identification of needs, problems and resources available in the barangay; planning and programming of projects, implementation of projects; management of projects; and monitoring and evaluation of projects is anchored on the four sets of variables inherent to the women, both from upland and lowland areas as well as when they are considered together. Thus the null hypothesis were rejected.

Thesis (Master of Science in Rural Development)

Includes appendices and bibliographical references