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Strengthening Public-Private Partnership in Research Management Amidst Climate Change

Editorial Note E.B. Aromin

Competing Papers

Sustainable Governance of the Cagayan River Basin Organization Amidst Climate Change: Status, Institutional Design, and Performance Indicators

O.F. Balderama

Building Capacities of the Buhid Mangyan Women of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

M YA.M. Declaro

Managing Environmental Governance Capacity Development for Local Policymakers in the Province of Bukidnon Through Partnership

E.C. Itaas and J. M. Mirasol

Mobilizing a Tripartite Alliance in Increasing Rice Productivity Through Location-Specific Technology Development in Brgy. Gabawan, Odiongan, Romblon

J. C. Lucido, et.al.

Predictors of Research Capabilities of the Provincial Institutes for Fisheries in Western Visayas: Basis for Research Policy Formulation

P.B. Magno

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Capacity Building Through the Convergence Web Approach

M.C. Mani, et.al

Siquijor Multi-Sectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems: the Siquijor State College Experience

V.B. Miquiabas

Approaches in Partnering with Smallhold Farmers for the Promotion and Transfer of Banana Production Technologies in Oriental Mindoro

MC.L. Mores

Community-Based Cooperative Approach in Managing a Community-Based Coastal Resource Management Project in Malimono, Surigao Del Norte

J.O. Puracan

Collaborative Banana RD&E: Enhancing the Livelihood of Banana Smallholders in Cagayan Valley

B.E. Temanel, et.al.

PHILARM JOURNAL

P h i l i p p i n e A s s o c i a t i o n o f R e s e a r c h M a n a g e r s , I n c .

Volume 9 No. 1

1989

April 2012

ISSN 1656-1637

The printing and publication of this issue of the PHILARM Journal is co-sponsored by: DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research and DOST- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The printing and publication of this issue of PHILARM Journal is co-sponsored by the DA - Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and DOST - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

PHILARM Journal Volume 9 No. 1 April 2012

EDITORIAL STAFF

Erlinda B. Aromin Editor

Lemuel C. Lopez Associate Editor

Almira G. Magcawas Managing Editor

Reynaldo C. Castro Roberto L. Saladar

Consultants

Strengthening Public-Private Partnership in Research Management Amidst Climate Change

Editorial Note 1

Competing Papers 5

Sustainable Governance of the Cagayan River Basin Organization Amidst Climate Change: Status, Institutional Design, and Performance Indicators

7

Building Capacities of the Buhid Mangyan Women of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

24

Managing Environmental Governance Capacity Development for Local Policymakers in the Province of Bukidnon Through Partnership

37

Mobilizing a Tripartite Alliance in Increasing Rice Productivity Through Location-Specific Technology Development in Brgy. Gabawan, Odiongan, Romblon

48

Predictors of Research Capabilities of the Provincial Institutes for Fisheries in Western Visayas: Basis for Research Policy Formulation

58

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Capacity Building Through the Convergence Web Approach

74

Siquijor Multi-Sectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems: the Siquijor State College Experience

92

Approaches in Partnering with Smallhold Farmers for the Promotion and Transfer of Banana Production Technologies in Oriental Mindoro

106


123

Collaborative Banana RD&E: Enhancing the Livelihood of Banana Smallholders in Cagayan Valley

141

PHILARM JOURNAL

P h i l i p p i n e A s s o c i a t i o n o f R e s e a r c h M a n a g e r s , I n c .

Volume 9 No. 1 April 2012

ISSN 1656-1637

1989

EDITORIAL NOTE

Strengthening Public-Private Partnership in Research Management Amidst Climate Change Erlinda B. Aromin 1

“When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” – Ethiopian Proverb

With the relentless race to effectively cope with or even efficiently work against drastic and seemingly inevitable alarming environmental concerns, the relevance of research managers’ role in alleviating these serious threats to our way of life has never been more crucial. There is also this urgent call to fortify forged collaborative linkages with public as well as private entities in our unending quest to advance our society’s socio-economic conditions through well-designed and equally well-implemented projects. In an era when apples, blackberries, and even cherries are not merely fruits for consumption, but devices for communication, we can respond to this call with absolute deliberation.

The Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc.’s (PHILARM) 21st annual convention theme, “Strengthening Public-Private Partnership in Research Management Amidst Climate Change”, captures each research manager’s sentiment on addressing two integral issues in research management: collaboration among project stakeholders while taking into account a research’s environmental impact.

This year’s competing papers can be summarized into three powerful

concepts: Community. The importance of employing an honest participative

grass-roots approach into every research that involves the community always pays off as almost all of this year’s papers have, time and again, proven. Community-based projects that let directly impacted participants take part in the projects themselves have higher rates of successful implementations than those that treat community members and leaders as mere non-participating receivers. These rates could still be pushed further up when livelihood components truly and sustainably benefit the communities these projects are being implemented in.

1 Immediate Past President, Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc. (PHILARM)

4 PHILARM Journal: Volume 9 No. 1 ● April 2012

Synergy. A research will maximize its full potentials, if all its stakeholders unite into an ideas-driven, well-managed, and partnership-oriented project as evidenced by all of the papers included here. It should not come as a surprise, that we research managers always seek support from any entity that could positively contribute to our projects’ successes. The complex webs that we spin just to hold these projects together may seem to be so staggering if viewed from a distance; however, taking a closer look will reveal that we establish these relationships not to confuse our stakeholders, but to simplify our projects’ beneficiaries’ lives. Synergy thus, becomes synonymous with a project’s implied success.

Earth-friendly. Several papers here have established that the loud roar

of climate change reverberates in the four corners of the Earth nowadays. Decades of environmental degradation has left vast acres of not only forests, but also of arable lands, denuded and unproductive. Escalating levels of carbon footprints force radical climate changes on us all. Here in the Philippines, the road to environmental recovery has long been deserted, or so it seems. Research managers all over the country have constantly strived to successfully implement environment-themed remedial projects that involve coastal waters to cash crops and everything in between.

Finding ways to strengthen the bonds of our partnerships may seem to

be too daunting a task; but hear this: Challenges that we face in dealing with research management are as unpredictable as climate change. Mitigating these is good; but turning these into opportunities to network with others for feasible solutions is even better.

Only then, perhaps we can triumphantly ensnare the lion.

COMPETING PAPERS

Sustainable Governance of the Cagayan River Basin Organization Amidst Climate Change: Status, Institutional Design, and Performance Indicators Orlando F. Balderama 1

ABSTRACT

River basin organizations (RBOs) are promoted

internationally as institutions that implement integrated water resources management. Basin organizations have been in place since at least the 1930’s in many places. Today, new and reformed basin organizations such as the Mekong River Basin Commission, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, and the Delaware River Basin Commission have emerged motivated by sustainable development imperatives. These “new” entities often were derived from former basin organizations, national water agencies, or international water organizations, and they continually “retool” their business towards a broader mandate of social and ecological sustainability.

The study involves delivery of focus group discussions and workshops with various stakeholders of the river basin for profiling and analysis of perceived problems. As a result, the presence of the following problems was generally accepted: 1.) The lack of coordination in program planning and implementation among key government institutional stakeholders of the Cagayan River basin (CRB) have been validated; 2.) While there had already been several master plans to refer to, incomplete implementation of projects in the master plan was confirmed mainly due to budgetary constraints as well as due to the absence of a single agency empowered to implement basin-wide program initiatives; and 3) Weak implementation of existing laws and policies, which aggravated further degradation of the natural environment.

This paper also presents the institutional and organizational situation assessments of the CRB; methods for holistic and participatory planning process; general principles

1 University Research Director, Isabela State University, Echague, Isabela

PHILARM Journal: Volume 9 No. 1 ▪ April 2012 8

and institutional design applicable to CRB; and proposed performance indicators.

INTRODUCTION

It is well accepted in the scientific community that our climate is changing due to rising anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the future degradation of soil and water resources will be a major challenge that global agriculture will face (IPCC, 2001 as quoted by GRID 2002). The effects of climate change on agriculture will vary by region and will be expected to bring diverse changes. For the most part, the impacts of climate change that will affect agriculture will be through adverse changes in temperature and precipitation. These will include droughts and floods. Drought effects will include crop losses due to insufficient soil moisture availability.

In the Cagayan River basin (CRB), more than 60% of the region’s

agriculture is rainfed so that any changes in precipitation would affect the majority of farmers’ livelihood. Hence, the groups that are most vulnerable to climate change are the low-income farmers in drought-prone areas. Last year at the onset of the dry season, the country experienced the adverse effects of the El Niño phenomenon, especially in the agriculture sector. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) estimated that 40% to 60% reduction in rainfall as an effect of the phenomenon. In addition, a prolonged drought has lasted until June of this year. The hardest hit provinces were Cagayan and Isabela in the Cagayan Valley region, with an estimated loss of 6 billion pesos on agriculture (Dar, 2010).

The CRB is the largest in the Philippines with, an estimated drainage area of about 27,300 square kilometers (km2) and a length of 520 kilometers. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon Island and traverses the provinces of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, parts of the Mt. Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, and Aurora. These provinces have an approximate population of two million people, most of which are farmers and indigenous tribesmen.

The CRB and its tributaries are subject to extensive changes. In fact, quite recently, flooding has been more frequent, more intense, and more extensive in the monsoon season from May to October and unusually prolonged drought in dry months due to the effect of El Niño. The inundation of Cagayan River and its tributaries has caused great losses in life and property both to local and national levels. Last year’s El Niño’s effect on

Competing Papers 9

drought caused fish kills; rain-fed as well as irrigated lands at the last leg of crop growth to dry up when diversions from the run-of-the river; and reservoir-irrigation systems shared the same fate. The Philippine government has since established several flood warning stations along the river. Experts have been specifically monitoring the river’s lower reaches from Tuguegarao to Aparri and the alluvial plain from Ilagan to Tumauini, Isabela. These same areas have been also targets for the CRB’s flood forecasting and warning system. The drought impact has since been alleviated with the government’s program through the Department of Agriculture (DA) by providing technical assistance and advice, lending small irrigation pumps, and the like to concerned parties.

From an inter-agency committee report in 2004, major problems were presented in the Chico River Basin, in summary: 1.) decreasing water discharge; 2.) diminishing bio-diversity; 3.) river siltation; and 4.) river pollution. The two main causes and effects were: inundations at the tributaries and flood plains with great loss in lives and properties as well as inadequacies in irrigation and domestic water supply, thereby affecting both the local and national economies. In addition, observations on the lack of collaborative participation among institutions and stakeholders through an integrated approach to river basin planning and management were also noted.

Cognizant on the urgency to address the identified problems and issues in the CRB, this study aims to provide management input in the creation of institutional framework and physical structure.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this paper are:

1. To present a situation assessments on the present institutional and organizational system or needs of the CRB;

2. To conduct an overview study on the current institutional framework and management practices of river basins as models to be adopted in the CRB; and

3. To develop a climate change-smart river basin organizational

performance indicators that takes into consideration the uniqueness of the basin setting.


SCOPE & LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 1. The study area covers the entire CRB, from ridge to reef; and 2. In spite of limited resources, primary informations were gathered from

stakeholders, while the bulk of inputs were secondary data from available master plan reports, literature, and other documents.

METHODS, STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES A. Methods

This study utilized an action-research approach with stakeholders for participatory assessment of the state of the river basin, for the institutional design of river basin organizations (RBOs), and for parameters development of performance indicators.

It involved the collation of knowledge of known institutional arrangements, good practices, and data in integrated river basin management (IRBM) from a number of sources.

Principles, management practices, and the result of situational analysis of the river basin were management options and key performance indicators aimed to be adopted by the Cagayan River Basin. B. Research, Development, and Extension (RD&E) Management Approaches Multi-stakeholder engagement and involvement

Workshops and key informant interviews conducted were aimed: 1.) To identify the present and potential stakeholders who currently and might be directly or indirectly involved in and affected by the development and management of the water sector in the basin; 2.) To ascertain the directions to take in order to arrive at desired developments; 3.) To determine the interests, perceived problems, extent of resources, and mandate of the concerned institutions; 4.) To describe the nature of the perceived problems, indicating the causes and implications along the way; 5.) To translate these perceived problems into objectives while considering the means and ends which the responsible institutions had to achieve; and 6.) alternative (scoping) analysis.

Competing Papers 11

Integrated and holistic with emphasis on climate change

To adequately address climate change concerns, an integrated approach to integrated water resources management in a river basin context was adapted to include various thematic areas, such as:

1. Watershed management (protection of the remaining forest land and rehabilitation, which includes implementation of soil conservation strategies in cultivated areas and agroforestry starting from ridge-water divide but affecting up to the reef-coastal fringe, including community-based forest management);

2. Water resources management (a total approach, from rain drops

falling at the remotest part of the watershed routed to the main river channel and joining the waters from the tributaries until they exit through its mouth);

3. Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; 4. Aquatic and marine resources management; and 5. Creation of institutional framework and physical structure for the

management of the river basin with community participation that would promote a more sustainable, coordinated, and IRBM.

Dynamic and adaptive To make the river basin development master plan dynamic and adaptive, policies and strategies were formulated under a thematic classification. Each strategic theme was supported by several objectives: Enabling policies and strategies leading to several key actions supported each objective. These key actions were major steps or initiatives required to accomplish the objectives.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

I. Institutional and Organizational Situation Assessment Existing institutional set-up in national water resources management The major components of water resources management in the Philippines are vested in the mandates of several government agencies. This management is, in particular, divided into three program areas, namely, 1.) Watershed


management; 2.) Water resources planning (inclusive of water resources assessment); and 3.) Water quality and sanitation. For the past years, the national government has steadfastly pursued its dedication to developing a regime of efficient water resources management. This was evident in several events that started with the commissioning of special water studies in 1993, followed by the Water Summit (1994), the Water Crisis Act (1995), and the Presidential Task Force on Water Resources Development and Management or PTFWRDM (1996). In between, several studies of paramount impact to the sector ran a similar program in a bid to fully rationalize and revitalize the sector. Institutional set-up in the CRB as proposed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), 2004 Following a review of existing multi-sector institutions in the Philippines, a river basin authority was conceptualized and endorsed by JICA in the 2004 Master Plan document. However, the proposed organization has not materialized. A brief description of the systems reviewed is explained below.

1. Coordination Committee System – this has been widely applied in the Philippines. The projects, which were from multi-sectors but could be implemented independently relative to each project area, funding sources, project implementation period, and project functions without much connection among the involved agencies. The coordination committee could be established with mutual consent of all the agencies concerned.

2. Commission System – this was adopted for the Agno River Basin

Development and the Pasig-Marikina Rehabilitation Projects. This system could be applied to such projects as multi-sector, long-term projects that would need close cooperation with all stakeholders in terms of cost-sharing and schedule control for constructions of multi-functional projects with different technical and social natures, like a river basin development. A commission could be established by an order of the incumbent Philippine President.

3. Authority System – this could be applied to more complicated projects

and/or programs, which could need more comprehensive cooperation and coordination among the agencies concerned especially, in cases that many sub-projects would simultaneously be implemented as components of an overall development project/program. Such projects/programs could require a longer time for implementation and continuous activities for operation and maintenance like a basin-wide development project, the authority

Competing Papers 13

system would be more effective. This system has been widely applied in the world like the Tennessee Valley Authority. There are also examples in the Philippines, such as the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), National Economic Development Authority, and others. An authority could be established through legislation by the Philippine Congress.

II. Stakeholder Identification and Participation

River basin issues and concerns were not confined within the

conceptual boundaries of individual sectors, which had varied interests or jurisdiction of the government tiers, whether national or local. To address these various concerns of different stakeholders, a planning assessment in the form of a Stakeholders’ Analytical and Planning Workshop was conducted. This workshop was designed to capture and understand better the multi-dimensional issues and problems that had surfaced and were expected to persist.

The sub-basins or tributaries within the CRB were clustered to form three zones: Zone 1 – downstream; Zone 2 – midstream; and Zone 3 – upstream. The zoning defined the stakeholders that participated in the workshops.

Stakeholders were categorized into three groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary stakeholders referred those who had major risks or stakes and were directly involved in and/or directly affected by projects such as the forest occupants/communities, irrigators’ association, upland and lowland farmers, and urban communities. Secondary stakeholders referred to those who had interests in the implementation and would be consulted by the stakeholders with major stakes in projects and were usually from regulatory agencies with authorities to issues permits, clearances, and certificates of compliance to government regulations such as national agencies, the provincial government, and city or municipal governments. Tertiary stakeholders referred to those who were effecting the projects such as the academe, the religious sector, and media among others. A workshop methodology was developed to efficiently maximize contributions. The sharing of inputs from the participants to the workshop was done by giving them a questionnaire to guide them through their workshop discussions and to facilitate flow of information during the workshop proper. Two workshop sessions were divided into: Participatory Analytical Process (Workshop Stream 1) and Participatory Planning Process that was further divided into Workshop Streams (Problem- and Translated Objective-Tree Analysis and Final Alternative Analysis). The method was adapted from Asian


Development Bank’s (ADB) Designing and Monitoring Framework (2007), which was also cited by the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and other similar institutions.

III. Thematic Areas of Concern in the River Basin The design of the workshops was premised on the application of a holistic and systematic analysis of identified problems collected from the stakeholders. Given the extent of the planning area encompassing portions of 10 provinces, namely: Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino for Region II; Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, and Ifugao for the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR); and parts of Aurora and Nueva Ecija in Region III, the zonal stakeholders’ workshops’ design closely followed the clustering of the sub-basins into three zones based on the topographical and hydrological characteristics. This was done efficiently administer the stakeholders’ workshops.

All stakeholders were then categorized into their respective groups as mentioned above and were then grouped into the five thematic area groups also mentioned previously.

IV. Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives of the Cagayan River Organization

The synthesis of outputs from the workshop was considered as inputs with regard to the institutional/organizational set-up for the CRB. The vision, mission, goal, and objective were agreed upon to be the following:

VISION

“An ecologically balanced Cagayan River Basin with

biodiversity-rich resources owned and sustainably managed by empowered stakeholders enjoying the fullness of life.”

MISSION

“Improve quality of life through optimal development and

sustainable use of Cagayan River Basin resources through an Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach with the

participation of all stakeholders.”

GOAL

“Manage water and related resources of the Cagayan River Basin in an effective, sustainable, and equitable manner.”

Competing Papers 15

OBJECTIVE

“Implement basin-wide Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approaches in regional, local, and

related sector frameworks and development programs for sustainable and equitable development.”

V. Synthesis of Situational Analysis in the CRB

In the workshops conducted for stakeholder profiling and analysis of perceived problems, the presence of the following challenges were validated: Lack of institutional collaboration – The lack of coordination for program planning and implementation among the key government institutional stakeholders of the CRB; Non-implementation of projects approved in the Master Plan – While there was already a Basin Master Plan to refer to, very little implementation of projects in the master plan was confirmed mainly due to budgetary constraints and the absence of a single agency empowered to implement basin-wide program initiatives. Weak implementation of existing laws and policies – Major impacts of this concern further aggravated the degradation of the natural environment as evidenced by: Uncontrolled and unplanned cutting of trees; contamination of aquifers and water bodies due to the direct discharge of untreated domestic effluents and solid waste into water bodies; increased extraction of surface and underground water for domestic and agricultural uses; flooding due to continued denudation of forest cover over extensive areas opened for both upland and lowland agriculture; severe siltation of water bodies due to erosion resulting from forest denudation, upland agriculture, and the opening of timberland/public lands to human settlements. The following key issues and concerns were highlighted, thus:

1. Water resources management complicated by gaps and overlaps in management responsibilities:

• Policy and Planning – no coordinated policy making by the agencies concerned;

• Budgeting – budget was allocated by each agency upon request;


• Legal Framework – several acts concerning water resources established but no single act directly related to river/water resources management; and

• Availability of Information – information on water resources development was not organized in a centralized manner.

2. Fragmented and sectoral approach:

• Numerous non-government agencies (NGAs) working on water resources management (more than 20);

• Lack of coherence in assigning water-related functions and accountabilities to national government agencies;

• Unclear linkages among water-related national government agencies, and even among various levels of government; and

• Perceived overlapping and unclear mandates and accountabilities relative to water resource management and development.

VI. Creation of Cagayan River Basin Organization (CRBO)

A river basin organization (RBO) is defined in this paper as a societal

entity created to manage, develop, or monitor natural water resources in a large watershed. RBOs vary considerably in form and function and there are many types of basin organizations in the world today.

There was an urgent need to establish a body to implement plans and programs in managing the CRB. As such, the CRBO should become an apex body, which would primarily be a “development facilitator” and “convenor” – working through existing government and non-government institutions. It would function as a “coordinator” and “integrator”: holding reviews, dialogues, and negotiations with participating local government units (LGUs), NLAs, members of the academe, and NGOs in the CRB to realign policies, plans, programs, and projects (PPPPs) in accordance with the CRB Master Plan. Its framework priorities would be as follows: The CRBO will pursue the following key functions: There will be five key functions to be carried out by the CRBO:

1. Coordination – The CRBO will serve as coordinating basin-wide institution in the implementation of plans and programs and will have powers to:

Competing Papers 17

a) evaluate development programs and projects and set priorities; b) seek external funding – national and foreign; and c) monitor/evaluate the implementation of basin-wide projects by

national and local governments, and by NGOs. ,

2. Championing Sustainable Development –

a) Ensure sustainable management, conservation, restoration, and development of the upland areas in the basin to check severe erosion that causes high siltation and sedimentation of water bodies in the CRB; and

b) Ensure that any proposed development interventions are planned, constructed, and operated in an environmentally sustainable manner.

3. Convenor of Institutional Stakeholders –

a) Institutionalize participation in local environmental governance

through the organization of sectoral institutional groupings that will channel the agenda of specific interest groups into the RBO; and

b) Use “collaborative and integrative management” i.e., the dynamic

sharing of skills and knowledge among different sectors and disciplines to come up with solutions favorable to all; to ensure that all stakeholders are able to participate in decision-making, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

4. Capacity Building and Public Awareness –

Build up local capabilities to manage watershed issues,

entailing a “public awareness program” to change attitudes of institutional stakeholders from unawareness to a higher; environmental-friendly consciousness; transfer knowledge; develop skills; and infuse appropriate technology to communities of stakeholders, as well as working with local organizations in field applications; and equip communities with culturally appropriate tools for environmental management.

5. Research, Development, and Knowledge Management –

a. Establish and maintain a data bank and a management

information system (MIS) using state-of-the-art technologies to support decision makers and project implementers with science-based information;


b. Set R&D agenda, priorities, and modalities for knowledge

sharing; and

c. Carry-out capacity-building activities for researchers, development workers, and project implementers through degree and non-degree programs.

VII. Key Result Areas for a Functional RBO

It can be said that much has to be done to ensure a functional

agency to manage the CRB. The following core items would guide policy makers in the institutionalization of the CRBO.

1. Engagement of and ownership by relevant decision-makers. River basin management (RBM) design would be enhanced if relevant river basin decision-makers would the process and participate under a formal, contractual arrangement rather than just having ad hoc, voluntary arrangements.

2. Improved RBM design. Sound scientific information guide effective

IRBM. It should describe resource condition and trend, the causes of resource degradation, and the likely impacts of resource management options. Economic analysis and social impact assessment should be used to provide ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of RBM plans.

3. Application of diverse institutional arrangements. There would be

many institutional arrangements to enact IRBM. These could include cost-sharing programs, tradable discharge permits, and voluntary actions; more regulatory practices such as environmental regulation, zoning laws, and environmental standards could be established for best practices.

4. Clear definition of the role and structure of the RBO.

5. Strong river basin advocacy. Successful river basin management

should be driven by strong leadership. Individual advocates and organizations with a strong river basin advocacy would be needed to engage both willing and resistant resource managers.

6. Prioritizing actions. RBM would be more likely succeed when short-term

actions (say, within three years) would have been implemented, visible results would have changed the landscape, and water quality would

Competing Papers 19

have improved. These would require clear identification of these actions and the immediate commitment to action by river basin managers. These actions would need to be specified within an RBM plan. It would be unlikely that this Plan would develop within a short time period, thus interim RBM actions should be designed and implemented immediately. Longer term RBM planning could commence simultaneously, with a goal of developing an agreed upon, cost-shared plan of action in three years’ time.

7. Accountability. A process of accountability would be required to

monitor the effectiveness of an RBM plan and the organization responsible for its implementation. This task could be implemented at the commencement of an RBM plan and could be linked to a river basin-based “State of the Environment” report. This way, regular reports (say, every two years) would chart the progress of river basin health, using critical water quality and ecosystem indicators.

8. Local government partnerships for effective implementation. Decisions

that local governments would implement could have a more immediate impact on resource conditions. Planning and local zoning mechanisms would be useful tools to implement broader RBM goals.

9. Integrating functions for collaboration. Lack of coordination among

government agencies, NGOs, the general public, and locally and regionally significant water stakeholders could be a constant problem in IRBM. The solution would lie in identifying and driving collaboration mechanisms throughout the RBO and between its strategic stakeholders.

VIII. Institutional Options in the Management of CRB

At present there are five types of existing RBOs in the Philippines as listed below. From the list, a closer study should be done to determine which model would be the most appropriate for the CRB:

1. Authority (similar to that of the LLDA);

2. Commission (similar to that of the Pasig River Rehabilitation

Commission);

3. Council (similar to that of the Cagayan de Oro River Basin and the Lake Lanao Watershed Protection and Development Councils);


4. Project Management Office (PMO) (similar to that of the Bicol River Basin, the Cotabato-Agusan River Basin Development, and the Cagayan River PMOs); and

5. Inter-agency Committee (similar to that of the Manila Bay River Basin Coordinating Committee and the Mindanao River Basin Task Force).

From the review of existing RBOs in the country, they were found to be

failures in terms of project success in project implementation and sustainability of operations. It seemed that the transition of government administration has been a key factor in the failure of certain agencies, such as RBOs in the country.

One reason could be that they were created by Executive Orders (EO). An EO is a privilege given to the Head of State wherein s/he could exercise their power to create or abolish institutions whenever s/he deems them relevant to their administration’s programs and development thrusts.

Another constraint on sustainability would be the overlap in institutional functions of implementing agencies. Since RBOs have similar functions and roles to existing agencies, they tend to compete for resources. Thus, if an RBO worked on an inter-agency collaboration platform, the former’s existence would be difficult to sustain for the latter would gain additional responsibilities on top of the already laid out ones.

Therefore, for an RBO to be sustained and groomed to succeed, it is recommended that the institutions for the management of the CRB must not settle with EOs and should work for its legitimacy through legislated action. In addition, the RBO for CRB should specifically outline its roles, powers, and responsibilities. Thus, institutional design should take into consideration that the CRB includes two politically-designated regions.

Funding availability is also very crucial in the implementation of development and management plans of river basins. Tapping international grants instead of loans would be a good funding source for large projects, while local, regional, and national government agencies could allocate a percentage in their annual budget for the RBOs smaller projects within their area of jurisdiction. In addition, members of the private sector or other investors should be encouraged to fund/invest in projects.

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IX. Performance Indicators of Good Practices in IRBM

The following performance indicators are proposed IRBM strategies:

1. Coordinated decision-making – uses coordination mechanisms among agencies and basin organizations; establishes consensus-based decision-making; links between local water institutions and a basin organization; engages relevant sectoral interests;

2. Responsive decision-making – adapts to new knowledge and conditions; promotes efficiency; values cross-sectoral dialogues; promotes best practices;

3. Goals, goal shifts, and goal completion –uses integrated approaches;

4. Financial sustainability – promotes strong ongoing financial support, cost-sharing, transparency; innovates water pricing and demand management;

5. Organizational design – uses of democratic processes; reflects stable international agreements; draws national water policies conducive to RBM; uses organizational structures that fits basin needs to avoid fragmentation;

6. Role of law – upholds strong and flexible laws

7. Training and capacity-building – promotes of ongoing training and capacity building of staff relevant to basin needs;

8. Information and research – acquires a knowledge system to aid in decision-making; establishes protocols to share information; and promotes a culture of research-knowledge links;

9. Accountability and monitoring – ensures accountability to constituent governments and citizens; uses transparent reporting mechanisms

10. Private and public sectors’ roles – encourages participation; clears specification of roles of private and public sector members


CONCLUSION

There was a lack of coordination for program planning and implementation among key government institutional stakeholders of the CRB;

While there had already been several master plans to refer to, incomplete implementation of projects in the master plan was confirmed mainly due to budgetary constraints as well as due to the absence of a single agency empowered to implement basin-wide program initiatives; and

The implementation of the Cagayan River Basin Development Plan should

be a concerted effort of the different RLAs, LGUs, and other stakeholders. An implementing body or structure is needed to oversee and orchestrate the overall implementation of the Cagayan River Basin Plan

POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR R&D MANAGEMENT

An integrated research and development program should be in place in providing necessary knowledge in developing science-based strategies and policy intervention;

State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in or near the basin represent a key institutional and intellectual resource that may be harnessed to undertake interdisciplinary researches (i.e., empirical and case studies). Isabela State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University, and Cagayan State University which are part of the Cagayan Valley Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (CVARRD) and Ifugao State University, Apayao State College, Kalinga State College, and Mountain Province State Polytechnic College of the Highland Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium HARRDEC (CAR) be marshaled to adopt a framework for R&D, that respond to issues and opportunities within the basin;

In addition, SUCs should play a major role in developing web-based

management information system; in capacity-building; communication; education; and public awareness programs

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REFERENCES Asian Development Bank. 2008. Philippines: Master Plan for the Agusan River

Basin. Manila, Philippines. Dar, William D. 2010. In Science and Technology Post, Department of Science

and Technology, Bicutan Taguig City. Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council. 3-10-2005, Basin Sustainability Plan.

Murray-Darling Basin Commission. GRID network magazine.2007. International Program for Technology and

Research in Irrigation and Drainage, FAO, Rome Italy. Japan International Cooperation Agency. 2004. The Feasibility Study of the

Flood Control Project for the Lower Cagayan River Final Report. Volume II. Manila, Philippines.

Kennedy K. et. al. 2009. IWRM Implementation in Basins, Sub-basins and Aquifers: State of the Art Review International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO, Paris France.

RDC-NEDA. 2005. Cagayan Riverine Zone Development Framework Plan 2005—2030. Tuguegarao City, Philippines.

Tuddao V. Jr. 2009. Center for River Basin, Organization and Management. Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. www.crbom.org

River Basin Control Office/Wood field Consulting Inc. 2010. Formulation of an Integrated River Basin Management and Development Master Plan for Cagayan River Basin Inception Report. Manila, Philippines

Building Capacities of the Buhid Mangyan Women of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro Mary Yole Apple M. Declaro 1

ABSTRACT

Poverty is a phenomenon among the country’s indigenous peoples (IPs). The Mangyans of Occidental Mindoro are one of them. Many development interventions have been made to help alleviate their living conditions; but most, if not all, have failed. Some of the reasons cited, aside from dwindling funds, were passive community participation and the prevalence of a “dole out mentality”.

With the same desire to help uplift the Mangyan’s

economic state, the Occidental Mindoro State College (OMSC) in partnership with other government organizations, crafted a project specifically for women. One of the reasons for this project’s fruition was to build their capacity in earning income. This was also in support of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women’s (NCRFW) advocacy towards women’s empowerment and gender equality.

This paper posits the importance of making women feel

that they are both owners and managers of the project. A Buhid women organization was organized. Their organization named “Yame ngayan samahan Pagkasadiyan manga Ina Sayame Sitio Salafay,” in Filipino “Pagkakaisa ng mga Kababaihan sa Sitio Salafay” (Women’s Unity of Salafay Site) has the full control of the allocation and distribution of raw materials for the different community-based livelihood options.

The paper also highlights the strategies employed to

ensure smooth and successful implementation of the project such as project conceptualization; kick-off meeting; consultation with the stakeholders; Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA); planning; identification of community-based livelihood options; sourcing of assistance and establishing linkages;

1 Science Research Analyst, Occidental Mindoro State College, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

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establishment of organization; continuing education; fund utilization and management; and monitoring and evaluation.

With the initial interventions in ono- (bead-) and abol-

(weave-) making and design, the quality control strategies helped in improving the skills and the products of the Buhid women. The experiences gained in the implementation suggested that sustained partnership and need-driven projects dictate the success of any development program.

INTRODUCTION Rationale

The Mangyans, one of the country’s ethno-linguistic groups, occupy about 25 percent of upland Occidental Mindoro. The group traces a history of marginalization both in their ancestral domain and in the access to basic social services, particularly health and education. Its economy is basically dependent on agriculture, specifically the slash-and-burn or kaingin farming, which has essentially remained at subsistence level. Its upland settlements are near the riverbanks, which is their chief source of living (Plan International, 2008; Gapuz, 1995; Lumbo et al., 2009).

The Mangyans are considered “the poorest of the poor” in terms of

economic status. According to the 2006 Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) result, the average monthly income per Mangyan household with five members is more or less PhP1,000.00, or PhP12,000 a year, which is less than the annual per capita poverty threshold for Occidental Mindoro in 2006 at PhP14,064.00 (NSCB, 2006).

Several development interventions have been externally-driven that

used income transfers or microfinance, as a way of inducing empowerment in women. In indigenous people (IP) communities, these interventions had not succeeded and have created a “dole out mentality” among them. In addition, the projects that had been introduced was not sustained, and ended when the funding had end. The Mangyans have also been reluctant to participate in different activities for fear of being deceived by the lowlanders or damuong.

In Sitio (Site) Salafay, Barangay (Village) Monteclaro, San Jose,

Occidental Mindoro, assistance to the community has been extended by a number of organizations such as the local government unit (LGU) of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Mangyan Mission; Plan International; and the Oriental


Mindoro State College (OMSC) but with a low level of women participation. In 2005, the Sustainable Upland Development Program (SUDP) was implemented. This program was created in response to the needs of the Mangyan community in Sitio Salafay. It was a partnership of the OMSC and Plan International-San Jose in helping the IPs of Occidental Mindoro (Orfiano et al., 2006).

It is believed that in order to combat poverty, women should be part

of the solution. Doing so would yield a double dividend: when women are economically empowered, they raise healthier, better educated families; and when they have access to resources they need, their production increases, making it less likely that their families would go hungry and malnourished.

This project on capacity-building of Buhid women did not necessarily

enable drastic changes among the Mangyans, their social structures, and relations in the community. Capacity-building of Buhid women was one of the steps to lessen poverty; poverty that cannot possibly be addressed by a single entity or organization. Hence, the proponent and the project stakeholders fully examined the environment, generated networks and partnerships, and employed management strategies to address the issue on the sustainability of the project.

OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to:

1. describe strategies done in the implementation of the project; 2. enumerate the intervention conducted and the assistance provided by

the shareholders involved; 3. discuss the problems encountered and the actions undertaken to address

them; and 4. present some recommendations on how to improve the implementation

of the project based on experiences and lessons learned.

METHODOLOGY A. Project Background

The “Empowerment of Buhid Mangyan Women of San Jose,

Occidental Mindoro through Community-based Livelihood Options” was a community-based project funded by the Commission on Higher Education-Zonal Research Center (CHED-ZRC). It started in December 2009

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and ended a year after in December 2010. The project aimed to determine the socio-economic profile of Buhid women; identify the potential community-based livelihood options for them; enhance the basic knowledge and skills for the livelihood options identified; and assess the outcome of the livelihood trainings on their income.

B. Management Practices and Strategies

The project employed a participatory approach that included the

delivery of the following activities: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA); Key Informant Interview (KII) and participant-observation.

Moreover, the project employed the Public-People-Partnership (PPP)

strategy in extending information and technology in the community. This established beneficial alliances and complementation among the different organizations. Partnerships were essential since it has already been realized that delivery of goods and services was no longer a monopoly of the government. These provided opportunities for sharing and exchanging skills to create a better life for the Buhid women.

The project also employed the Project-as-Practice (P-as-P) approach.

It is built on the theory that people and activities matter and should be the starting point for any comprehensive research efforts. The approach looks at the management of the community-based project as an array of activities linked together as part of the overall field in, which, they are embedded. It is also carried out by human and non-human contributors. The data collected in this project was based on the "real people's real actions" (Besner and Hobbs, 2008; Bing, 1994).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS A. Strategies Done in the Implementation of the Community-based Project

In the implementation of the project at Sitio Salafay, the following were done:

1. Growing-up and Socializing with the Mangyans

Long before the conceptualization of the project, this paper’s researcher had communed with the Mangyans, having grown up in a community near their settlement. Naturally, the researcher was a witness to their difficult life. Until the researcher got the opportunity to help the indigenous group through OMSC’s extension work.


2. Project Conceptualization

The training-workshop on proposal preparation for Region IV-B conducted by CHED-ZRC-University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on January 27 to 29, 2009 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan served as an opportunity to extend help to the Buhid community. The proposal was crafted to sustain the community development in Sitio Salafay, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro that started with SUDP. 3. Kick-off Meeting

A kick-off meeting was conducted in the last week of December 2009

to identify the support staff and the strategies needed the implementation of the project.

A timetable was made for preliminary visits in the community.

Commitment and agreement were solicited from the team. Workable plans were laid out to determine the time-to-produce, cost-to-complete, the milestones of every activity, and the “control gates” that would signal for succeeding steps to commence and serve as performance indicator. 4. Consultation with the Stakeholders

Consultation meetings were done with tribe leaders and barangay

officials. The Barangay Captain readily gave his approval because of the long-standing partnership between OMSC and his jurisdiction. There were active extension programs taking place then such as the Poverty Alleviation Promotion through the Environmental and Livelihood Program for the Buhid Mangyans (PAPEL-Buhid) in Sitio Bato-ili and the Sustainable Agricultural Development Extension Program (SADEP).

The Department of Education (DepEd) was also consulted since there

was an existing minority school in the area and per experience, the institution had the capability to help mobilize the community. 5. Delivery of PRA

A PRA was conducted to look at past development efforts made in Salafay and to analyze the community’s situation to help draw plans to address the needs and problems of the community, specifically in the identified areas of agriculture and livelihood, institutions, environment, health, education, and gender.

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Using the participatory approach, Buhid residents were able to identify poor health, low farm productivity, and income as the most pressing problems affecting them at the moment of study.

The PRA was conducted in October 2006 and was validated in

January 2010, which focused only on the resource and economic analyses. 6. Planning with the Community

Immediately after conducting the PRA, planning was done. The initial

output was the list of the specific activities, persons and agencies involved; resources needed and expected date of accomplishment in the respective identified livelihood training. Planning was about the community using plans. The reason why evaluation was conducted every after activity was to accommodate changes and to plan for the improvement of the succeeding steps. 7. Identification of Community-based Livelihood Options

Before the potential community-based livelihood options were

identified, their sources of income had been identified first. The Buhid women are subsistence agriculturists. The major products they consume are banana, rice, bamboo, honey, nami (intoxicating yam) and kadyos (pigeon pea). They also raise backyard animals like goat, native chicken, and pigs. Unlike other tribes of Mangyan, the Buhid of Sitio Salafay do not engage in charcoal-making, which they believe is a major cause of forest destruction.

They also work as farm laborers during planting and harvesting seasons in nearby lowland communities.

Consultative meetings were conducted. Using PRA and focus

dialogue, the aspirations and goals of Buhid women were discussed. Brainstorming on different community-based livelihood options was done, taking into account local resources and their innate skills to ensure sustainability of the projects.

A number of livelihood options relevant to their needs and priorities

were identified and analyzed to determine sustainability before technical assistance was provided to them. This was done with the women together with their respective family members and other key persons in the community.

Buhid women identified the following community-based livelihood

options through ranking:


1. Ono (bead-making) 2. Abol (weaving) 3. Basket-making 4. Native chicken production 5. Vegetable production

8. Sourcing of Assistance and Establishing Linkages

The OMSC-Research, Development, and Extension (RDE) Unit forged and strengthened partnerships/cooperation with various organizations to which it solicited technical and financial assistance for the project. 9. Establishment of a Buhid Women Organization

Consultations with the sitio leader and gurangons (elders) were initially

done. Meetings were held with the Buhid women together with OMSC to form an organization. Capacity-building activities were done to prepare them in managerial leadership.

The establishment of the Buhid Women’s Association was months-long

process. The researcher together with other government agencies trained them in all aspects of leadership, fund management, and building skills and confidence until they were able to manage their group independently.

Beteta (2006) and Johnson (2005) argue that women’s social and

economic rights and societal attitudes are also important. “The association made me feel good about myself”, was the common comment among the majority of the women who felt confident in their abilities. They then believed that they had opinions that matter. They were not afraid to speak out, push a point, and seek support from other members during meetings. The association had also initiated “food for works” through planting of 200 coconut seedlings and vegetables in their kaingins (cleared forest areas). 10. Continuing Education

Seminars/workshops to re-orient their values regarding gender

awareness, leadership, and strengthening cultural values and community development were conducted. These were done with extra care as Mangyans possessed distinct socio-cultural characteristics. Livelihood trainings were conducted to equip them with relevant knowledge and skills needed in attaining the goals that they had identified in the PRA.

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11. Fund Utilization and Management

The CHED-Higher Education Fund (HEDF) Grants-in-Aid (GIA) funded the research part of the project while OMSC shouldered incurred expenses on the delivery of different extension activities. For the use of the CHED-HEDF grant and OMSC’s budgetary allocation, the Commission on Audit (COA) rules and regulations were followed. After the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between OMSC and CHED, line-item budget process was requested prior to the release of funds. This was due to the new pre-auditing procedures. GIA was placed into a new account under the Special Trust Fund (STF) of the Institution. 12. Monitoring and Evaluation

Regular program monitoring was done monthly and as need arose. In every monitoring activity, the stakeholders were represented to discuss matters that needed urgent actions or solutions. B. Intervention introduced in the community

The areas and topics were related to the identified community-based

livelihood options and for the establishment of the organization. Result demonstration was the most effective extension strategy used in vegetable production and ono- and abol-making and design. C. Involving Various Stakeholders in Project Implementation

In preparation for the intervention, training design was drafted for

approval and funding by the Institution and partner agency. The training design consisted of the topic areas, duration, venue, number of participants, collaborating agencies, rationale, objectives, methodologies, expected output, and estimated budget to be requested.

All capacity-building activities were done in partnership with the

concerned LGUs or other organizations. Moreover, students enrolled in community immersion courses were tapped to help facilitate the delivery of PRA and trainings.

The Buhid community provided the accommodations to the OMSC

staff, while the Buhid women became active partners from planning to implementation not just mere recipients of the intervention: They provided the labor and locally-available materials in basket making; assisted the trainers in providing cooking utensils; cooked; fed the children during the supplemental


feeding; and for the vegetable gardening project, they prepared the plots, watered the plants, and weeded the garden.

The Tifonan Buhid Fagayo sa Salafay, a people’s organization in the

area, facilitated the entry of OMSC in the Buhid Mangyan community; assisted in the delivery of PRA and interventions; and helped monitor projects and sustained the participation of the Buhid women.

The Barangay Council of Monteclaro, being long-time participants in

development works, sent Barangay Health Workers (BHW) during the delivery of PRA. They provided essential data about the Buhid women.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) was informed

of the project to be conducted in the area. The Commission gave its consent that took into consideration the different guidelines to be followed in the determination of project in the community.

The teachers of the Salafay Minority Elementary School provided the

free use of school facilities in the delivery of trainings and seminars. They supervised the women in a bead-making contest and facilitated the delivery of PRA in the community.

The supplies and materials like beads, scissors, nylon, weaving thread,

chicken, coconut seedlings, different vegetable seeds, and gardening tools were charged to the CHED-HEDF GIA funds. The training expenses, which included supplies and meals, were charged to the extension budget of OMSC. The trainers were the RDE staff of OMSC.

OMSC provided the raw materials and marketing of the products at

the OMSC-Murtha Campus. OMSC was in-charge of the quality control of products; defective products were returned for repair. The women of Salafay also sold their products to nearby IP communities. In return, they contributed PhP2.00 for every bracelet or necklace and PhP5.00 for every basket sold to their association’s savings fund. In turn, the savings money was used in buying raw materials or was being lent out without interest for emergency use, like sending sick members of the family to the health center. At present, the savings of the association amounts to PhP 900.00.

However, transfers of income and the formation of the association

created for women only, did not automatically translate into an increase in their bargaining power. Given the cultural and social constraints imposed, women’s autonomy or personal accumulation of resources would not necessarily result in empowering women on their own. Although economic interventions are important, other development initiatives such as education,

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political quotas, awareness-generation, and property rights are essential to empowering women (Kabeer, 2005; Malhotra and Mather, 1997; Deshmukh- Randive, 2003 as cited by Swain and Wallentin, 2008). Thus, a series of capacity-building activities should be conducted to further inform the Buhid women about gender, health and nutrition, education, and environmental issues.

LESSONS LEARNED

The following are the lessons learned after the implementation of the project:

1. Buhid women were very shy. They tended not to entertain lowlanders on the first visit. Pakikipag-palagayan ng loob or rapport should be build first. During this time, constant meeting and huntahan (conversation) with the Buhid women should be done.

2. Buhid women participated in the different interventions conducted, taking into account that there should be transparency in all transactions, especially those that required money.

3. The community-based livelihood options should be based on their needs, priorities, available resources, and innate skills and that their culture and uniqueness should be taken into account.

4. Establishing an association was a very challenging task. The Association is in its formative years; hence, it needs to implement a continuing education program to sustain the women’s commitment and build their self-reliance even further.

5. The success of the program does not depend on the availability of funding alone but on the sincerity, commitment, and willingness of the stakeholders to go beyond their comfort zones. Not all plans are on time and within budget; there should always be an alternative plan.

6. The communication channel between the community and stakeholders should always be open. This is very important in decision-making processes that would affect the outcome of the project.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN

In implementing the project, the following were the problems encountered and the actions undertaken to address them:

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN

Political interference Constant conversation with concerned individuals was done to clear things out. Engaging in partisan politics was likewise


PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN avoided since the project was conducted during the height of the May 2010 National Elections.

Passive participation of the Buhid women in the project implementation

Building the trust and confidence of the Buhid women in the partners took time; sometimes they were just too polite to say no. This build up was strengthened through continual dialogue and huntahan. In addition, the dole-out mentality could not be instantly removed from their system. However, this was minimized through constant appeals to conscience, values re-orientation, and continuing education.

The supplies and materials needed for the project were not purchased on time although the request had already been given ahead of time.

The researcher patiently followed-up on requests for supplies and reimbursements through letters and personal visits to concerned offices. The transfer of the funds from OMSC-Murtha to its main campus for the fast and efficient facilitation of request was also done.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Women can be significant economic contributors if given the proper education and training;

2. Partnerships can be sustained when Buhid Women feel they are both owners and managers of the project; and

3. The dole-out mentality cannot be instantly removed from their system.

However, this can be minimized through constant appeals to conscience, values re-orientation, and continuing education.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Conduct continuing education programs to develop the entrepreneurial

skills and capabilities of the Buhid women in product designing, packaging, pricing, and marketing; and

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2. Strengthen existing linkages and invite other agencies to join in the development efforts.

REFERENCES

Beteta, H.C. 2006. ‘What is missing in measures of Women’s Empowerment?’, Journal of Human Development, Vol.7, No.2, pp. 221-241.

Besner, C. and Hobbs, B., Project Management Practice, Generic or Contextual: A Reality Check., Project Management Journal, 39 (1), 16-33 (2008).

Bing, J.1994. Principles of Project Management, PMNETwork. (Retrieved: 29 March 2011)

“Buhid”. Mangyan Heritage Center. www.mangyan.org/tribal/index.html. (Retrieved; 29 January 2009)

Cleland, D. and Kerzner,H. 1995. A Project Management Dictionary of Terms, Van Nostrand, New York.

Gapuz, E.T. 1995. “Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior of the Mangyans in Sitio Banabaan, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro Towards the Agroforestry Technology of the Low Income Upland Community Project.” (Thesis: University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines).

Johnson, S.2005. ‘Gender Relations, Empowerment and Microcredit: Moving on from a Lost Decade’, The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp.224-248.

Lumbo, S. G., Declaro, M.Y.A.M. and Cassanova,V.S. 2009. “Cross Cutting Approaches in Reaching out the Indigenous People of Occidental Mindoro through Natural Resource Management and Community-based Livelihood Options.” Occidental Mindoro State College (OMNC) Research Journal Vo.8 No. 1

National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). 2007. Annual Per Capita Poverty Thresholds by Province, 2006 – 2007

Orfiano, N., Calitang, G., Lumbo, S. Orpiano, R., Batiles, B. and Remo, I. 2006. “Sustainable Upland Development Program (SUDP) for the Mangyan Communities.” OMNC Research Journal Vol.6 No. 1

Participatory Rapid Appraisal Result of Salafay. 2006 and 2010. Plan International Evaluation Report ,2008 Pigg, K. E. 2002. “Three Faces of Empowerment: Expanding the Theory of

Empowerment in Community Development”. Journal of the Community Development Society Vol. 33, Issue 1, 2002.

Postma, A. 1983. Mindoro Mangyan Mission: A Pictorial. Revised Edition. Manila: Arnoldus Press.

Swain, R. B. and Wallentin, F. 2008. “Economic or Non-Economic Factors – What Empowers


Women? Uppsala University, Department of Economics . http://www.nek.uu.se or from S-WoPEC http://swopec.hhs.se/uunewp (Retrieved: 29 October 2010)

Virola, Madonna. 2009. ‘Mangyan handmade products empower women” www.business.inquirer.net/.../Mangyan-handmade-products-empower-women (Retrieved: 29 January 2009)

World Bank Report .2008

Managing Environmental Governance Capacity Development for Local Policymakers in the Province of Bukidnon Through Partnership Estela C. Itaas 1 and Joy M. Mirasol 2

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the private and public partnership of managing environmental governance capacity development between the Bukidnon State University (BukSU) with other institutions such as the Tanggol Kalikasan (TK), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other local government units (LGUs). TK is a non-government organization (NGO) of lawyers and environmentalists that conducts capacity-building trainings for local policymakers on environmental governance. One of its aims is to jointly promote sound environmental governance, utilizing lessons learned in protected area management in the province of Bukidnon, specifically in the Mt. Kalatungan Mountain Range and Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park (MKRNP). The partnership upholds its commitment to extend services; thus, triggering BukSU’s Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG) to conduct capacity development programs for local policymakers on environmental governance. One of the lessons learned from the said partnership was that environmental management could be implemented successfully by bringing the decision-making process from the central government to the key local officials. Decentralization here did not only mean LGUs’ jurisdiction, but it also emphasized the recognition of the significant participation of other stakeholders, such as NGOs, local communities, and tribal communities. There is no ready-made template in environmental management: Initial experience showed that the sensitivity to and recognition of cultural traditions, as well as the capacity of implementers to negotiate with partners could sustain communities’ environmental programs. The awareness of climate change adaptation was given emphasis during the capability development trainings. Local policymakers recognized the need to make mandatory the creation of a

1 Director for Extension, Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon 2 Director for Research, Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon


municipal and city environment and natural resources offices, per the local government code.

RATIONALE

In 1998, the island of Mindanao belonged to Southeast Asia’s rainforest belt and was used to be one of the areas in the world with unsurpassable biodiversity frontiers (Bukidnon Watershed, 1998). But the question is: Have the Filipinos sustained the preservation and conservation of Mindanao’s rainforest? Recently, it has been suffering from the consequences man-made calamitieslike flash floods in some parts of the Bukidnon like Aglayan, Bangcud, and Colonia of Malaybalay, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

An ocular inspection of the environmental and natural resources

Bukidnon Province, Philippines revealed that vast agricultural and forest land areas, rivers and lakes, flora and fauna were being threatened of adulteration or worse, eradication. This was due to unsustainable development as manifested by soil erosion, forest denudation, air pollution, unnaturally heavy floods, and loss of biodiversity (SANREM, 2003). Many places, although not even heavily populated have been degraded because of the invasion of local, national, and multinational industries. For instance, the presence of monoculture plantations (e.g., banana, sugarcane, and pineapple), poultry and piggery farms, and other high-value crops in prime agricultural uplands of Bukidnon have mushroomed. This happened mainly because community residents, officials, and even some of the indigenous peoples tasked with the stewardship of these prime lands lacked the adequate knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of industrialization. In many unfortunate cases, they were even made to believe that industrialization was supposed to be the best way to work with the environment and to improve their living conditions (Poffenberger, 1998).

It is a fact that the forest land cover in Bukidnon has been continuously

declining in terms of its economic and environmental aspects. Forest destruction by timber poachers and the conversion of forest land for agriculture have been going on and the frequency has been rising to an alarming level, leaving our forest way below the desired 45% cover to sustain its viability. Such decline and destruction have largely been contributed to poorly implemented environmental laws and policies, which sometimes has led to the rapid exploitation of timber from old growth forests at prices far below their real market values. Thus, Acosta (2001 & 2003) called on the government and challenged the academe and other agencies to be more aggressive about measuring the efficacy of programs and policies on a range of environmental concerns.

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To address the challenge of conserving the environment in Bukidnon, partnerships of both public and private sectors, like the academe, national agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), local government units (LGUs), civil society organizations had to be established. This should be done to achieve good environmental management in local governance, economic growth, and the prevention of further damage to natural resources. Bukidnon State University (BukSU) has responded to the challenge by signing a partnership agreement with an NGO, Tanggol Kalikasan (TK),to help local policymakers and upland volunteers increase their capacity to sustainably manage natural resources within their respective jurisdictions through trainings.

BukSU-Institute of Environmental Governance (BukSu-IEG) was

established to help meet the challenge of providing the much needed capacity to enable local executives and policymakers perform their environmental mandates better. The Institute came to be largely because of the devolution of government powers through the passage of the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act 7160). Among the devolved functions were those that pertained to the environment under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), like pollution control, solid waste management, management of communal forests, integrated social forestry, control over small-scale mining, and related functions for the protection of the environment. Fisheries management and regulatory functions in municipal waters have likewise been devolved to local governments (Tanggol Kalikasan, 2006).

In the case of local policymakers, they were specifically tasked to

“enforce laws and regulations relating to pollution control and protection of the environment”. Indeed, with the passage of the local government code and other relevant environmental legislations, increasing power and responsibilities on environmental governance have been passed or granted to local governments. However, the fact that powers and functions have been devolved did not necessarily mean actual transfer of capacity. Decentralization should promote local empowerment, but was not primarily the domain of the local government. The main essence of decentralization provided for participation of stakeholders, such as NGOs, local communities, tribal groups, and complementary projects (Saway & Mirasol, 2005) .

BukSU-IEG was the strategic response to the ever-increasing demand

for training and capacity development needs of local governments. BukSU on the other hand, as an institution of higher learning, addresses the concern of informing and educating people on the importance of sustainable natural resources and environmental management, as well as the concomitant dangers and risks of environmental degradation.


Training designs for the capacity development of local policymakers were finalized after identifying their needs in their respective areas.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study aims to describe the management of capacity development through trainings conducted by BukSU-IEG on environmental governance for local policymakers from 2007 to date.

Specifically, this study aims to describe how BukSU-IEG and partners

managed the trainings conducted for Bukidnon local policymakers’ jursidictions near the buffer zones of Mts. Kitanglad and Kalatungan Range Natural Parks (MKKRNPs). The paper also presents the issues, challenges, and lessons learned on environmental governance. It likewise presents the policy recommendations derived from the results of the study.

METHODOLOGY

The study was conducted in the province of Bukidnon. The descriptive method of research was used. Triangulation was employed in data gathering, utilizing focus group discussions, observations, and unstructured interviews. The respondents of the study were the local policymakers and the chairpersons of the environment and education committees of the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia, and the municipality of Pangantucan. The respondents were identified by the president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and their respective mayors. The bases of the selection of participants were the topics covered in the training design. The mayors of the two cities and seven (7) municipalities were actively involved during the trainings. A total of 220 local policymakers were trained. The trainers were also interviewed to validate the information provided by the respondents.

Prior to training proper, a training needs assessment (TNA) was

conducted to find out each group’s the priority needs. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) through a focus group discussion of the local government policymakers was also done.

Trainings made use of modules which were developed by following

Glassgow’s (1998) Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model1. This was used by the trainers to capture the

1 Analysis is the initial information-gathering activity, which assesses the “what”, “who”, “how”, and “why” of the instructional activity. Design is the making the objectives and desired

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actual delivery of the trainings, adding the learning gains of both the trainees and trainers. The BukSU-IEG

In 2006, Bukidnon State College-IEG now BukSU-IEG was launched in

Bukidnon through a recommendation of Catanduanes State College..The Institute has a two-tiered governance training program: IEG-Level I, for barangay (village) officials is managed by BukSU itself; while IEG-Level II for municipal and provincial officials is hosted by other state colleges or universities, one each for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each area-based IEG is managed autonomously under a joint management scheme between the host institution and TK. TK-IEG, the host institution, LGUs, and participants through a counterpart scheme provide resources needed for trainings.

The Institute is fully accredited by the Local Government Academy of

the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). TK and BukSU are both members of the Local Government Training and Research Institutions-Philippine Network (LoGoTRI-PhilNet).

Although trainings provided are free, participants pay for their own

transportation, food, and accommodation expenses.

Collaborative Training Management Approaches Utilized by BukSU-IEG in Managing the Capability Development Trainings for Local Policymakers

Attaining goals and objectives alone is not sufficient to claim success.

Success requires both the effectiveness and efficiency in managing the capability-building trainings for local policymakers. The Training Coordinator, who is also BukSU’s Director of Extension, accomplished effectively the training goals and objectives in collaboration with TK officials and staff. There was a need for an innovative and creative model in addressing the needs of the policymakers in the province; hence, managing trainings was of utmost importance that was successfully addressed by partners.

Trainings conducted used an ecosystem approach type of delivery. An ecosystem approach is a process for the comprehensive management of land, water, and biotic and abiotic resources that equitably promotes outcomes of the instructional activity, as well as the overall plan that includes timelines, strategies, lesson plans, etc. Development is the actual making of the instructional materials including trainers’ guides. Implementation is the placing of the plan and the instructional materials into action such as completing and offering a computer-based instructional module. Evaluation is the checking for the effectiveness of the instructional program, both immediately and in the long run.


conservation and sustainable use. The approach shifts the Philippine government's traditional focus from individual agency jurisdiction to the actions of multiple agencies within larger ecosystems. It finds ways to increase voluntary collaboration with public and private agencies like BukSU, DENR, LGUs, and NGOs.

This is a very challenging task on the part of the coordinator because it

needs collaboration or partnership with the LGUs, NGOs, POs, Kitanlad Guard Volunteers (KGVs), and other national agencies heads like DENR specifically, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO). The Project Coordinator was fully supported by the BukSU administration in performing various functions. In addition, BukSU’s Research Director and DENR served as the coordinators in the delivery of trainings. Thus, these people were greatly involved in the training proper. The BukSu-IEG Management Structure

Managing effectively and efficiently the trainings and creating an

environment conducive for the participants to attain active participation had to be done. The management committee (ManCom) took charge of the following functions, namely planning, organizing, staffing, directing; and coordinating. Part of the planning was the identification of the roles of BukSU and partners. Strategic planning had to be done to ensure that training objectives were aligned with the University’s thrusts and priorities.

Planning was done by the ManCom in identifying which municipality

would be trained first. The results of a needs assessment through brainstorming were validated by officers of CENRO and PENRO.

Organizing the persons responsible for each task was necessary so that

ManCom would be fully functional. The membership of the ManCom included the following: BukSU’s Research and Extension Unit personnel; DENR’s MKRNP’s Protected Area Superintendent (PASu); an LGU barangay captain from one of the barangays in Malaybalay City, who happened to be a Gawad Saka awardee; and BukSU’s and TK’s respective residents.

Despite the financial constraints of the University, particularly in

building IEG’s structure, staffing was established. This was done by assigning faculty members to help in the delivery and facilitation of the trainings. The staffing need was in haste so faculty members had to be regularly shifted to among several people to take turns in performing assigned functions. Aside from the actual delivery of trainings, they would also be willing to work beyond office hours without remuneration. Service beyond the call of duty

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was a top priority, since it was not possible to hire people for the Institute because of the lack of funds. This process somehow helped the faculty members involved enhance their training skills further, aside from them being trained through a series of capability building activities.

Building and providing sufficient support for a community of innovative

faculty members to enhance their training capacity; and to increase internal and external opportunities for faculty members and graduate students were encouraged. Multi-tasking was evident because faculty members had to do other academic functions, not only in instruction, research, and extension, but rendering clerical jobs in the office, errands, and even some janitorial services due to lack of full-time staff in the Institute (Itaas & Mirasol, 2010).

Directing the members of the Institute was done by developing their

training skills and practices through group dynamics to accomplish the University’s mission and vision while simultaneously helping them accomplish their training objectives. Committee members had to also partake in the training delivery. This was done through partnership and collaborative efforts not only of among committee members, but also with rest of the faculty members of the University, considering the challenging task on the part of ManCom in encouraging other faculty members to actively participate in the trainings.

Control played a very important role in IEG’s establishment. This was

done based on the University’s objectives of measuring and reporting actual performance. This functions involved creative problem solving. Creative problem solving is broader than problem finding, choice making, or decision making (Owens, 2001). It extends from the analysis of the environment, within which the college functions to the evaluation of the outcomes.

Proper coordination, tasking, and the flow of work were evident

among members of the ManCom. With individuals cooperating and carrying their assigned tasks out properly, there were evidences of progress and development in the delivery of trainings. At present, the training has expanded to some other municipalities and cities in the province. Many LGUs have requested for the delivery of training classes to their respective localities. However, ManCom has been addressing the requests one at a time, giving priority to LGUs with unstructured environmental conditions and financial contributions to the training program.


RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Based on the results the TNA, a training design was formulated. The

design effectively considered the selection of participants that gave emphasis on local officials and KGVs, who actually showed interest and were very much engaged in discussions about environmental governance. Some 220 of them participated in the series of trainings conducted. They were from the barangays of Malaybalay City; the buffer zone of Mts. Kitanglad and Kalatungan Range Natural Parks; and the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia and the municipality of Pangantucan. The medium of instruction used was bisaya, the local language, to ensure maximum understanding and open communication among the participants.

The TNA and other data collection procedures were made during

Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) en banc meetings, since most of these local policymakers were members of PAMB and ABC. Focus group discussions (FGD) and focus group interviews (FGI) with the local policymakers and KGV respondents were done. The same methods were also used for provincial, city, and municipal DENR officials to validate the issues raised by the participants during the training.

Inputs from local experts included those presented by the MKRNP’s

PASu; Malaybalay City’a CENRO; BakSU’s Chair of the Development Communication Department; Central Mindanao University’s Vice-President for Research and Extension; the Provincial Office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples’ (NCIP) Legal Officer; the 1996 Gawad Saka awardee Barangay Captain; and an environmental lawyer from TK.

MAJOR TOPICS

The following were the topics discussed during the trainings: 1.) learning about the environment (local environmental situations, basic ecological concepts, climate change, and principles of sustainable development); 2.) learning in the environment (community-based forest management framework, relevant environmental policies, basic enforcement skills, watershed management and disaster risk management); 3.) learning for the environment (Republic Act [RA] 8978 also known as the Mt. Kitanglad Act of 2000; RA 8371 – Indigenous Peoples Rights Act; RA 9003 – Ecological Solid Waste Management Act; RA 7586 – National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 1991; and Agroforestry Development,Sustainable Agriculture, and Organic Farming) (Itaas & Mirasol, 2009).

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These topics were discussed using a variety of techniques like workshops, demonstrations, and lectures. Enough time allotment was given for the open forum for the local policymakers and KGVs to clarify gray areas regarding the topics and for them to share their ideas with one another. After a series of interactions, evidences showed that local policymakers exerted efforts and gave priorities to environmental governance and took actions by putting up projects like tree planting, nursery, reforestation, and watershed protection in their respective barangays.

ACTION PLANNING After a series of presentations, an action planning workshop

culminated the series of three- and two-day capacity development trainings on August 19-20, 2006, April 21-22, 2008, September 9-11, 2009, and January 18 - 20, 2011. There was no training in 2010 because the LGUs priority was the national elections.

ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

Thirty local policymakers conducted echo training sessions to their respective councils and other key workers in their respective barangays. The City Planning Coordinators and concerned CENROs served as their resource persons;

Twenty-seven other local policymakers requested the CENRO to discuss RA 9003 during their barangay assembly;

Seventy-three barangays created their barangay solid waste management (SWM) committee and passed ordinances on Ecological SWM as mandated under Sections 21 and 23 of RA 9003;

Twenty-eight local policymakers within MKRNP organized a meeting with the PASu to discuss their powers and functions as PAMB members; to strengthen the operation of their respective forest protection volunteers by DENR’s deputation order; and to plan a solicitation of 28 cellular phones from Smart Communications for their respective barangay volunteers;

The City Government of Malaybalay assigned student summer job workers to work in its various barangay nurseries upon the recommendation of concerned local policymakers. Based on a report submitted to its City Planning Office, some 18,000 seedlings have been raised out of the barangay nursery operation; and

A report from the barangay volunteers and the CENRO, record showed that some 6,304 board feet of lumber have been confiscated for violations of forestry rules and regulation.


CHALLENGES

1. There was a need for further collaboration to increase the monitoring of participants’ progress, particularly on the implementation of their action plans;

2. The absence of platforms to increase public access to environmental information and to an aggressive, coordinated, and collaborated environmental law enforcement;

3. The lack of a sustainable financing for environmental management and governance;

4. The need for developed governance mechanisms that could address both regional and global environmental problems;

5. The unlikelihood of increasing the number of champions to impart knowledge to remote parts of locales;

6. The means to reactivate existing regional environment programmes and plans such as strategic action plans on environment;

7. The delivery of refresher trainings for law enforcers from DENR,for environmental lawyers from TK, and for other stakeholders from other institutions;

8. The uptraining for local policymakers in the province to be environmental champions.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Create the Municipal and City Environment and Natural Resources Offices as prescribed by the Local Government Code;

2. Police LGUs for not implementing their enacted land use and zoning ordinances (like irrigated area converted to banana plantations; poultries established within the head water source; and others);

3. Set a pricing scheme for water used for agricultural industries to support upland environmental protectors;

4. Create a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the purpose of developing an effective long-term provincial strategy for dealing with water pollution and loss of biodiversity; and plan to take preventive measures, establish provincial monitoring mechanisms, and increase fire-fighting capacity particularly during summer time;

5. Educate and train communities to deal with major environmental problems and to help people to be more sensitive to the environment to contain environmental;

6. Establish a network of provincial and municipal institutions to monitor and review the statuses of environmental policy development, implementation, dissemination of information, and data gathering obtained through various means, including mass media and the Internet;

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7. Promote decentralization and devolution of powers to local governments in terms of environmental policy-making implementation through delegating to them more authority, as well as resources and responsibilities for environmental protection;

8. Expand the membership and participation of environmental NGOs and other civil society organizations from national and local levels; and involve representatives of affected local communities in the process of planning and implementation of regional/local development; and

9. Sustain the financial sharing responsibilities among partners.

REFERENCES

Acosta, N. (2003). Department of Public Works and Highways article titled Responding to the Challenges of Environmental Sustainability. A publication of DPWH’s RIMSS.

Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects. Retrieved: March 24, 2011. http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/ecological/eco_es.asp

Itaas (2006). A compilation of modules on the training programs for barangay officials. Jointly managed by Bukidnon State University and Tanggol Kalikasan.

Itaas, E. C. & Mirasol, J. M. (2010). Managing Research and Development in Higher Education Institutions through Collaboration: The Bukidnon State University Experience. A paper presented during the 20th National Convention of the Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc. (PHILARM).

Itaas, E. C. & Mirasol, J. M. (2009). Environmental Education in Practice: The Case of Local Policymakers in Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Province of Bukidnon.

Miller, T. (2000). Living in the environment. 11th edition. Singapore: Brooks and Cole Publishing Co.

Medium-Term Development Plan 2004-2010 Mirasol & Saway (2005). The politics of decentralization. “Decentralizing

Protected Area Management at Mount Kitanglad.” Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), USA and UK.

Niyom, Prapapat (2009). Holistic learning for sustainable development. A paper presented during the 4th World teachers’ day in Thailand and 12th UNESCO-APEID International Conference Quality Innovations for Teaching and Learning, March 24-26, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand.

Sumbalan, E. B. (2007). Development of a training package for teachers in integrating language skills into the elementary curriculum. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Bukidnon State University Graduate School, Malaybalay City.


Mobilizing a Tripartite Alliance in Increasing Rice Productivity Through Location-Specific Technology Development in Brgy. Gabawan, Odiongan, Romblon Juniel C. Lucido 1, Merian C. Mani, Ph.D. 2, Jeter S. Sespeñe, Ph.D. 3, Dulce B. Paloma 4, Imelda DG. Oldiva 4 and Teresita F. Chua 4

ABSTRACT

The increasing demand for rice in the Philippines was one of the major considerations in up-scaling programs for rice self-sufficiency. Different public and private rice key players had collaborative efforts to increase the rice production in the country.

This rice project in Romblon is under the Give Me 5!

Project wherein farmers were challenged to increase their yields from three to more than five metric tons per hectare. This was piloted in Calatrava, Romblon and was expanded to other areas including Brgy. Gabawan, Odiongan, Romblon. The project applied the research-cum-extension approach in adopting the PalayCheck System under the Location-Specific Technology Development (LSTD) Program of the Philippine Rice Research Institute in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture-Local Government Unit of Odiongan, Romblon State University, STRIVE Foundation, Farmers’ Association, Odiongan, and other non-government organizations.

At the farm level, the development of LST for different

rice ecosystems required critical analysis of farmers’ needs and problems through focus group discussions. Different factors on attaining higher yields were also given emphasis (i.e., varietal selection, pest, nutrient, water, and other farm management practices). Hence, LSTD is one climate change adaptation strategy that will help farmers in increasing their yield amidst drastic effects of climate change at farmers’ level.

1 Researcher, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon 2 Vice President for Research, Extension, and Production, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon 3 President, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon 4 Researcher, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon

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RATIONALE

The paper highlights the tripartite alliance of a government agency, a private development organization, and a local government unit in a research-cum-extension project that used the Discovery-Based Learning Approach (DBLA) in developing and transferring suitable rice and rice-based technologies to farmer-beneficiaries in Romblon. The project management team consistently employed the partnership of public and private institutions, as each played a complementary role in the development of mechanisms and strategies to sustain the proposed activities. This partnership also aided in the enhancement of the pool of technical knowledge, as well as the sharing of financial and physical resources. Farmer-beneficiaries were also given an opportunity to improve their existing farming methods as they actively participated in continual learning, checking, and sharing of best farming practices through the Farmers’ Field School (FFS).

PROJECT BACKGROUND This project is a joint initiative of the Philippine Rice Research Institute

(PhilRice) and the Society Towards Reinforcing Inherent Viability for Enrichment (STRIVE) Foundation in collaboration with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Odiongan, and the farmers’ association of Barangay (Brgy.; village) Gabawan, Odiongan, Romblon. It is under the Location-Specific Technology Development (LSTD) Program of PhilRice funded by the GMA Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

To realize the project’s main objectives (as stated below), the project

management team identified farmers’ needs and constraints in increasing rice yields in irrigated areas and developed specific technologies suitable for Gabawan and eventual recommendation to LGU-Odiongan for policy making.

OBJECTIVES The overall objectives of this developmental project is to increase the

rice productivity by one ton per hectare (ton/ha); and to increase the income of farmers by 15% in the irrigated, double rice cropping areas.

The researchers specifically intend to share the best management practices and effective strategies adopted in managing a research-cum-extension rice project using DBLA and a tripartite alliance approach (TAA).


METHODOLOGY A. Management Practice

1. Proposal Preparation

In 2008, researchers and development workers of PhilRice-Los Baños

and STRIVE Foundation drafted the proposal for possible funding. A series of revisions from technical to socio-economic components of the proposal had been made in order to improve the content of the proposal before it was finally submitted to DA for evaluation. Fortunately, the proposal was approved and funded in that same year. 2. Implementation

The tripartite alliance of PhilRice, STRIVE Foundation, and LGU-

Odiongan, in collaboration with Farmers’ Association, Odiongan was a response to the government’s battle cry for national rice self-sufficiency.

PhilRice hired and trained young, dynamic, and competitive Rice

Sufficiency Officers (RSOs). They were trained in PalayCheck System, rice-related technologies, community and facilitative skills, and other management skills for four months in order to be equipped in dealing with LGU staff, farmers, and other stakeholders. After the season-long training with rice specialists, the RSOs were deployed to the field as front liners for the government’s rice self-sufficiency program. Four RSOs were deployed to Romblon, focusing first on the major rice-producing municipalities in the province that included Odiongan, where the main author was assigned in May 2009.

1.1 Courtesy Call and Technical Briefings

One of the RSO’s first agendum was to pay a courtesy call to

prospective implementing and collaborating agencies such as LGUs, DA-Regional Field Unit (DA-RFU), and other rice key players in the province. It was an opportune time to discuss the project intension and possible areas of collaboration. The courtesy call was also done to solicit their support and commitment to help the farmers increase the latter’s productivity and income. During that courtesy call, the RSO was backed-up by senior science specialists from PhilRice Branch Station.

After the presentation of the project to local executives, the Municipal

Agricultural Officer (MAO), and supervising Agricultural Technologists (ATs) of the identified barangay, the RSO was introduced to the barangay council of

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Gabawan. The project was again presented, this time the barangay stakeholders as audience. Informal interviews, ocular inspection, and transect walk at the farmers’ field were conducted with some of the barangay officials and farmers to initially identify the farmers’ needs and problems in the locality. These served as bases for the project management team to determine whether the farms were ready and appropriate for use as LSTD farms. It also determined whether the set of criteria for area selection were fully met. After the initial meeting, a schedule for the project general briefing and focus group discussion (FGD) to be participated by all interested farmers and barangay leaders was set.

Per scheduled technical briefing, the project objectives and potential

benefits to the farmers, including the mechanics of implementation, roles, obligations, and possible opportunities of LSTD were clearly and accurately presented.

1.1.1 Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)

An FGD was conducted in the Gabawan’s Barangay Hall on May 22,

2009 to gather baseline information such as: a.) Current socio-economic and technological statuses of rice farmers; b.) Knowledge, attitude, and practices of farmers; c.) Problems and needs in rice production; d.) Priority problems and needs to be dealt with; and e.) Researchable areas to be streamlined. The said FGD was attended by Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) and farmers, with the RSO as the facilitator.

The result of the FGD was presented to the community members for

validation and was used as the basis of all technological interventions. In-depth analyses of the situation in the area were done through the baseline survey conducted by STRIVE Foundation and through regular discussions and monitoring of activities conducted during the course of the project interventions.

1.1.2 Stakeholders’ Workshop

The workshop was intended to generate a concerted intervention or

action on the farming problems identified during the FGD and as expressed by farmers in individual interviews with them. With this workshop, it was expected that each stakeholder was drawn to commit their respective agency’s assistance to the project. Defined roles, responsibilities, and obligations were emphasized to participants for them to internalize the sense of ownership and accountability for the success of the project. The result of the workshop was documented and used as stipulations to the memorandum of agreement (MOA) forged by the various stakeholders.


1.1.3 Launching and MOA Signing

Project launching and MOA signing were conducted before the

establishment and the start of the season-long farmers’ training. This was to create awareness that there was a project implemented by the government led by DA-PhilRice together with other collaborating agencies.

1.2 Strategies in Implementation

1.2.1 Site and Farmer Group Selection

Proper selection and validation of the site for the project was critical in the success of the implementation of the project; thus, different criteria were identified by the technical management team. Among the criteria of the site were: 1.) It should be a major rice-producing barangay in the municipality; 2.) It should be irrigated; 3.) It should be accessible, preferably along the road; 4.) It should be drought- and flood-free; 5) It should not have a soil problem; and 6.) It should be a representative of a larger farming community. The project management team was also very careful in the farmer selection that would be part of the PalayCheck Farmer Group as it could directly affect the success of the implementation and the development of the system. Poor farmer selection could cause poor attendance, inactive participation, and failure to monitor and submit crop economic data. PalayCheck Farmer Group is a group of rice farmers that explores the understanding of the best key technology and rice crop management system within the framework of collaborative and experiential learning. A comprehensive briefing was done and the strong commitment to PalayCheck System had been ensured before a farmer could join the group. 1.2.2 Season-long PalayCheck Training

Establishment of a technology demonstration field following the

recommendations of PalayCheck System was first conducted. It included soil analysis using the Minus-One Element Technique (MOET) of PhilRice to test the nutrients that were lacking in the soil; establishment of varietal trials using three newly released varieties; and two farmer’s preferred varieties to identify the variety/ies was/were suitable in the area.

This research-cum-extension project followed the DBLA. Under this approach, transfer of technologies to farmers is done through an FFS, a form of adult education, which evolved from the concept that farmers learn optimally from field observation and experimentation. It was developed to help farmers tailor fit their integrated crop management practices to diverse and dynamic ecological conditions. In regular sessions from planting until

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harvest, groups of neighboring farmers observe and discuss dynamics of the crop’s ecosystem. Simple experimentation helps farmers further improve their understanding of functional relationships (e.g., pests-natural enemy population dynamics and crop damage-yield relationships). In this cyclical learning process, farmers develop the expertise that enables them to make their own crop management decisions. Special group activities encourage learning from peers, strengthen communicative skills, and promote group building.

The PalayCheck season-long training was conducted for two seasons

(wet and dry). This was to test the suitability of the varieties in two different seasons and to let the farmers internalize the concepts and principles of PalayCheck System.

1.2.3 Monitoring

The weekly FFS included theoretical and practical concepts of

PalayCheck System. A monitoring team composed of an RSO, an AT, and a Farmer-leader monitored weekly the respective farms of the participating farmers in order to check or validate whether they were applying the PalayCheck System in their own farms or not.

Another set of monitoring team from PhilRice composed of technical

experts, a development worker, and an economist visited and inspected the site to check whether the implementation was going smoothly or otherwise.

1.2.4 Farmers’ Field Day and Cross-Visits

Farmers’ field day and forum were conducted two weeks before the

crop harvest to showcase the agronomic and yield performance of technologies demonstrated. About 100-300 non-PalayCheck beneficiaries field day participants from different barangays and adjacent municipalities were invited to participate in the evaluation of technologies, e.g. participatory varietal selection (PVS). After the field visitation, focus technologies were presented and discussed followed by farmers’ forum for clarifications of technologies observed, technology consultations, briefing on DA programs, and some possible technical assistance.

A cross-visit in successful farms and practitioners’ lands, research institutions, and agri-business companies was planned for participating AEWs and farmers in purpose to widen their knowledge and exposures on crop technologies and agri-business ventures.


1.2.5 Post- Evaluation and Impact Assessment The technical aspect of implementation was spearheaded by PhilRice,

while the socio-economic and impact assessments were handled by STRIVE Foundation, a private institution.

An end-season review, evaluation, and impact assessment was

conducted at the end of every cropping season to evaluate, analyze, and interpret results of technologies tested as compared to farmers’ best practices. This was done at the barangay and municipal levels by PhilRice, STRIVE, LGU, farmers, and other stakeholders.

Key technologies tried and demonstrated would be modified based

on the results to develop a location-specific technology. These were fine-tuned for the next cropping season. Final output was an LST package for the LSTD sites and possible extrapolation areas in adjoining barangays.

3. Management Functions

The management team was composed of the planning, and

implementing agencies such as PhilRice, STRIVE Foundation, Department of Agriculture, and LGU. PhilRice actively coordinated with LGU and farmers’ association for the smooth implementation of the project. STRIVE Foundation on the other hand, had gathered the socio-economic profile of the participating farmers before the project was implemented to form part of the baseline data and account for the changes in the socio-economic profile of farmers after every cropping season for impact assessment. 4. Management Problems

Issues and problems met by the researchers and project implementers

such as coordinating with local partners; winning the commitment of municipal and barangay councils; marketing effectively the project to the target beneficiaries; and sustaining the attendance of participants in the season-long training were properly addressed through strategic planning and partnership of public and private sectors, with PhilRice and LGU at the forefront. 5. Management Strategies

The project management strategy used was the TAA, wherein public

and private institutions collaboratively work to increase rice productivity through an LSTD program.

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In the first season, 60% of the management process was handled by the project team-PhilRice and its partner organization-STRIVE Foundation, 25% by the LGU, and 15% by the farmers. In the second season, the LGU and the farmers were given more responsibilities in the implementation of the project supported by PhilRice and other partners. In the third season, the farmers’ association, spearheaded by the development, farmer-led extension expert led the implementation guided by PhilRice, LGU, and other partners.

The season-long training used DBLA. The DBLA is affected by different

factors like Key Checks and recommendations; farmers’ knowledge and experience; resource and finance availability; climate; agroecosystem; soils and other environmental factors; neighbor/peer group knowledge and attitudes; and agricultural extension support.

DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION Based on the different issues and concerns that arose in the

implementation of the project, different strategies, approaches, and techniques were applied in order to minimize or at best, solve the problems encountered. Proper coordination through courtesy calls and project presentation to local partners were done. In marketing the project, the management team conducted a series of community organizational and project briefing activities to discuss the advantages and benefits of the project to the farmers. At the beginning of each class, possible awards were announced to encourage and motivate farmer-participants to religiously attend the training; thus, minimizing absences among farmers. Initially, the RSO allotted half of each day for monitoring all the fields of participating farmers. The time allotted was found to be inadequate; thus, farmers were strategically clustered together to efficiently monitor each cluster’s fields. The proper clustering of the farmers resulted to efficient and effective monitoring of their farm activities following the recommendations of PalayCheck System. During the farmers’ field day, cash prizes and farm inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and equipment like a tractor were given to the project teams that were chosen as the Best Farmer- Implementer, the Best Group, and the Best Demonstration Trial, among other awards. Choosing the best farmer at the end of the cropping season served as motivation to do well in the training, whether in the discussion or actual exercises.

Due to these strategies and approaches, local executives as well as

the farmers’ group wholeheartedly accepted and even developed a sense of ownership for the project.


CONCLUSIONS

The project implementation of the rice project for two seasons (wet and dry) was not difficult to sell to various key rice players. Up-scaling rice technologies using a TAA involving both private and public sectors and other stakeholders during the project planning; stakeholders’ workshop; FGD; establishment of demonstration trials; delivery of FSS; monitoring; and post-evaluation was found effective in drawing out tangible results, most specifically on the lives of farmer beneficiaries. The use of rewards and prizes for Best Farmer Implementer, Best Group, and Best Demonstration Trials also contributed to the high turnout of sustained participation among stakeholders. Feedback and post evaluation from the participants were found to be beneficial in improving the delivery of season-long trainings for the next cropping season and for expanding to other barangays. It can also be noted that a limited-resource program can be sustained if all sectors of society will be involved and committed to the realization of the program’s objectives by investing financial resources and/or by sharing their field of expertise with other stakeholders. The seemingly long-gone Filipino tradition of a Bayanihan (Cooperative Endeavor) System” among the participating farmers was organically revived because of a strong positive relationship bonding formed during FFS.

In the end, the battle cry on national rice self-sufficiency paved the

way for key rice players to mobilize and initiate a project that addressed this problem and to achieve the goal not just of rice self-sufficiency, but of food security as well.

RECOMMENDATIONS

On the basis of the season-long training on PalayCheck System conducted and evaluated in Barangay Gabawan, Odiongan, Romblon, the researchers came up with the following recommendations:

1. The project should also be introduced and expanded to other rice

producing barangays in Odiongan and hopefully, would be introduced to other municipalities in the province;

2. Institutionalize the packaged LST for Gabawan farmers; 3. Creating a database of the participants’ profile could well serve as a

rich source of information for follow-up projects not only for rice, but for other commodities as well;

4. Strong documentation on the best practices, lessons learned, and findings derived from the rice project could serve as a guide for related projects to be conducted in the future; and

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5. The impact assessment of the project could be conducted using the economic surveys done by the socio-economic team of PhilRice and STRIVE.

REFERENCES

Lucidos, J. 2009. End-Season Report of Gabawan WS 2009. Lucidos, J. 2010. End-Season Report of Gabawan DS 2010. Miranda, R. et.al. 2009. Project Protocol of LSTD on PalayCheck. Philippine

Rice Research Institute. Yabes, S. 2008. PalayCheck Field Operations Manual. Philippine Rice

Research Institute. Yabes, S., et.al. 2008. PalayCheck Training Manual. Philippine Rice Research

Institute.

Predictors of Research Capabilities of the Provincial Institutes for Fisheries in Western Visayas: Basis for Research Policy Formulation Pascualito B. Magno, Ph.D. 1

ABSTRACT

This study ascertains the predictors of research capabilities of provincial institutes for fisheries in Western Visayas for Academic Year 2010-2011.

This study was conducted in October 2010 with 40 faculty

members and five research directors of provincial institutes for fisheries in Western Visayas as participants. The data for this descriptive-correlational research were gathered through the use of researcher-made data gathering instruments adopted from Palla (2000). Statistical tools employed were the frequency, percentage, mean, and the Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. The alpha level for inferential test was set at 0.05. All statistical computations were processed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software.

The findings of the study revealed that the provincial

institutes for fisheries (PIFs) were “capable” in research in terms of faculty-related factors such as educational attainment, academic rank, teaching performance, research involvement, research training attended, and research incentives received; while “moderately capable” in terms of length of teaching experience and job morale.

Furthermore, the provincial institutes for fisheries were

“slightly capable” in research in terms of institution-related factors such as accreditation level and research facilities; while “not capable” in research in terms of research budget, research linkages, number of research published, faculty size, and enrollment size.

1 Associate Professor II, University of Antique, Tario-Lim Memorial Campus, Tibiao, Antique

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In terms of faculty-related factors like teaching performance was found to be a significant predictor of research capabilities of these institutes; while educational attainment, academic rank, length of teaching experience, research involvement, research training, research incentives received, and job morale were found to be not significant predictors of research capabilities of these institute.

On the other hand, in terms of institution-related factors

such as accreditation level, research linkages, number of research published, faculty size, enrollment size, and research facilities were found to be significant predictors of research capabilities of these institutes for fisheries while research budget was found to be not a significant predictor of research capabilities of these institutes.

Finally, research policies were formulated to develop the

research capabilities of provincial institutes for fisheries in Western Visayas.

RATIONALE

Republic Act 8435, also known as the “Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997” mandates the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other concerned government agencies such as state universities and colleges (SUCs) to establish a National Agriculture and Fisheries Education System (NAFES) with that aims to establish, maintain, and support a complete and integrated system of agriculture and fisheries education relevant to the needs of the economy, the community, and society; to modernize and rationalize agriculture and fisheries education from the elementary to the tertiary levels; to unify, coordinate, and improve the system of implementation of academic programs that are geared toward achieving agriculture and fisheries development in the country; and to upgrade the quality, ensure sustainability, and promote the global competitiveness, at all levels, of agriculture and fisheries education (The Lawphil Project-Arellano Law Foundation, 1997) .

This law also established a network of national centers of excellence in

agriculture and fisheries education, composed of qualified public and private colleges and universities, duly accredited as National Centers of Excellence (NCE) in the field of agriculture and fisheries. For this purpose, CHED formulated and implemented a system of accreditation such that not more


than one provincial institute in every province and no more than one national university in each field in every region should be accredited as such; and provided, further, that the system should be based on the following criteria: a.) institutional accessibility, population, economic contribution of agriculture and fisheries in the community, and the needs or unique requirements of the area; b.) quantity and quality of research studies conducted; c.) degree of utilization of research results; d.) quantity and quality of faculty members; e.) type of facilities; f.) linkage with international organizations; and g.) potential contribution to agriculture and fisheries development in the target area (The Lawphil Project-Arellano Law Foundation, 1997).

It is worth noting that for provincial institutes for fisheries (PIFs) to be

accredited, they should have conducted a considerable number of quality research studies and they should have fully utilized these researches’ results. However, only a few fisheries institutions had the capacity to develop their research programs. Still, an adequate research orientation is an essential qualification for a good fisheries college or university.

It cannot be denied that research is a distinct construct that offers

some great importance to educational institutions like PIFs. It provides the needed support for proper programs implementation, direction, and evaluation. In fact, research is one of the four important functions of these educational institutions along with instruction, extension, and production.

This explains the need for PIFs in Western Visayas to re-examine their

research priorities so they can focus and develop the faculty and institution research capabilities as one of the functions of the institutions of higher learning. There must be an effort to equip PIFs with the necessary skills as well as capabilities to develop, formulate, and conduct researches by providing corresponding support such as financial, material, and provisions for complete research facilities. It was this premise that prompted the researcher to conduct a study to evaluate and ascertain the factors that predict the research capabilities of PIFs; hence, this study.

The results of this study could benefit the following: Policymakers. The findings of this study could be useful for NAFES

because these would provide them with viable information in allocating research funding to different PIFs with research mandates and capabilities.

School administrators. PIFs school administrators covered in this study

may benefit the most from the results of the investigation. The findings would make them aware of the predictors of research capabilities of their faculty and the institution. Through these findings, school these administrators would

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have valuable inputs in formulating research and development policies/plans to enhance more effective delivery within their respective institutional systems.

Research directors. The results could also be beneficial to research

directors in the formulation and in the delivery of institutional research activities.

Faculty. The faculty members of fisheries education would also benefit

by using the results as a guide or basis for conducting research and development activities; and they would focus more on contributing factors that would lead to policy formulation for an effective and efficient delivery of instruction.

Other researchers. The research model, variables, and methodology

used in this study could be of importance to other researchers interested in conducting assessments of similar programs in the future; they could include other variables such as administrative research orientation, travel, and impact of fisheries policies.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to find out the factors that predict the research capabilities of PIFs in Western Visayas for Academic Year 2010-2011.

Specifically, the objectives of this study are: 1. To Determine the research capability of PIFs in terms of faculty-

related factors such as educational attainment, academic rank, teaching performance, length of teaching experience, research involvement, research training, job morale, and research incentives;

2. To assess the research capability of the provincial institutes for fisheries in terms of institution-related factors such as research budget, accreditation level, research linkages, number of researches published, faculty size, enrollment size, and physical facilities;

3. To identify which of the faculty-related and institution-related factors could significantly predict PIFs’ research capabilities; and

4. To recommend research policies that should be formulated for the development of research capabilities of PIFs in Western Visayas.


METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researcher made use of a descriptive-corelational method of research. According to Gay (1996), a descriptive research involves collecting data in order to test hypotheses to answer questions concerning the current status of the subjects of the study; while correlational research involves collecting data in order to determine whether and to what degree, relationships exist between two or more quantifiable variables.

This design was considered appropriate for this study, which intends to

find out the predictors of research capabilities of Western Visayas’ PIFs. Locale of the Study

This study was conducted in Western Visayas’ five PIFs: the University of Antique Tario Lim Memorial Campus (UA-TLMC) in Tibiao, Antique; Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo; Aklan State University (ASU) in New Washington, Aklan; Capiz State University (CAPSU) in Dayao, Capiz; and Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. The Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this study were all 40 faculty members of the five PIFs as mentioned earlier.

This study also involved five research directors as respondents. They

were requested to answer the questionnaire designed for research directors, which generated data on research budget, accreditation level, research linkages, number of researches published, faculty size, enrollment size, and research facilities.

Research Instruments

This study utilized the following instruments for data collection: Personal Information Sheet. The questionnaires used in this study were

accompanied by an information sheet to gather data on respondents’ professional profile such as educational attainment, academic rank, teaching performance, length of teaching experience, research involvement, research training, and research incentives received.

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Research Capability Questionnaire. The questionnaire-checklist adopted from the study of Palla (2000) was used.

This instrument consisted of 50 positively stated items and required the

respondents to rate the extent of their perceived assessment of the institution’s research capability under the following areas: human resource research capability, technical capability, institutional financial capability, and physical resources capability using the following responses with their corresponding verbal interpretations.

The scores of respondents in the Research Capability Questionnaire

were determined by adding the numerical equivalents of the option chosen and the mean was computed afterward. The mean was transformed into a numerical scale with corresponding verbal description.

Job Morale Questionnaire. To determine the job morale of PIFs faculty

members, the author used the Job Morale Questionnaire. This instrument required the respondents to indicate the extent of their agreement to each statement in the instrument using the following scaled options: 5-Always; 4-Often but not always; 3-Sometimes but not very often; 2-Rarely; and 1-Never.

The scores of respondents in the Job Morale Questionnaire were

determined by adding the numerical equivalents of the option chosen and the mean was computed afterward. The mean was transformed into a numerical scale with corresponding verbal description. Data-Gathering Procedure

Permission to conduct the study was secured from the five Western Visayas PIFs’ respective Office of the President/Administrator/Officer In-Charge. After permissions had been secured, the investigator personally distributed the questionnaires to the respondents in their respective schools. Upon retrieval of the questionnaires, the researcher tabulated, processed, and interpreted the data. Data Analysis

The study utilized the following statistical tests and objectives to analyze the gathered data:

Frequency. To determine the number of respondents per institute; Percentage. To determine the proportion of respondents per institute; Mean. To determine research capabilities;


Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. To test the predictive ability of the faculty-related and the institution-related variables on research capability (at Ca=0.05).

The variables were entered as the block in the regression equation to

predict the fifteen major variables. The r values represent the relative strength of the relationship of the

faculty-related and institution–related factors to research capabilities of the provincial institutes of fisheries.

Multiple R represents the absolute value of the co-efficient correlation

between dependent and independent variables. It is also the correlation co-efficient of the values predicted by the regression model and the actual observed values. If the value is close to one, the regression model fits closely the data. If the value is close to zero, the regression model does not fit closely the data well.

The R² is the square multiple correlations of (R), which is the correlation

between the dependent and the independent variables. It may provide a measure of the co-variance; therefore, shows the strength of the relationship between the dependent variables and independent variables. R² essentially provides a measure of the goodness-of-fit of the equation; that is, how well the equation fits the data. This proceeds from the fact that R² is also the square of the correlation co-efficient between the observed value of the dependent variable, and the predicted value of the independent variable from the regression equation.

The beta (β) values represent the co-efficient of the independent

variables when all variables are contingent on a standardized form; β is contingent with other independent variables in the equation. They are also affected by the correlation of the independent variables and do not, in any absolute sense, reflect the importance of the various independent variables. Inferential statistics was set at 0.05 alpha (α) level.

All statistical computations were processed through the Statistical

Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

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DISCUSSION/INTERPRETATION Research Capability of the PIFs in Terms of Faculty-Related Factors

The research capability of Western Visayas’ PIFs in terms of faculty-related factors such as educational attainment, academic rank, teaching performance, length of teaching experience, research involvement, research training, job morale and research incentives was determined by computing the mean scores.

In terms of educational attainment, faculty members who are

bachelor of science (BS), master of science (MS), and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree holders were “capable” in research (Ms=3.42, 3.77, and 3.60, respectively). This was probably because 60-70 percent of the faculty members have career-related graduate degrees. Furthermore, majority of the faculty members of these PIFs are BS (67 percent), MS (20 percent), PhD (12 percent) degree holders. Based on NAFES Evaluation System, in order for the provincial institutes for fisheries to become highly capable in research, 100 percent of their faculty members must have career-related graduate or doctorate degrees. This finding ran counter to what Palla (2000) and Salmingo (2002) said: faculty members who have higher educational qualifications are more research-capable than those who have lower educational qualifications.

As to academic rank, faculty members with ranks as full and assistant

professors were “capable” in research (Ms=3.77 and 3.60, respectively); while those with ranks as associate professors and instructors were “moderately capable” in research (Ms=3.31 and 3.27, respectively).

In terms of teaching performance, faculty members with outstanding

and very satisfactory performances were “capable” in research (Ms=3.69 and 3.51, respectively), while those with satisfactory performances were “moderately capable” in research (M=3.16). This was due to the fact that only 87.5 percent of the PIFs faculty members got a very satisfactory rating. Based on NAFES Evaluation System, for PIFs to become capable in research, 90-100 percent of their faculty must have very satisfactory/outstanding performance ratings. The result of the present study reveals that majority of the faculty members had a very satisfactory rating (87.5 percent); 7.5 percent had an outstanding performance rating; while 5 percent had a satisfactory rating. These made Western Visayas PIFs capable in research.

As for the length of teaching experience, faculty members with long

teaching experiences were “capable” in research (M=3.53), while those with short teaching experiences were “moderately capable” in research (M=3.14).


Based on NAFES Evaluation System, PIFs will become “highly capable” in research if 100 percent of their faculty members have an average length of service of 10 years or longer. This result of the present study contradicted the findings of Salmingo (2002) that faculty members with short teaching experiences show a more favorable perception of the research capability as compared to members with long teaching experiences.

In terms of research involvement, faculty members with long research

involvement were “capable” in research (M=4.15), while those with short research involvement were “moderately capable” in research (M=3.37). But based on the NAFES Evaluation System, PIFs are “capable” in research only if 80-100 percent of the faculty members are doing actual research.

As for research training attended, faculty members with sufficient

training attended were “capable” in research (M=3.78), while those with insufficient research training attended were “moderately capable” in research (M=3.35). Based on NAFES, a PIF is “capable” in research only if 80-100 percent of its faculty members have attended at least one training, seminar, or workshop. But based on the responses of the respondents, only a handful or almost always the same persons attended training, seminars, or workshops. Since research capability in this study was computed not based on the individual, but rather as a PIF’s faculty as a whole. The result affirmed the findings of Palla (2000) and Salmingo (2002) that faculty members who had sufficient training demonstrate more research capability than members with insufficient training.

In terms of research incentives received, faculty members with

research incentives received were “capable” in research (M=3.66), while those without research incentives received were “moderately capable” in research (M=3.36). The result was in consensus with the findings of Fetalver (2003) that research incentives, awards, and recognition can improve the research capability of faculty members.

As for job morale, faculty members with very high job morale are

“capable” in research (M=3.83) while those with high, moderate, and low morale are “moderately capable” in research (Ms=3.35, 3.19, and 2.77, respectively). This result implies that job morale has influence on the research capability of an individual. Research Capability of the PIFs in Terms of Institution-Related Factors

The research capability of the PIFs in Western Visayas in terms of institution-related factors such as research budget, accreditation level,

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research linkages, number of researches published, faculty size, enrollment size, and research facilities was determined by computing mean scores.

In terms of accreditation level and research facilities, the PIFs were

“slightly capable” in research (Ms=2.20 and 2.20, respectively). This could be explained by the fact that most PIFs in this study were only accredited at Level II, while some of them have not even subjected their programs for any accreditation.

On the other hand, in terms of research budget, research linkages,

number of research published, faculty size, and enrollment size, the PIFs were “not capable” in research (Ms=1.40, 1.80, 1.80, 1.40, and 1.20, respectively). Based on the criteria set by NAFES, in order for PIFs to become “highly capable” in research they should have greater than or equal to five international; greater than or equal to five national; greater than or equal to five regional; and greater than or equal to five local research linkages. However, the PIFs in this study did not meet the number of linkages required by NAFES, which made them “not capable’ in research. Most PIFs in this study had only local, regional, and national linkages and without any single international linkage.

As for the number of researches published, the PIFs in this study were

“not capable” because only few of the faculty members (less than 20 or between the range of 1–29 percent) were able to publish their research outputs. Based on NAFES Evaluation System, for PIFs to become “highly capable” in research, greater than 70 percent of their faculty members should have at least one published research.

As for the faculty size, the PIFs were “not capable” in research mostly

because they had a small number of faculty members (less than 10) to undertake research activities aside from their actual teaching load.

In terms of enrollment size, PIFs were “not capable” in research

because of fewer enrollees as against the standard. Almost all PIFs had few enrollees that have still been declining year after year. This could probably be the reason why campus administrators find difficulty in justifying their requests for funding assistance or support for improvement of physical facilities because of less and less number of students has been enrolling in their respective school.

As for research facilities, PIFs were “slightly capable” in research

because they lacked some necessary buildings and research facilities specifically analytical, microbiological, biochemical, crop protection, tissue culture, and post-harvest laboratories and green houses (at least two units).


Based on NAFES criteria, for PIFs to become “highly capable” in research, they should have at least 75 percent of the abovementioned facilities. It was sad to realize however, that all PIFs in this study had only 30 percent.

In terms of research budget, the PIFs were “not capable” in research

because their budgets have not been fixed or constant; they have been varying from year to year. Most often than not, budgets provided for research were not adequate to support the research needs of these institutions.

Predictors of Research Capabilities of PIFs in Terms of Faculty-Related Factors

Teaching performance was a significant predictor of research capabilities of the PIFs. Majority of the faculty members (87.5 percent) had very satisfactory performance ratings, while only 7.5 percent of the faculty had outstanding performance ratings. As predictor, the criterion obtained an R value of 0.256 and an R² value of 0.065. The 6.5 percent variance in faculty research capability could attributed to teaching performance (F=2.306, p<0.05). This result could also imply that teaching performance had influence on research capabilities of the PIFs.

On the other hand, educational attainment, academic rank, length of

teaching experience, research involvement, research training, research incentives received, and job morale were found as not significant predictors of research capabilities of the PIFs (Fs=0.093, 0.631, 0.306, 0.201, 0.284, 0.150, and 0.280, p>0.05). These results could imply that faculty-related factors such as highest educational attainment, academic rank, length of teaching experience, research involvement, research training, research incentives received, and job morale had no influence on the research capabilities of the PIFs. Predictors of Research Capabilities of PIFs in Terms of Institution-Related Factors

Accreditation level, research linkages, number of research published, faculty size, enrollment size, and research facilities were significant predictors of research capabilities of the provincial institutes of fisheries. As predictors, they obtained R values of 0.669, 0.409, 0.696, 0.688, 0.409, and 0.935, respectively; and R² values of 0.447, 0.168, 0.484, 0.474, 0.168 and 0.874, respectively. These results could imply that 44.7 percent of the variance attributed to accreditation level; 16.8 percent to research linkages; 48.4 percent to number of researches published; 47.4 percent to faculty size; 16.8 percent to enrollment size; and 87.4 percent to research facilities, having the highest contribution to the research capability of the provincial institutes for

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fisheries (Fs=0.809, 0.403, 0.938, 0.900, 0.403, and 6.956, p<0.05). It may be said that institution-related factors such as accreditation level, research linkages, number of research published, faculty size, enrollment size, and research facilities had an influence on the research capabilities of the PIFs. This result validated the findings of NAFES evaluation that the research capabilities of PIFs are dependent on the institution itself.

On the other hand, research budget was found as not a significant

predictor of research capabilities of PIFs (F=0.001, p>0.05). This result could mean that research capabilities of the PIFs were not dependent on the research budget alone provided by the school. This finding could probably be due to the importance of other predictors.

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

Conclusions 1. The PIFs in Western Visayas have the ability to conduct quality

researches. Most faculty members can conduct researches related to their major fields. However, they have minimal concern on research as an educational function. Research may not seem to be an attractive endeavor among the faculty because they focus more on instruction. Most of them have a minimum workload of 24 units; hence, the lack of time to do research. There is limited support from their respective institutions and the government;

2. The PIFs in this study are “slightly capable” in doing research due to limited research facilities and equipment. Likewise, limited research budget, lack of research linkages with other institutions, poor research publications coupled with a less-than-desired number of faculty members and students render the institutions not capable of conducting research.;

3. Teaching performance is a determinant of research capabilities of the

institutes. Research capability is dependent on faculty performance. Faculty-related factors such as educational attainment, academic rank, length of teaching experience, research involvement, research training, research incentives received, and job morale are not determinants of research capabilities. Institution-related factors such as accreditation level, research linkages, number of research published, faculty size, enrollment size, and research facilities are determinants of research capabilities. Accreditation


strengthens research capability of an institution. Research linkages with other institutions and size of faculty and enrollees of an institution influence to a certain extent research capabilities. Furthermore, research budget is not a determinant of research capabilities of PIFs. This means that the capability of an institution to conduct research is not dependent on the budget provided; and

4. There is a need to formulate research policies to further improve

research capabilities of PIFs in Western Visayas. Recommendations 1. Proactive research policies should be implemented by fisheries institutes.

They should promote sustainable, positive, and consistent research policies. There should be an increase in research funding accompanied by an effective fund monitoring and auditing for each institute. Adequate time and incentives management for faculty members to conduct research should be promoted;

2. The institutes should endeavor to strengthen and sustain research capabilities; and refocus thrusts and priorities to respond to emerging clientele needs. There should be acquisitions of research facilities and resources, strengthening of human research capability, and provisions for adequate financial resources;

3. Research executives should develop a system of sourcing research funds to ensure adequate access to research facilities, publications, libraries, and other sources of information;

4. School executives should properly evaluate faculty academic load assignation. Those faculty members who have less teaching load and those at professorial ranks should be required to do research. There should be more focus on inventions and innovations to further strengthen their research capabilities; and

5. Present study may be replicated by other PIFs in other regions of the country to validate the findings of the present investigation. Future researchers may use the same research instrument to ascertain the research capabilities of their respective domains.

Implications

Based on the result of the study, professors of PIFs are capable of

conducting research, but appear to be unproductive in terms of research output. Presidents/campus administrators, therefore, upon analyzing the factors that inhibit research productivity should implement measures and

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programs to mitigate this constraint. This exercise can help enhance the research productivity of the faculty.

Since fishery institutes are identified to be slightly capable only of

conducting quality researches, the government can institute support systems to strengthen research capabilities. Budget support can be implemented and external assistance from funding agencies can be solicited by the government considering that this agendum requires a considerable amount of funding.

Teaching performance as a predictor of research capability implies

that research can be a requirement among faculty members, not only those in the professorial ranks, as what is presently implemented, but also in the lower faculty positions.

Budget as a non-predictor to research capability implies that research

capability is influenced more by faculty capability and initiative to conduct research rather than the availability of funding alone. Presidents/campus directors, therefore, can exert more effort in encouraging faculty members’ involvement in research endeavor even with minimal funds. Policies Formulated

Based on the result of the study the following policies should be

formulated by the PIFs in Western Visayas in order to strengthen their research capabilities:

1. PIFs must closely and periodically monitor the teaching performance of

their faculty members in order to attain a 100 percent level of competency (very satisfactory and outstanding ratings);

2. PIFs must undergo accreditation by any competent agency such as NAFES and Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities to ensure quality delivery of educational services;

3. Linkages with local, regional, national, and most especially international agencies should be made to uplift to augment the quality of researches;

4. There should be accessible venues for research publications at the regional, national and international levels;

5. Competent researcher-faculty members should be recruited to ensure quality researches acceptable in refereed journals;

6. An intensive career guidance in fisheries to increase student enrollees to PIFs should be established; and

7. The institutes should acquire complete research facilities stipulated by NAFES Evaluation System to ensure the production of quality researches.


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Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Capacity Building Through the Convergence Web Approach Merian C. Mani, Ph.D. 1, Jeter S. Sespeñe, Ph.D. 2, Eddie G. Fetalvero 3 and Sherryll M. Fetalvero, CPA 4

ABSTRACT

The paper presents the researchers’ experience in bringing into the mainstream a province-wide project that centered on environment and disaster risk reduction management advocacy for climate change adaptation. This project is part of the 5Ps program of the Local Government Academy to empower local government units.

This experience was instrumental in validating the

effectiveness of the Convergence Web Approach in research and development project management. This approach promotes a horizontal and vertical multi-level collaboration among public and private organizations. Through this approach, services of various sectors are packaged into common but distinct responsibilities.

Twenty-three strong leaders from religious organizations,

national agencies, non-government organizations, local government units, and the academe had convened at the beginning of the project to form the core group that later became responsible in the planning, marketing, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project.

Issues and problems met by the researchers such as

coordinating with local executives; winning the commitment of municipal councils; converging elected local government officials from various political affiliations without being branded as partisan; marketing effectively the seminar to the target audience; and sustaining the attendance of participants in the

1 Vice President for Research, Extension, and Production, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon 2 President, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon 3 Research Coordinator, College of Education, Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon 4 Chairperson, Accountancy Department, College of Business and Accountancy, Romblon State

University, Odiongan, Romblon

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two-day seminar despite its limited budget were properly addressed through strategic approaches and partnership of public and private sectors, with the academe at the forefront.

The processes of project implementation from one

municipality to the next were mainly anchored on the turn of the Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle in the Community In Vitro-In Vivo Development Framework. Thus, the delivery of the project improved and best practices were noted. So far, the project has already been mainstreamed to 1,162 participants from 95 barangays covering nine municipalities in the island province of Romblon.

RATIONALE

The phrases “climate change” and “disaster risk reduction management” are outside the vocabulary of a common islander in the province of Romblon. But one thing is certain: that person has been experiencing the unpredictable weather patterns and the damages they have been causing to crops and other sources of living. Though they exist without names, they are within the islander’s consciousness.

Climate change in island provinces like Romblon is more felt than

understood; disasters are better endured than mitigated. In an event that coincided with the conversion of Romblon State

College (RSC) into a university in 2009, a challenging project was won by the Research Unit of the University that later opened doors of opportunities to affirm the University’s presence and expertise and strengthen linkages with various government and private agencies in the province. A province-wide information and dissemination campaign project was designed in the effort of the University to bring the issues of climate change and disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) into the mainstream. This project was among the five proposals that won a PhP0.5 million grant from the Local Government Academy of the Philippines (LGA) on its nationwide search for innovations on local governance called the Panibagong Paraan sa Pagpapalakas ng Panlokal na Pamahalaan, (literally translated, the New Path to Strengthen Local Governance) or better known as 5Ps.

The funding might seem to be astounding, but considering the 17

towns in the province of Romblon, eight of which, had to be crossed by sea; the funds were insufficient to accommodate 10 officials per barangay (village) excluding facilitators, speakers, and participants from the municipal


government unit, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the Department of Education (DepEd). The drive to deliver the project within limited resources remained a formidable challenge.

Documented in this paper are the strategies employed in project

delivery amidst financial constraints and management issues. Along the way, some research and development (R&D) frameworks that ensure the quality and success of the project implementation were validated.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this paper is to present best practices in managing R&D projects, particularly in bringing into the mainstream the issues of climate change and DRRM. Specifically, the paper aims to:

Establish the effectiveness of the Convergence Web Approach (CWA)

in managing R&D activities; and

Validate the Community In Vitro–In Vivo Development Framework in improving the delivery performance of the project.

METHODOLOGY

Project Background

The project was both a research and an extension undertaking, which up to now is still on the process of implementation. The project proponents were Dr. Merian C. Mani, Romblon State University’s (RSU) Vice-President for Research, Extension, and Production (REP) with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as a major collaborator. The research and extension (R&E) coordinators in every college were mobilized to collaborate with the RSU-REP Office in implementing the project to target clients. This project received a PhP0.5 million funding from LGA in its nationwide grant competition for innovative capacity development program on local governance. It was a two-day seminar about climate change and DRRM intended for municipal and local government officials, NGOs, and DepEd personnel in each of the 17 municipalities in the province of Rombon. The essence of the seminar was captured in the slogan, “Go Green, Go Clean, Go Healthy, and Live Safely.” The first day was a series of plenary lectures that oriented participants about stewardship; and an overview of environmental situations in global perspectives. The whole morning of the second day was a parallel session that broke participants into five separate themes that each

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covered issues in more detailed discussions. In the simultaneous breakaway sessions, focus group discussions (FGDs) on issues and concerns related to the themes were conducted. Workshop output served as input in the preparation of a municipal action plan on climate change and DRRM that was incorporated in the Municipal Development Plan. Management Practice

Building Up from Early Works. In 2004, the principal author conducted a study about environmental issues confronting the province of Romblon and the following were evident: forest denudation, degradation of coral colonies, solid waste management issues, pollution, and poverty. These were attributed to the poor implementation of environmental laws, pronounced poverty, and ignorance of the people on environmental protection and preservation. In 2007, the main author used these findings in developing a learning package on environmental education that was tried out and validated among different sectors in the province.

In 2009, LGA called for a grant competition for project proposals that

would promote innovative capacity development programs on local governance. The principal author’s research in 2007 was restructured and turned into a seminar that could be completed in two days. The activities were modified by incorporating a focus group discussion, action planning, and output presentation to mobilize the participants to get actively involved in the seminar and prompt them to raise relevant issues and concerns obtained from their respective localities. The budgetary allotment was mainly for transportation expenses, supplies, materials, and honoraria for speakers. RSU-REP submitted this proposal to LGA and on December 2009, it was chosen as one of the five projects in the country that received a PhP0.5 million grant.

A One-on-One Visit. Proposing a province-wide activity like this for a

relatively young university like RSU was a herculean attempt considering manifold uncertainties. The project leader literally paid one-on-one visits to potential sectoral leaders in the municipality of Odiongan, selling them the project concept. It was time a consuming endeavor, but being able to convince one was a small victory nonetheless. Besides, marketing a concept needs a personal touch to be more persuading. It was not for long when the core group, composed of 23 strong leaders from religious organizations, national agencies, NGOs, and LGUs was organized at the Session Hall of the Odiongan Municipal Council. Series of meetings were conducted until finally the project was launched on February 14, 2010.


Love Affair with Nature: A Kickoff Event. To popularize the project, it had to start with a bang! The core group chose February 14 as the project’s launch date. Thus, the project was dubbed as A Love Affair with Nature inspired by the theme of the season and the way Palaweños celebrate their Valentine’s Day. The participation of the Association of Barangay Captains, Philippine National Police, Odiongan, LGU, students of Civic Welfare Training Service, fraternities, and the RSU Supreme Student Council was sought. About 1,000 people paraded around the town carrying messages of environmental protection and climate change awareness printed on shirts and tarpaulins. There were contests on poster- and slogan-making. There was also a mass wedding ceremony organized by the municipal government, wherein couples were given seedlings to plant for them to help out the project. Participants in the kickoff event also planted trees as a way of showing their love and care for the environment. Since the project was province-wide, the commitment of the collaborators was ascertained through a covenant-signing rites to indicat their willful intent to support the project. Tarpaulins used during the parade were installed in strategic areas around the town.

The Challenge of Convergence. The summer months of 2010

punctuated the project implementation. By June 2010, the core group met again at the Odiongan SB Session Hall. The whole concept of the project was presented and the objective of each module was discussed. A series of meetings took place in the whole of July.

In the finalization of the seminar’s design, the Provincial Extension

Office became the hub of the core group. Identified lecturers presented a simulation of their pieces for the group’s approval. Among the major comments on the presentation were: the preference to use the Filipino over English language; the use of pictures over text;and the use of color contrast.

The design of the seminar was not really spectacular, but that was

intentional for the purpose of mainstreaming this among local government officials within a limited budget that made implementing it real challenging. After the proposed activities were finalized, the core group devised a strategy to maximize the support of stakeholders. The following strategic actions were done by the core group:

a. Since RSU-REP was the lead implementer of this project, all the research and extension coordinators of every college were called for a meeting. They were encouraged to implement the project because RSU-REP was still undermanned that time and that the principal author was left without choice. Thus, a memorandum was released assigning every college as cluster leader in the implementation of the project that could be packaged as each

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college’s extension program. Small colleges were merged with larger ones.

b. Another round of one-on-one visits were made among the heads of national agencies, NGOs, and cooperatives negotiating for their roles and possible participation in the clusters to be made.

Cluster I had the most number of cooperators because that was

the cluster that tried out the designed seminar. RSU-REP left everything to the cluster leaders in order for them to develop the skills of planning, organizing, coordinating, staffing, budgeting, forming linkages, and human relations. The role of the principal author was to troubleshoot major concerns while developing leaders in these clusters who gave their best.

CWA is much like the Public-Private Partnership Framework, was

instrumental in putting together these cooperators for a common cause. Central to CWA is a genuine partnership founded in the core values of unity and participation. All around the web are vertical, horizontal, and multi-level collaborations among the agencies that signify support and cooperation. All of these are embedded in a concentric circle where the Community In Vitro-In Vivo Development Framework operates. This will be further discussed in later parts of this paper.

c. Out of the core group members, a team of strong public relations

officers was organized. Its task was to convince LGU to infuse money on the project for several reasons: it would be the town that would benefit from the project; it would be in support to programs of the national government; and other agencies were also investing time, treasure, and talent into it..

In a dialogue with the barangay captains, the team was able to convince them to slash 50 percent of the registration fee of their participants using a supplement from the Barangay Calamity Fund. They were also able to arrange with the town mayor that the rest of the fees would be subsidized by the municipal government.

The Dry Run. August 9 and 10, 2010 marked the dry run of the project. Participants were from Northern Odiongan and the venue was RSU’s Audio-Visual Center. The thematic sessions were conducted at RTU’s College of Education (CEd) Building. There were 190 attendees. It was the first time a seminar of its kind was


conducted in the University and was attended mostly by barangay officials. The following observations were noted during the seminar:

d. It was well attended and supported by agency heads, NGOs, and

LGUs; e. The manner the snacks were served was environment-friendly.

There were no plastics. Snacks were served wrapped in banana leaves and calamansi juice drinks were served in glasses; and

f. There was a healthy debate during the deliberation of the action plans particularly between DepEd and the Department of Trade and Industry about prioritizing environmental concerns and projects. This caused other agencies to get their opinions counted in the deliberation process, thereby maximizing their involvement and participation. However, the subsequent concerns were also noticed:

i. Participants’ attendance was not maintained. There were those staying outside the venue most of the time and those who would just have their attendance checked and then leave;

ii. Most of the speakers delivered their lectures beyond the allotted time both in the plenary and parallel sessions;

iii. Speakers were not properly introduced and there was an uneven distribution of participants per thematic learning session;

iv. Some of the FGD moderators did not know how to interrupt speakers who were monopolizing the discussion;

v. The template for the action plan was not participant-friendly; vi. There were no hand-out materials given to the participants; and vii. Difficulty of reimbursing meal and snack expenses from LGU.

The core group evaluated the August 9-10 dry run seminar, employing

the Community In Vitro-In Vivo Development Framework (discussed below), which was an output of a previous RSU R&D project about managing resource-limited research; and made the following improvements:

a. Inclusion in the training design of the amount invested by RSU on

the project by giving monetary values on the equipment, transportation, and manpower resources from the University in order for the local government unit to see how much RSU spent in the delivery of the seminar;

b. Formulation of house rules for the search for outstanding group, which would be evaluated in terms of punctuality, attendance, and participation a with cash prize from the municipal government;

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c. Fusion of the two themes, ecosystem health and watershed management into one because of the overlapping topics;

d. Preparation of a task specification note for every facilitator. This note contained all procedures and tasks the person had to do so that that person’s responsibilities would not overlap with another person’s tasks;

e. Decision to leave to LGU the task of looking for a caterer to mitigate problems on reimbursement later;

f. Decision to set a prior dialogue with the speakers to cut their talk when the time allotted had already lapsed without them getting offended;

g. Orientation with the FGD moderators on how to handle participants who would have tendencies of dominating the discussion and that could intimidate others;

h. Preparation of a summary report to be done by the Secretariat for every seminar;

i. Provision of a CD copy of all the seminar lectures for each barangay;

j. Selection of a theme song (Asin’s Kapaligiran was unanimously chosen);

k. Revision of the template for the Action Plan; l. Collection of the participants’ profiles who attended the seminar;

and m. Provision of a pre-enlistment form for the Thematic Learning Session

so that each barangay LGU would be properly represented in every theme.

The Community In Vitro-In Vivo Development Framework. In the

subsequent section of this paper, it could be said that the PhP 0.5 million grant from LGA would not be enough to cascade the seminar in all 17 towns of the province. Thus, a framework was adopted that was previously used in managing a resource-limited research called the In Vitro-In Vivo Development Framework. The In Vitro approach is the process of producing cleansed and credible data using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology coupled with RSU’s strategies Ride On Official Travel (ROOT), Shop for Lowest Prices in Everything (SLOPE), and Use of Austerity Measures (UAM) to come up with a polished process captured through Total Quality Management (TQM). This was what actually happened during the seminar’s dry run. To ensure TQM, the core group got back into the PDSA cycle so that the process would be improved. The In Vivo approach on the other hand, refers to the externalities of gathering data by key informant interviews and FGDs. In this project, it was assured that the FGDs captured the concerns and issues raised by the participants. Even better was that right after FGD data were reflected on the action plans, critics were invited to subject the


gathered information into a round of PDSA cycle until the plans were finalized.

Environmental DRRM (EDRRM) Capacity-Building for Climate Change

Adaptation in Full Blast. With the momentum that was started by the RSU-CEd in Odiongan North, other clusters followed suit taking into consideration the refined procedures and modifications after the two rounds of the PDSA cycle. To facilitate quick preparations, all the soft copies from the preparations, secretariat forms, plenary and parallel lectures, and summary reports were burned into compact disks and were distributed to the clusters as templates to be followed or to be modified as needed. Other clusters also received special orientation sessions particularly on how to conduct FGDs and Action Planning. The dry run was then followed by the full blast execution of the project.

The different clusters endeavored to deliver the project to different

towns and barangays in Romblon. All together, the project reached 95 barangays representing nine towns, two of which were island municipalities. Although Cluster I was the first to concretize the concept, Cluster II led by RTU-College of Business Administration (RTU-CBA) was the first to complete the project in their assigned towns. This could be attributed to the remarkable drive of RTU-CBA’s faculty members to take the advocacy by heart. Later, a faculty member from its group emerged as a strong environmental leader in the anti-mining advocacy.

It was noted that on December 9 during the Climate Change Seminar

in Looc, CEd was collaborating with CBA and RSU-REP because of many activities in the University all happening at the same time. When a few teachers from CEd signified their availability for the Looc schedule, a contingency plan was worked out involving available teachers from CBA, requiring REP staff to do the work of the Secretariat.

Prior to the end of 2010, consolidation of the climate change extension

reports from the colleges was a problem because they were also busy preparing for their accreditation activities aside from fulfilling their instruction functions. REP could not just force them to produce outputs immediately. This hampered funds disbursement from DILG, which was asking for reports as part of project monitoring. This issue was escalated to the University President and REP was prioritized for additional staff. One staff member was assigned solely to focus on the climate change project and to take charge of all the documentation related to it. That gave the principal author a sigh of relief.

Redesigning the Project. The Cluster IV was supposed to be led by the

College of Arts and Sciences (RTU-CAS). It was really a challenge convincing

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them to follow through. They tried to plan several times but implementation was indeed a challenge because unlike other clusters, the towns assigned to them were all island municipalities. Considering this factor, a new approach in delivering the seminar was designed by contemplating on taking another turn of PDSA cycle. At the onset of 2011, RSU-REP has already employed a number of additional personnel, thus it was then capable of doing preparations and negotiations with the LGU. Part of the new design was cost-cutting measures by involving only FGD moderators from previous seminars who could multitask. Now, that the second tranche of funds from LGA had been procured, RSU-REP, together with EDRRM core group were taking the lead in bringing the project to the remaining island municipalities in the province.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

By using the combination of strategies and methods in R&D management discussed in the previous section, there already were indicators that the approaches used in managing the project have been working, although the project was still half-way to its goal of reaching the whole province. High Participation Rate and Good Feedbacks

The seminar was able to reach nine municipalities and was able to serve 1,162 participants from 95 barangays. Eight hundred fifty-five or about 74 percent of these participants were barangay officials. The large turnout of participants could be attributed to the kickoff event, the incentive system, and the marketing technique employed in convincing municipal mayors to approve the training design.

When the participants were asked to evaluate the different aspects of

the seminar, the general response was very satisfactory. They found it to be timely and relevant. They also appreciated the lecturers. This appreciation could be attributed to the series of PDSA cycles done during the core group’s caucuses on how to improve the project’s delivery. For example, there was a politician resource speaker whose advocacy since he had entered politics as a barangay captain was on zero-waste management. His exposures in barangay governance, his conviction on his advocacy, and his “I’ve been there” disposition made him an authority figure and a living testimony of a barangay official who rose to political ranks for his environmental crusade.


Surging of Resources by Six Folds

About PhP1.2 million had already been invested in the project. The seed money from LGA was only PhP0.5 million and the amount released for the first tranche was only PhP 200,000. The amount had since surged by about six times when the inputs from LGU and RSU were factored in.

It was a surprising revelation how the humble project turned into

something this big, which was beyond expectations. The amount shared by LGU (65 percent) dwarfed that of RSU (19 percent) and LGA (percent) counterparts. This was perhaps an offshoot of PDSA cycle. The financial team of the core group reviewed the training design and identified the shares of the collaborators. LGA and LGU were to invest money while RSU was to provide the manpower resource, multimedia equipment, and vehicles. These were included in the costing process.

The government spent on average about PhP1,000 per participant for

the two-day seminar, a far cry from PhP10,000 per head expense during a DRRM seminar and training in Baguio City in the early part of 2010. The affordability of the project could be one reason why it reached thus far. RSU’s linkage with DILG and LGA caused such overwhelming support from LGUs whose investment subconsciously gave them a psychological ownership of the project. This only implies that funding agencies like LGA could just be the jump-starters in bringing about the potential of an academe-based R&D organization to get out of its shell, strengthen public and private linkages, mobilize people, and deliver the project in a very strategic way. Plans are Put into Actions

While project monitoring and evaluation were not formally done yet, implementation of the action plans that were integrated in development plans of every municipality was already conspicuous in some towns and agencies. The following were some of the anecdotal records observed and gathered from stakeholders and partners:

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, for instance, reported that

they were in shortage of tree saplings after the climate change seminar because schools and agencies had already started their “Tree Planting and Growing Project”. Mr. Dario M. Manato, the DepEd district supervisor for Odiongan North launched “Plant 2,010 Fruit Trees Project” in September 2010. He engaged the participation of teachers, pupils, and parents in the whole district for this endeavor. His district also “adopted” the Bungoy River, a mangrove forest along the coast of Budiong in Odiongan;

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The pioneer Cluster leader, RTU-CEd turned the front lawn of their building into a vegetable garden, planting their flower boxes instead with Chinese cabbage, mustard, and eggplant that also generated income for them. They have also cascaded the plenary part of the seminar among their junior and senior students;

In the municipality of Looc, one serious agricultural concern was

solved. Farmers there produce tomatoes; however, overproduction led to spoilage and wastage. With the RSU in-house expert in sustainable agriculture, the farmers were assisted in organizing their farming calendar. Today, the supply-demand chain has been sustained and prices have become more stable. Moreover, Looc adopted the slogan of the climate change seminar, “Go Green, Go Clean, Go Healthy, and Live Safely” as the theme of their fiesta celebration to sustain the environmental crusade of the local government;

In response to the seminar, the municipality of Calatrava launched a

unique project named “CalatravaKontraYosi.” Through this project, the town was declared as a Smoke-Free Zone, declaring strong support to the slogan, “Go Clean, Go Healthy”. This was another collaborative project strengthening partnership among public and private sectors that RSU-REP has worked out.

For issues on solid waste management, the towns of Looc, Odiongan,

and Santa Maria began implementing reforms in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act. Looc, a town in southwestern Tablas Island, had been experiencing garbage disposal problems. Its dumpsite in barangay Santo Niño had closed in the middle of 2010. The delivery of the climate change seminar to the town in December was a welcome intervention, resulting to a challenging decision of choosing zero-waste management over a dumpsite relocation project. Just barely a few months after the seminar, Feed the Hunger, an NGO founded by Filipino communities in the United States America donated plastic pulverizer and styrodensifier machines to the town amounting to about PhP400,000. This donation included the technology transfer on how to generate useful materials out of plastics, especially polystyrene. If this pilot project would work and if this would become an alternative livelihood, then other towns might receive the same donation.

Odiongan on the other hand is the commercial capital of the

province, a semi-urban municipality, and probably the busiest town. After the seminar in August 2010, a group called Solid Waste Action Team (SWAT) was formed. SWAT monitored the implementation of RA 9003 in different barangays. Odiongan’s municipal council also passed an ordinance


regulating the use of plastic bags in the municipality. This was approved and is now being reinforced. Gradually, market people have been returning to using cloth and baskets; but the use of plastics is still prevalent. Prior to the climate change seminar, there were only two barangays in Odiongan that established the materials recovery facility (MRF). During an FGD, chairpersons from these barangays were able to share their practices on establishing and managing an MRF. From their experiences, other barangays were given practical information on how to start one. Today, about 90 percent of the barangays in Odiongan has already established their respective MRFs.

The impact of the climate change seminar was not only felt by LGU,

but also by private individuals. Mrs. Delia C. Meren, who happened to be the caterer during the Odiongan Climate Change Seminar, was convinced not to use plastics anymore in her catering services thereafter. Instead, she began using banana leaves as food wrappers and glasses for beverages. This according to her, entailed longer preparation time but was worth the sacrifice because she was doing her share in protecting the environment and generating savings at the same time.

Santa Maria is a town on the eastern side of Tablas. It was used to be

known as the cleanest and greenest in the province, but unfortunately not sustained for long. After the seminar in that town, the “Doctor to the Barrio” took charge of checking as to whether garbage segregation was being followed or not. Before the garbage truck proceeded to the dumpsite, the final check was done by the Doctor whose office was along the trail to the dumpsite. This measure prompted the residents to segregate their wastes. The Birth of Anti-Mining Groups

The capacity-building seminar brought into the consciousness of Romblomanons what climate change was all about and what damages it could bring to the environment. In December 2010, a member of the indigenous people community in Aurora informed one of the members of the core group about a certain posting in their barangay hall. It was about the publication of a possible mining exploration to about 16,000 hectares of land, mostly watershed areas, in Tablas. They were also asked to sign on a blank sheet of paper.

The core group was alarmed. They met and discussed the possible

repercussions should this mining company be given permit. Considering the topography and geologic composition of the island and taking into consideration the awareness in climatic changes, the core group made a stand to oppose any mining application in the island of Tablas. The island is one of the key biodiversity areas in the Philippines. To fast track the

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dissemination of information, CWA was again utilized with the religious organizations on the lead. This was the birth of the Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (REFAM). REFAM sought the help of an expert from the Haribon Foundation under its alliance called Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM). The core group also facilitated the formation of the Alliance of Students Against Mining (ASAM), the first of its kind in the country. This became the information dissemination arm of REFAM. The expert from Haribon Foundation equipped ASAM and REFAM officers with information and facts about mining.

The information dissemination began in January 2011 with the

production of flyers entitled Tablas Kong MINAmahal, an appeal to all residents of the island to strongly oppose metallic mining applications in Tablas. Short of funds, ASAM launched the Barya Kontra Mina Campaign, with “No to Mining” tee-shirts, button pins, and stickers as merchandise to support the IEC campaign. Every Sunday afternoon, ASAM had been conducting public lectures about the effects of mining through video presentations. It again released another flyer called MINAmaltratong Karapatan, enumerating human rights that were compromised by the mining companies. As of March 2011, ASAM has reproduced and distributed about 50,000 flyers.

On February 14, 2011, exactly a year after the “Love Affair with Nature”

event, about 10,000 people gathered at the Rizal Park in Odiongan, Romblon to denounce any mining application in the island. It was a day when people showed their love for Mother Earth. The event caught national attention and was featured in ABS-CBN and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The large turnout of people from this rally could be accounted to linkages made by the core group in its climate change seminars in different municipalities. Instrumental to this as well was the strengthened relationship and trust given by religious organizations to rally organizers who were members of the climate change core group. In fact, the seminars in Looc and Ferrol were held inside a church.

Just recently ABS-CBN Bantay Kalikasan and Miss Gina Lopez, the ABS-

CBN Foundation Managing Director visited the islands of Tablas and Sibuyan. Lopez is an active advocate of the “10 Million Signatures Campaign for ‘No to Mining in Palawan’” Project. The environmental issues in the province of Romblon reached her office through a letter coming from one teacher who was part of the core group. On April 4, 2011, She visited Tablas and lectured on biodiversity. She was of the opinion that any path to development that desecrates the environment will never give long lasting peace and happiness. She also visited the island of Sibuyan where small-scale mining activities have caused significant increases in mercury levels in the air. Sibuyan is the one referred to by scientists as the Galapagos of Asia and one


of the world’s centers for endemism. She has been promoting ecotourism and sustainable agriculture as alternative paths to a development that would not compromise the environment. In April 9 of that same year, she returned to Sibuyan where she had a dialogue with the small-scale miners. Sometimes, locals needed to wear the eyes of influential people in order to believe that the very place they live on was truly a paradise. Strengthening Partnership with Public-Private Agencies

RSU has never been active and visible in the campaign for environmental awareness until this project came its way. The climate change seminar in every municipality, especially in an area where the staff and collaborators stayed overnight paved the way for these advocates to establish a bond with each other that cemented solid camaraderie and partnership, the one that could go beyond the call of work and duty, the one that could be considered like that of a family. This was further tested when the divisive issue of mining bore into the consciousness of the people that catalyzed the largest environmental rally in the province ever.

The climate change project placed RSU into a broader spectrum of

extension and community involvement. With the use of the various R&D management frameworks, RSU was able to go beyond its comfort zone. Its commitment to bring to all municipalities the climate change seminar won the respect of communities around the island of Romblon. Moreover, its stand to defend the environment not only in words but more importantly in actions made the University a credible partner institution in introducing environmental programs in the province. It successfully awakened the environmental and patriotic spirits among the residents of the island. Its strong partnership with leaders of the religious sector was instrumental in the development of a centralized approach in addressing environmental concerns and issues and speeding up the flow of information from the core group to the grassroots. It, too, facilitated the quick response of the people to the “10M Signature Campaign to ‘No to Mining in Palawan’” Project.

RSU learned to both lead and play the web of convergence. As a

team player, it learned how to cooperate and collaborate with other sectors. As a team leader, it brought the best out of the agencies involved and even out of its people by showing that in the end, people were one. The Earth is just one and the only one and the road to save her is named convergence.

This was better spoken by Mr. Abner Mercado, a senior correspondent for ABS-CBN who did a documentary on biodiversity and mining in Romblon: “Ang galing ninyo. Sa tingin ko nga parang mas organisado pa ang grupo

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ninyo kaysa sa Anti-Mining Group ng Palawan. (You are great. I think your group is more organized than Palawan’s Anti-Mining Group)” Hurdling the Test of Universityhood

This project, along with its twists and turns has in a way, justified the university status awarded to the former RSC. This was one hard test for the University and it did pass with flying colors. The sustained visibility in the community of university faculty, staff, and students as environmental leaders has associated RSU to climate change programs. By choosing the right management approach and always running PDSA cycle at that, RSU has developed environmental leadership in the province; gained the respect of the community; established more partners; produced a pool of in-house speakers and experts; and has promoted other extension activities to the towns that could just need them.

CONCLUSION

The heart of R&D management is the people. Human relations are very important in marketing research managers’ ideas and concepts; in pooling of resources; in establishing linkages; and in bringing an advocacy, like climate change and DRRM, into the mainstream. To ensure the success of an R&D project like this, it is important that cooperators must arrive at a common cause to ascertain their commitment and psychological ownership of the project. This is what CWA is all about. This model can still be further strengthened by letting PDSA operate regularly to guarantee the project delivery would improve from one service area to another. With these R&D management approaches always in mind, whatever challenges there may be along the course of project implementation, the research manager can be assured that everything will still be achievable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the lessons learned in managing this R&D project, the following are recommended: 1. Partnerships are better strengthened when money, time, and effort are

not the only investments in project, but the bond of relationships as well; 2. The effect of CWA can be felt more if the project would be of a wider

scope and there would be a series of replications; 3. The formation of a core group is essential to centralize planning and

coordinating processes;


4. R&D management frameworks presented in this paper can be further validated by introducing the same project among women and the youth sectors in the province;

5. The lead agency can apply for accreditation to LGA for institutionalizing the program to the national level;

6. A database of the participants’ profiles can be created that can possibly serve as a rich source of information for follow-up programs;

7. Best practices, lessons learned, and findings derived from the project must be documented using scientific approaches to serve as guides for future programs of the same nature; and

8. A mid-term assessment of the impact of the project must be conducted using consolidated municipal action plans as baseline vis-à-vis implemented programs.

REFERENCES CBA R&E Unit (2010). Alcantara: Technical Report about the Seminar on

Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CBA-R&E Unit.

CBA R&E Unit (2010). San Jose: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CBA-R&E Unit.

CBA R&E Unit (2010). Santa Fe: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CBA-R&E Unit.

CBA R&E Unit (2010). Santa Maria: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CBA-R&E Unit.

CED R&E Unit (2011). Ferrol: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CED-R&E Unit.

CED R&E Unit (2010). Looc: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CED-R&E Unit.

CED R&E Unit (2010). Odiongan North: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CED-R&E Unit.

CED R&E Unit (2010). Odiongan South: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CED-R&E Unit.

Competing Papers 91

CET R&E Unit (2010). Calatrava: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CET-R&E Unit.

CET R&E Unit (2010). Corcuera: Technical Report about the Seminar on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy for Climate Change Adaptation. RSU, Odiongan, Romblon: CET-R&E Unit.


Siquijor Multi-Sectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems: the Siquijor State College Experience Virgie B. Miquiabas 1

ABSTRACT

The Multisectoral and Comprehensive Research and Development (R&D) Management Network Systems had been adopted and became an experience of the Siquijor State College (SSC) from 2007 to 2009. It is anchored on the systems theory of management (McNamara, http://www.managementhelp.org/mgmnt/cntmpory.htm, Accessed: April 4, 2011), in which, the various sectors of development that includes the following areas: social, economic, infrastructure, environment and natural resources, and administrative or institutional, were the areas of concern in R&D in order to achieve an integrative, holistic, and/or comprehensive development for the entire province. Various public and private organizations and the local government units interplayed with each other to form a system of networks, composing organizations’ inputs, processing, outputs, and outcomes.

This management approach was designed to improve

the customary R&D situation in Siquijor where initiatives were independently managed and undertaken by respective government agencies, local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations, and the academe, SSC in particular, the only public institution of higher learning in the province. In effect, research, development, and extension (RD&E) projects and activities were not harmonized or orchestrated toward the attainment of common goals and objectives for the realization of a shared vision. Project priorities for RD&E were not also synchronized as a way to optimize the utilization of scarce resources. The management approach discussed in this paper was adopted by the Research and Extension (R&E) Center of the College toward a comprehensive sectoral development of the province that could be a gateway to the College’s goal of

1 Research Coordinator, Siquijor State College, Larena, Siquijor

Competing Papers 93

being an island university a few years hence. Thus, the need of forging the capabilities and resources of participating stakeholders for R&E projects development in the province becomes imperative.

The Siquijor Multisectoral Research Community and the

Comprehensive Community Extension Program Models made up the two-pronged R&D management network systems. The strategies used included capability-building; establishment of the research community, like the organization of the provincial pool of researchers; partnership and networking; community immersion in the delivery of participatory research appraisal; participatory planning; “Adopt-a-School”; and “Adopt-a-Municipality”.

With the strong partnership and collaboration of

stakeholders and SSC, community development became doable, in that relevant and responsive R&E programs were made feasible. In consideration of the successful collaboration between LGUs and SSC, certain policy implications were drawn. One was on building the multisectoral research community with SSC as the lead agency. Another was the adoption of all six municipalities and selected schools in the province by the College.

With these in view, the institutionalization of R&D

programs inclusive of budget allocation by the municipal government units in partnership with the academe is highly recommended. Likewise, a multisectoral and comprehensive R&D management network systems approach is proposed to be adopted by research managers who are faced with similar predicaments in the R&D management.

RATIONALE

Background Information on Siquijor Province (Bendijo, et. al. 2004) Very little was known about the inhabitants of Siquijor before the arrival

of the Spaniards in the 16th century. Some Chinese artifacts were found, that suggested an early trade with Chinese merchants. The island was once thickly covered with molave trees that harbored fireflies. It was thought that the presence of these fireflies led the Spaniards to call the island Isla del Fuego or Island of Fire. From 1854 to 1892, the island was under the political


leadership of Bohol. In 1892 it became a part of Negros Oriental; and in 1901 became its sub-province. In 1971 Siquijor became an independent province by the virtue of Republic Act 6398. Proclamation 1075 officially transferred the island province’s capital from Larena to Siquijor in 1972 .

Siquijor is a small island province in the Central Visayas Region. It is

located in the Mindanao Sea, about 30 kilometers southeast of Negros Island, with an area of 34,350 hectares or 343.50 square kilometers, which is approximately two percent of the regional area and 0.11 percent of the country’s total land area. It lies south of Cebu province and southwest of Bohol. It is separated from the other islands by the Bohol Strait to the northwest, the Mindanao Sea to the southeast, and the Surigao Sea from Mindanao and Bohol. It is situated 565 aerial kilometers away from the National Capital Region in the main island of Luzon.

Siquijor is comprised of six municipalities, namely: Larena, Siquijor, San

Juan, Lazi, Maria, and Enrique Villanueva. It is divided into 134 barangays (villages) with a population of approximately 81,598, 17,351 households, and an average of 4.7 family members per household. The population of Siquijor is basically a young population, most of which are within the age bracket of one to 34 years old.

The island’s economy depends largely on agriculture and fishing.

Coconut, corn, and root crops are the major farm products, with backyard livestock production as a common source of supplementary income. Since it is a small, green island with beautiful long stretches of white beaches, natural parks and waterfalls, and historical sites, Tourism is the major industry of the province. The uniquely interesting healing traditions of its people bring popularity to Siquijor as the “Mystic Island”.

As to education, there are 56 elementary, 19 secondary, and three

tertiary schools. Among these colleges, Siquijor State College (SSC) is the only public institution in the province. It is primarily responsible for providing excellent and effective higher education to the island province.

Geographically, Siquijor is hilly and mountainous. Levelled lands are its

flood plains and deltas that can be found in the northern and southern coasts. Mount Bandilaan is the island’s highest peak at 557 meters above sea level, spanning the municipalities of Siquijor and Lazi. It is mostly made up of limestone rocks and fringed coral reefs. The province’s favorable climate, peaceful environment, and natural scenic beauty have become its major assets (Fillone, 2002).

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The island contains a well-established circumferential road network that connects easily and accessibly the six municipalities. It takes only about less than three hours to travel around the island and 30 minutes on the average between towns. This situation makes the island so geographically accessible and politically manageable, a situation that favors the comprehensive implementation of a community extension program. Background Information on Siquijor State College (SSC)

SSC became a chartered state college in 1995 after only 16 years from

its inception. Its degree offerings include master programs in Educational Management, Public Management, Industrial Education, and Master of Arts in Science Teaching major in Physics; on the other hand, its bachelor programs include Secondary Education, Elementary Education, Business Administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Tourism, Science and Technology, Science in Computer Technology, Science in Information Technology, Science in Criminology; and a number of short-term technical and vocational courses.

It has four-fold functions as mandated by law:, instruction, research,

extension, and production. Its visions are to be the center of excellence in higher and technical-vocational education in the province of Siquijor; to provide excellent and effective higher and technical-vocational education; to comprehensively modernize the island province; and to serve as partner to and catalyst in local, regional, and national development goals. A plan is in the works that will eventually convert SSC to a island state university.

Under the concept of an island university, its various programs will be

offered in the six municipalities around the island, wherever feasible. The College of Agriculture and Forestry will be located in the Lazi; the College of Hospitality in Maria, where the well-known Salagdoong beach is located; the College of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Enrique Villanueva; and more others.

The future establishment of the “Siquijor Island State University”, that is

geared toward development and modernization of the whole island province becomes the main reason for the conceptualization of the “Siquijor Multisectoral Research and Development Management Network Systems”; where SSC would be the lead agency in planning, implementing, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating research and extension (R&E) programs and projects in the island province.


Reasons for the Initiative, Approaches, and Models The comprehensive modernization of the province had also become

the plan of the former college administration. Hence, a 25-year comprehensive modernization plan for Siquijor was formulated viz-à-viz the modernization of SSC. The growth and development of the College, in effect would simultaneously contribute to changes in the province. The fact that SSC plays as catalyst and partner for local, regional, and national growth and development through instruction, research, extension, and production, it takes the lead in R&D initiatives for Siquijor by establishing the province-wide Multisectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems.

Corollary to the modernization plans of both SSC and the province of

Siquijor, the conversion of the former into an island university is paramount. Toward this end, it was imperative that the college should have wide-ranging and far-reaching programs that would reach-out to marginalized and remotest communities in the province.

Furthermore, amidst the issue on climate change driven by certain

factors like biodiversity loss due to prevailing practices of the people, a system for R&D management was essential, as articulated by Senator Loren Legarda in a speech she delivered during the International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. She urged the public to “forge a network of cooperation” to protect the country’s biodiversity against the effects of climate change (Sun • Star, Vol. 29, No. 71, Feb. 6, 2011). With this insight, the Multisectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems in the province of Siquijor would be indispensable.

OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to enable research managers:

1. To gain insights in the management of RDE projects and activities with limited resources available to the organization;

2. To implement similar management models in their respective colleges and universities; and To make a comparison of the successes and failures of the institutions

in the implementation of the management approaches.

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METHODOLOGY A. Project Background

The management approach was named the “Siquijor Multisectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems” and was implemented from 2007 to 2009 with the following major objectives:

1. To form a syndicate of planners and implementers for R&E projects and

activities in the province of Siquijor; 2. To synergize research capabilities and resources among the

stakeholders of R&D in the province; 3. To orchestrate R&E programs in the province with SSC as the lead

agency in establishing an island university; and 4. To develop the the province’s communities in various development

sectors, in partnership with the LGUs, government agencies, and NGOs. Funding for the implementation of the project was taken from the

College’s R&E as well as from the LGUs’ budgets. The project was multisectoral and community-based in nature, in which the implementers included SSC as the lead or facilitating agency; LGUs (municipalities and barangays); government agencies like the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and others); NGOs; and people’s organizations (POs). The various stakeholders collaborated with each other to form the RDE network systems.

B. Management Practices and Approaches

The SSC came up with an R&D management framework called the “Siquijor Multisectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems”. The research component included the delivery of research projects along with sectoral areas of development. On the other hand, the extension component included among others, the transfer and application of knowledge and technologies generated from research by means of undertaking development projects in the communities. In summary, the R&D management framework for Siquijor was a combined strategy for an intensive, participative, and efficient implementation of R&D toward a more realistic, holistic, and effective outcomes.

The Siquijor Multisectoral Research Community Model. Research is a

function of SSC that involves the scientific process of identifying problem;


gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data; and making general statements or conclusions about the identified problem for the purpose of gaining insights into its solution/s. A research activity could be basic, applied, or action-based; thus, SSC research programs would have to be relevant and responsive to the needs and problems of the society as well as they should be in consonance to the thrusts and priority areas of development of the province in particular and the region and country in general. Development sectors such as social, economic, infrastructural, environmental and natural resources, and administrative or institutional were the areas of concern in order to achieve an integrative, holistic, and/or comprehensive development.

SSC Research Center is the lead agency that initiates, facilitates, and

manages research projects and activities in Siquijor that are geared towards comprehensive modernization of the province, in coordination with its various colleges: the College of Technology; Maritime Education; College of Teacher Education; College of Business and Management; College of Arts and Sciences; and the Graduate School. Multisectoral plans and programs are formulated in partnership with government agencies such as DA, DENR, Department of Education (DepEd), and others; local government units such as the barangays, municipalities, and the province; and NGOs and people’s organizations (POs).

The center also initiated and facilitated the establishment of a network

of researchers from different government agencies, LGUs, and NGOs. Focus group discussions were always done in planning for research thrusts and priorities, including project implementation and project monitoring by the concerned agencies in participation by the communities.

Three years after the research center’s institution, it was found that

collaborating and forging of efforts and resources among stakeholders became more effective under the following circumstances: when the various implementers/stakeholders are organized; when financing to fund the various projects and activities is adequately provided for; when R&E capabilities among implementers are enhanced; and when the commitment and will power to get engaged in R&D undertakings in the community is developed. These are believed to indispensable factors to the success of the research endeavours.

The SSC Comprehensive Community Extension Program Model. As

mentioned earlier, R&D management is handling both the research activities as well as the development activities in the community. Corollary to the aim of SSC to come up with a comprehensive modernization program for the province, SSC’s Comprehensive Community Extension Program came into

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play. This program was implemented province-wide; that meant each college adopting one municipality for its respective extension services.

Extension Service is an inherent function of institutions of higher

learning; the purpose of which is initiating, catalyzing, and sustaining the development of various communities, using an institution’s expertise and available resources. It involves the packaging, demonstrating, and applying appropriate technology, tools, materials, processes, and products generated through research and technical studies in selected communities for countrywide adoption. It includes community organizing activities and similar extension or community development work (General Appropriations Act, 1996). This mandates all colleges to undertake extension activities in their selected adoptive communities.

In the proposed framework, the SSC Extension Center was, again, the

lead office that initiated, coordinated, and facilitated the implementation of the Comprehensive Community Extension Program of Siquijor province. It coordinated with all of SSC’s colleges and departments on the delivery of community immersions, where the following activities were done: 1.) Entry in the community; 2.) Social analysis; 3.) Project development and management that included planning, implementing, and evaluating projects. These community immersions were done in partnership with a particular SSC college or department, SSC Community Extension Center, and an LGU that could either be a barangay or municipality. An “Adopt-A-Municipality” approach was done, wherein SSC and the communities were bound together through memoranda of agreements (MOAs). The outcomes of these partnerships were similar to what Oracion and Alcala (2007) specifically concluded: chances of success in the conservation of marine resources are increased if the communities using them are seriously involved in the analysis of the causes of and solutions to the depletion of resources and destruction of marine environment.

Description of the Process. Proposal Preparation. The research

and extension management models were drafted by the research manager and presented to the research and extension councils for their review and suggestions for improvement. The corrected version of the models was then submitted to the SSC’s President for preliminary approval and recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which in turn approved for adoption.

Project Implementation. Representatives from the different public and

private agencies and instrumentalities in the province formed a syndicate of researchers that was responsible for planning relevant research programs and projects that were consistent with the principles of development sectors


of society. However, this activity had been done during the first three years of the project’s implementation until it was discontinued thereafter. In lieu of this, a synergetic planning workshop was conducted by SSC, DILG, and LGU. Courtesy calls with municipal mayors and other government officials were made in order to deliberate and prepare MOAs on the project. A number of capability-building and livelihood activities that had been identified during the planning stage were conducted.

Monitoring and Evaluation. Monitoring of activities undertaken was

made regularly, but evaluation was not done because of the change in the R&D/E management, hence the non-continuance of the practice starting 2009.

The Management Functions and Implementers. Planning. Planning was

participated by the stakeholders: the academe as the facilitating agency; government agencies; LGUs; NGOs; and POs. The yearly planning activity was held either at SSC or at barangay/municipal halls. Organizing, staffing, directing, and coordinating were carried out by SSC. In turn, resource generation and budgeting activities were undertaken by all the participating agencies and organizations, whenever feasible.

Management Problem Encountered. Conflicting schedules of activities

of the participating agencies with the planned R&D activities became a perennial problem that needed close coordination among the stakeholders.

C. Strategies Employed

There were a number of strategies utilized in carrying out SSC’s

Multisectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network Systems. This included the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Participatory Planning (PP), “Adopt-a-School”, and “Adopt-a-Municipality”.

1. Capability-building

2. Establishment of the Research Community

a. Organization of provincial pool of researchers

b. Participatory Rural Assessment (PRA) was adopted from the

Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) program of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) to define and refine technologies with farmers as active co-researchers and co-evaluators. The PRA serves as a complementary process in facilitating action research as part of R&E, training, and

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development activities in various provinces of the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region (Calub, 2004). Meanwhile, under the Siquijor Multisectoral Research Community Approach, the PRA was realized by the involvement of barangay folks in obtaining relevant information regarding community situations for the project stakeholders to understand the communities’ state of living, so that recommendations for the improvement of the quality of the people’s lives were made. The PRA was more than just a mere collection of data and information by the folks, researchers, and extentionists; it develops social values like cooperation, unity, understanding, harmony, and other virtues that serve as the unifying qualities that bind people together for a collective endeavour towards a common purpose (Calub, 2004).

3. Networking and Partnership through:

a. Community Immersion was the prime strategy SSC extensionists used to enter a municipality or barangay to be developed;

b. Participatory Planning (PP) is a facilitation of the planning process to be carried out by the barangay people or municipal officials. This approach in planning for the comprehensive community extension program is important to be utilized at both the municipal and barangay levels. The community orientation and mobilization phase of planning explains the concept of a dialogue-oriented participatory planning process, which empowers community people as they take active roles in development processes grounded by the commitment line between the organizing institutions and the barangay (DA-PRISP, EU, 1998).

c. “Adopt-A-School” was a strategy applied in the

implementation of development projects in the extension program, specifically by the College of Teacher Education in its of Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education programs. Training needs assessments, focus group discussions, and the like were conducted in selected secondary and elementary schools in the island province. Technical assistance was, usually rendered in the adopted schools by SSC on matters that needed to be improved and other possible interventions. In order to make a more suitable and realistic plan, the PP process was likewise


used to ensure an efficient and effective program implementation in the chosen adopted schools.

d. “Adopt-A-Municipality” In this approach, each of SSC’s six

colleges adopted a municipality in the province of Siquijor, to wit: the municipality of Maria was adopted by the College of Teacher Education; Lazi by the College of Arts and Sciences; San Juan by the College of Business and Management; Siquijor by the Graduate School; Larena by the Maritime Education; and Enrique Villanueva by the College of Technology. This system showed that the extension program of Siquijor State College was comprehensive because the implementation of the extension services was encompassing.

DISCUSSION The “Multisectoral and Comprehensive R&D Management Network

Systems: The SSC Experience” was a necessity toward the SSC’s transformation into an island university. It was the over-all implementation framework for the R&D/E Management in Siquijor. Toekly (2004) as cited by Hoang Dung in his paper presented during the International Conference on Research and Higher Education Institution in October, 2007 in Cebu City, stressed that universities are, nowadays, regarded as vital parts of local and regional networks in which teaching/learning, research, and innovation are integral components of the “soft” capital. Universities have the potential to become leading institutions in today’s knowledge-driven society (Scott, 1998).

A number of experiences by various institutions, colleges, and

universities regarding research management and practices could be cited in order to support the framework on the role of research in national development. The University of Northern Philippines employed strategic solutions to create a research climate, to build research interests, and to sustain the enthusiasm of faculty members by employing and enhancing their research capability (Tacbas, et al., 2007). The Visayas State University (VSU) developed and maintained a strong “research culture” that withstood the challenges/constraints of research largely from the continuous introduction of innovative policies and practices (Milan, et al., 2007). Bell, et al. (2007) affirmed the essential role of the community partnership in adapting adolescent health interventions to the peculiarities of specific community contexts, needs, and concerns.


With adequate funding from SSC, LGUs, government agencies, NGOs, and some politicians, the R&D programs in Siquijor have yielded the following outputs:

All faculty members were involved in the implementation of the R&E projects;

All the municipalities were adopted for the community extension programs of SSC, instead of only just selecting the communities to be served;

Funding for the R&E activities increased. With a MOAs or memoranda of understanding, LGUs acted as financial counterparts for the activities conducted in the communities;

The number of research projects conducted by the college increased because all the colleges/departments conducted R&E activities with their assigned communities; and

The number of communities served increased with all the colleges of SSC adopting all the municipalities in the province.

These consequently, effected positive outcomes in the adopted

communities using indicators such as the change in knowledge, skills, and attitudes; the change in perceptions; the change in the number and quality of researches conducted; and the change in the thrusts and priorities of R&E programs. Eventually, the R&D program in Siquijor would become a well-funded, collaborative multisectoral research and a comprehensive development/extension system that would bring social, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits to the communities served. Therefore, accreditation of the R&E programs of the state college should be an essential step toward SSC’s universityhood.

There were advantages and as well as disadvantages in implementing

this kind of R&D/E management approach. One advantage was on addressing the problem of resource scarcity. With the present setup, R&E capabilities of the participating agencies and organizations such as manpower, physical resources like laboratory, equipment, and materials, and financial resources could be effectively tapped. Secondly, an integrated R&D/E plan for the entire province could be drafted unitedly by stakeholders; thus establishing the thrusts and priorities of the province that were geared toward a holistic and comprehensive development. Lastly, the conversion of the college into an island university would become very much feasible.

Meanwhile, there could also be limitations of the said system. The

degree of one’s commitment and dedication to spend time on the project that eventually could determine the extent of one’s involvement in the planned activities would greatly make the difference.


In summary, building the multisectoral and comprehensive R&D/E management network systems should ideally be efficient and effective. In reality, the required resources and capabilities for the R&E undertakings most of the time could be too limited; thus, the need of forging whatever available resources that could be provided by the various stakeholders in order to achieve optimum results.

CONCLUSION

Based on SSC’s experiences on establishing a multisectoral and comprehensive R&D/E management network systems in Siquijor, it can be concluded that a participative approach in program planning, implementation, and evaluation is doable with a synergetic pool of R&E development capabilities and resources from various stakeholders, who harmonize the multisectoral research and comprehensive extension programs toward relevance and responsiveness.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

In light of the findings, policies for the full adoption of the R&D/E management approaches can be formulated as follows:

1. Adopting all municipalities and selected schools in Siquijor province

by SSC; and 2. Building a multisectoral research community, with SSC as the lead

agency.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations are hereby offered in order to ensure efficient and effective implementation of plans and programs:

1. Institutionalize R&D programs inclusive of budget allocation in

municipal government units; 2. Institutionalize the partnerships between stakeholders and SSC; 3. Strengthen of the college and other stakeholders’ R&D capabilities;

and 4. Intensify SSC’s advocacy activities with LGUs, government agencies,

NGOs, and POs.


REFERENCES

Bendijo, Rey, et al. 2004. The Coastal Environment Profile of Siquijor Province. Dumaguete City, Philippines: UniTown Publishing House.

Calub, Blesilda Macasset. 2004. Participatory Rural Appraisal Guidebook. Manila: UP Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute, Agricultural Systems Clusters.

DA-PRISP, EU. 1998. Project Design: User’s Workbook. Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Institutional Strengthening Programme, Quezon City, Philippines; and The Delegation of the Commission of the European Union in the Philippines, Makati City, Philippines.

Fillone, Siquijor Integrated Resource Management Program Final Report, 2002. Program Expenditures, Republic of the Philippines. 1998.


Approaches in Partnering with Smallhold Farmers for the Promotion and Transfer of Banana Production Technologies in Oriental Mindoro Ma. Concepcion L. Mores 1

ABSTRACT

The promotion and transfer of banana production technologies are major integral activities of the Banana Extension Project, a component of the Banana Research, Development, and Extension Program of the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology. The said project is a continuing endeavor with an evolving management strategy employed in partnering with smallhold banana farmers to scale up their knowledge, attitudes, and skills to improve the crop’s productivity.

In the course of engaging farmers in the different phases

of the technology promotion and transfer activities, several setbacks and constraints created opportunities for re-directing methodologies and approaches in the extension delivery system.

Considering the farmers’ diverse practices, the need to

identify their “farming styles” arose and into which the different intervention activities were applied. For increased awareness, shared understanding, and appreciation of the technologies among farmers the essential basic scientific principles and technical concepts relating to the component technologies were provided. In addition, incorporating information around a number of relevant themes such as environmental issues; values formation; economics of production; and gender concerns in the delivery of the technology trainings were employed. A participatory approach was established through actively involving farmers in validating production technologies as a form of experiential learning. Moreover, linkages were forged with other stakeholders as a continuing effort to generate more

1 Professor III, VPRED, Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro


project funds and synergize on efforts in technology promotion and transfer among farmers. Means for enhancing coordination, acquiring the needed support, and building commitment among partners were employed.

RATIONALE

Banana is raised in the province of Oriental Mindoro as a high-value

commercial fruit crop. Among the different provinces in both MIMAROPA (the two Mindoros, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and the whole Southern Tagalog regions, Oriental Mindoro has the largest total land area dedicated to banana plantations and has registered the highest production of the crop as well. A Vast area of Oriental Mindoro’s agricultural land is allotted to different cultivars of banana; thus the production of this fruit crop has become an important source of income for smallhold farmers, who constitute a great majority of all banana growers in the province (Oriental Mindoro Provincial Agriculture Profile, 2007).

The most important cultivars of banana grown in Oriental Mindoro

include Saba, the well-known cooking-type banana; and the dessert-type ones, Lakatan and Latundan. To varying degrees, these cultivars manifest susceptibility to a number of pests and diseases; and vulnerability to unfavorable conditions of the environment like waterlogged soil, prolonged dry soil, and high wind velocity. As a result of these instances, the risk of a decline in the productivity of the crop is posed, resulting to the consequent threat of a considerable reduction in province’s banana farmers’ income.

Thus, this important cash but vulnerable crop was given priority

research attention that eventually yielded a number of production technologies disseminated to farmers. Attention was likewise been given to the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (MinSCAT), which has taken steps in alleviating the problem of declining productivity of the crop in Oriental Mindoro.

The College is the only public higher education institution in the

province, which has Agriculture as its flagship program; and which actively carries out its role in rehabilitating the province’s threatened banana industry through its ongoing Banana Research, Development, and Extension (RDE) Program. This program comprises projects such as the operation of the College’s Banana Tissue Culture Laboratory (BTCL) for mass propagation of clean and disease-free planting materials; the promotion and transfer of the Package of Technology (POT) for the nursery and field management of tissue-cultured Lakatan; and the promotion and transfer of the technologies for production of all promising banana cultivars grown in the province,


especially the widely-grown and highly marketable Saba. In addition, complementing the promotion and transfer of banana production technologies is the similar promotion and transfer of processing value-adding technologies on banana.

In all the cited project components of MinSCAT’s Banana RDE

Program, research formed a vital aspect in sustaining program operations. Experimental studies conducted in BTCL have led to the optimization of in vitro techniques utilized in micropropagation. Likewise, the experiments and descriptive surveys conducted in the field have become bases for designing strategies to allay problems encountered in the crop’s production process. Foremost of these problems addressed were those of the College’s extension activities aimed to foster adoption of the recommended technologies in banana production.

The College’s project of disseminating to farmers the technologies for

banana production since inception up to the present has been faced by various setbacks and constraints, posing challenges to project management. Essentially, each problem needed to be addressed effectively. Different approaches in addressing those problems were utilized to keep the project on the ground; thus these were regarded as sets of strategies that built a management framework vital to project operation. This paper articulates on those problems, opportunities, and approaches that directly involved the stakeholder group of smallhold farmers, who were themselves the clientele of the College’s extension activities for the adoption banana production technologies.

Given the diversity of these smallhold banana farmers, a similar

diversity of interests was expected to arise. This diversity had kept expanding and inevitably resulted to contradictions and complexities along the process that it posed problems to the technology promotion and transfer of banana production technologies mainly delivered through the MinSCAT Banana Extension Project. In working for the effectiveness of the said project; therefore, it was imperative to strengthen the link between the RDE workers and the farmers by actively involving the latter in the various extension activities.

OBJECTIVES

This paper generally aims to present the valuable application of an evolving framework of management strategies in partnering with smallhold farmers in improving their knowledge, attitudes, and skills toward adoption of banana production technologies, as exemplified in the MinSCAT Banana Extension Project.


Specifically, it aims to reveal several strengths and weaknesses encountered during the promotion and transfer of the banana production technologies to farmers; and to unveil the corresponding management strategy employed and the experiential learning gained by both partners – the MinSCAT Banana Extension Project Team and the farmers.

METHODOLOGY Project Background

The extension component of MinSCAT’s Banana RDE Program

concerned with the College’s promotion and transfer of banana production technologies has been in existence since the institutionalization of Extension as one of the key mandated functions of the College within the first year of operation of the institution as a state college in 1995. This project has a major objective of assisting the banana growers in the province in improving banana productivity.

To realize this objective, various activities were carried out by the

Banana Extension Project Team composed of 10 members from both the faculty and the non-teaching staff considered technical experts on Crop Science and other related disciplines such as Environmental Science, Social Science, and even Information and Computer Technology. The project also involved external collaborators like counterpart technical experts from local government units (LGUs) at the provincial and municipal levels, and from the funding agencies. The Project Leader was from among those faculty members who directly coordinated the project activities with the College’s Director for Extension. All members of the team who were faculty members worked only on a part-time basis on the project.

Some members of the Banana Extension Project Team also comprised

the complementary research and development R&D team on banana, mainly because all the commodity research, extension, and development projects of banana were, as mentioned earlier, integrated into the College’s Banana RDE program. On this account, the oversight of the project was undertaken through the management of the College’s RDE Department. Management Practices and Strategies

The management practices and strategies discussed in this paper

were made up of discernments and realizations that were drawn methodically from field investigations and experiences during the delivery of the various extension activities relating to the promotion and transfer of


banana production technologies in the province. Related data and information about the farmers documented in the course of field surveys, techno-farm visits, and delivery of trainings were utilized in clearing issues and formulating management decisions that were eventually applied in the course of performing the management functions of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling; which, were all relevant and valuable to the operations of the Banana Extension Project.

Outlined below were the methods undertaken in the strategies

employed in partnering with farmers, who were the primary stakeholders, for enhancing their knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward the adoption of banana production technologies:

Assessing the “Farming Style”. As an initial step to the implementation

of the technology transfer activities to the farmers, the project team engaged in probing into the farmers’ diverse demographic characteristics that shaped their “farming styles”. The findings from the said assessment served as the bases in the selection of farmer-cooperators and farm areas for on-site experiments and techno-demo projects. Designing technology training programs and formulating strategic decisions were also done during the project implementation.

Delivery of an “Integrated Training Program”. This was undertaken

through interdisciplinary integration of subject matters, issues, and concerns into the main topic or content of the trainings conducted for the promotion of the recommended field management technologies for banana production. This was also employed through incorporating information around a number of relevant themes such as environmental issues and concerns, values formation, economics of production, as well as gender concerns in the delivery of the technology trainings that resulted to increased awareness and shared understanding of the technologies among farmers.

Fostering Participatory Approach. The Participatory Approach was

observed through actively involving farmers in establishing banana techno-demo farms in various sites in the province; in conducting on-farm banana techno-trials and experimentation; and in the holding of banana technology fora and Farmers’ Field Days.

Linkaging. Besides partnering with farmers, linkages were forged with

other stakeholders as a continuing effort to generate more project funds; and to synergize on efforts in technology promotion and transfer among farmers. Means for enhancing coordination, acquiring needed support, and building commitment among partners were also employed.


DISCUSSION / INNOVATIONS Assessing the “Farming Style”

Faculty members of the College engaged in farm extension work

conventionally regarded farmers to be diverse in many ways; yet for many years in the past, they offered basically the same program for different groups of farmers. Regardless of whether young or old; landowner or not; with or without considerable farming experience; and other contrasts in farmer profile variables, the extension services and interventions delivered remained the same in practically all aspects – specific objectives, mechanisms, expected outputs, program of work including time frame, etc. Generally, the extension activity needed to remain true to form; that is, if it was in the form of an instructional training, the activity would be so; if it was of an on-farm techno-demo, it would then also be so. However, because such activities involved different sets of farmers, certain aspects in the work program would need some modifications to match with the growing diversity.

A rapid assessment of a clientele group is always possible. A look at

their socio-demographic profile and farming practices forms a discrete subcultural grouping of structural variables depicting their priorities, understandings, and values that impact on what can be called their “style of farming”. The extension activity must then address the needs of the farming style (Vanclay, 2004).

A recent research survey conducted in Oriental Mindoro showed that

a great majority of banana growers in the province are smallhold farmers who manage their own farm or work in another’s farm or even engage themselves in raising banana as a monocrop, cash crop, or part of a multicropping or integrated system of farming. These features, reflecting varied farm structures called for customized training modules. To address this, the recommended technologies were presented in the context of the said varying farm structures during the training programs. For instance, recommendations on pattern and distance of planting the crop would differ in monocropping and in integrated cropping systems. The differing modes of planting necessarily prescribed corresponding modes of land preparation, soil tillage, nutrient and water management, pest and disease management, and other aspects of field management operations. These things were also considered during techno-demonstration trials in different sites.

The farm site itself was another significant variable, characterized by

differences not only in sizes, but also in terms of agroecological zone, which may be plain or hilly, lowland or upland, and rain-fed or irrigated. In one of the municipalities of the province, most of the banana farms were almost


entirely rain-fed, hilly areas. Field management of banana in this case necessitated an integration of soil and water conservation techniques recommended for application in most agroforest sites.

The recognition of several variants of farm sites and farming styles

enabled the development of several corresponding versions of the basic training module on field production of banana prepared by the project leader. These included training modules that took the form of factsheets and technoguides, such as “Water Management in Banana Farms”, “Banana-based Farming System”, “Technoguide for Banana Production in a Coconut-based Farm”, and “Technoguide for Lakatan Production in Oriental Mindoro.”

The project implementers came to realize that it was really important

to look into the conditions of the farmers’ field, as well as into their farm practices. Many activities remained invisible to researchers and extensionists because farms were dispersed and most were only of small-scale in production. Farm surveys were therefore, done prior to involving farmers in a project like techno-demo field establishment. Careful selection of project sites and farmer-cooperators was employed as a project protocol.

In one part of the College’s Banana Extension Project, 10 techno-

demo farms with an area of 1,000 square meters each were established to showcase the technical feasibility and economic viability of applying the POT for field management of in vitro propagated Lakatan. In identifying the project sites, it was required that sites should have been without existing disease-infected banana plantation nearby for up to at least a 50-meter radius from the site. This requirement was observed as a precautionary measure against possible infection of the plants to be grown with fungal and viral diseases of which Lakatan has been known to be very susceptible to. To meet this requirement, the project staff had to conduct a survey of the identified potential sites and adjoining farms to check for incidence of these Lakatan’s diseases.

There were times during trainings conducted by the project staff that

farmer-participants happened to find out by themselves that they had major characteristics in common in terms of conditions in their respective farms. Similar conditions discovered were portrayals of farm problems such as constantly flooded areas in the field, poorly drained soil, wind-prone areas, thief-prone areas, and the like. By means of these commonly discovered features of their farms, the farmers were drawn together at taking steps to ameliorate their common dilemma. At this juncture, the project implementers were able to see that by taking into consideration the farmers’ characteristics, their farms, and their farming practices, approximately homogenous groups of farmers were created that helped facilitate the work


of addressing the respective groups’ local and specific concerns. Together, the farmer-members in each group were able to design ways in working out to meet their common goals by themselves. This was also a way of involving farmers in decision-making. Also this enabled the project implementers who took the role of extension workers to act out as facilitators in the process. Such transition lent a desirable approach to the extension process since extension work consists of “facilitation” as much as, if not more than “technology transfer” (Neuchatel Initiative Group, 1999).

Delivery of an “Integrated Training Program”

One usual motivation employed by the project implementers in their

role as resource persons during trainings on banana production technology was to remark that “Banana is a high-value commercial fruit crop…”; but that “Banana productivity has declined due to threats of pests and diseases and so needs to be given preferential attention…”; and that “Banana is that kind of crop that is very responsive to proper care and management by its growers.” The idea conveyed by such remarks was reinforced by the tell-tale fact that many banana growers grew a variety so named “Kundiman”, whereby the crop was simply planted, then left to grow by itself, then after about a year would be visited back by the “grower” in order to harvest its bunch of fruits. Quite often, the “grower” would be fortunate to have that bunch he so expected to get. This kind of farming practice became typical in raising banana, particularly that of the “Kundiman variety”, which actually is “Kung di man mabantayan, maalagaan, maabonohan, magamasan, madiligan…ay maaani rin naman.” To this, the farmer-listeners’ confirming reaction was pursued by re-stating the fact that “Indeed, banana is a crop responsive to proper care and management…Every bit of attention given to it, like providing and sustaining its nutrient, light, and water requirements translates to an increased yield.” Such kind of remarks set the momentum pointing to the need of scaling up altogether the farmers’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward improving banana productivity.

As to how farmers can provide the crop what it needed to achieve a

higher yield then became a function of the training program. The training program was supposed to deliver the package of knowledge and information that took the form of component technologies for adoption by the farmers. Expectations were set for participants to learn and acquire the body of knowledge in the form of technical information on banana production. Customarily, the training participants’ acquired knowledge would be measured through administering pre- and post-tests before and after each training session, respectively. Increase in the level of performance in the post-test over the pre-test is gauged as learning or knowledge gained. Considerable improvement in this measure has been gained over years of


delivery of the training program. The implementers largely attributed this improvement to the corresponding prior improvement in the delivery of the trainings, which employed an approach referred to in this paper as “Integrated Training Approach.”

This so-called “Integrated Training Approach” carries the concept of

combining the different elements that can produce optimum learning of the main lesson being taught during the training. Among these elements is the inclusion as an introductory topic the “Morphology and Growth of the Banana Plant”. This topic was included to provide the essential preliminary information needed in understanding the basic scientific principles and technical concepts relating to the component technologies for banana production. There were several fundamental concepts being taught about the morphology of the plant such as that banana is not a tree but a giant perennial herb; that banana is a shallow-rooted plant; that its corm is the true stem of the plant; and what looks like the stem is just a pseudostem, consisting of encircling leaf sheaths carrying the leaves. These things appeared to be trivial facts at first, but turned out to be very important pieces of information useful in understanding the principle behind the different practices and component technologies being disseminated during the trainings. Case in point: having background knowledge that a banana plant has shallow and succulent roots is useful in making farmers understand the advantage of employing preventive measures against toppling of banana plants.

Another important aspect of the “Integrated Training Approach” was

the integration of the teaching of values to farmers. Resource persons did not exclusively tackle technical recommendations or on the technologies, but also dealt with explaining to farmers the core values of self-worth, hard work, excellence, bayanihan, and care for health and the environment. They also enlightened the farmers on the importance of the application of these principles to their lives as farmers. Instilling these values in them proved to be very helpful in developing them the right attitude essential in employing the recommended production practices. It really would need cognizance on the value of hard work to attend to the tasks of performing the various plant care operations or field management practices for banana. It was observed that after getting through with the training lessons on values formation, the farmers showed renewed interest on the more technical topics with growing resoluteness for the application of the technology recommendations about their farms.

In addition, a component process of the training program was the

integration of lessons on environmental issues and concerns. This was undoubtedly of vital concern since farmers were one of the most vulnerable sectors affected by major environmental problems, foremost of which were


problems on facing climate change. These lessons enabled them to become more aware of, and concerned about the environment for them to make informed and responsible decisions.

The recommended banana production technologies were all

environment-friendly practices. Making the farmers understand that such actions were linked to sound environmental management practices like proper waste disposal, soil and water conservation, natural resource management, and other related practices. This understanding also eventually led them to value more and put into practice those banana production technologies. For instance, they were made to realize the advantage of decomposing farm refuse such as dried banana leaves and slashed weeds instead of burning them to be turned into compost for use as fertilizer for banana plants. Burning farm wastes was a previous common practice by farmers. Moreover, they were brought into the realization that implementing these recommended production technologies were no more expensive than necessary as to not implementing them.

An insight gained by the project implementers was the notion that the

farmers were always desired to do the right thing or implement good farm management, which they equated to economic and environmental management of their farms.

The training module also included an important topic on the

economics of production. This was the topic that apparently drew the farmers’ interest. For them, this aspect involved the consideration of risks in production. Farmers would inevitably think about the risk on capital resources such as the costs of planting materials, other material inputs, and labor. It was a challenge for the technology experts to prove that the technology they were pitching to the farmers was economically viable in the sense that it would actually provide the anticipated benefits and outcomes. Incorporation of related topics on marketing prospects and opportunities for both fresh and processed banana provided additional enlightenment to the farmers.

It is also worth discussing the efforts made to integrate gender

concerns into the banana extension project. Women, considered as an integral part of the banana production system were given due attention as they played a significant role in farm management. Consideration of how their needs could be met was given regard. This was made possible by the delivery of livelihood trainings on processing banana food products such as banana chips, banana vinegar, banana ketchup, banana pastillas, and banana wine with the women banana farmers and farmers’ housewives as


participants. Some of these women participants are now making income from commercial processing of banana chips.

It is worthy to mention that there has been a continuing rise in the

number of female participants in the trainings conducted on banana field management: from mere eight percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2010. The livelihood trainings conducted on banana processing technologies, therefore served as worthwhile complementary activities to the trainings on field production technologies. Processing of banana by the women could be an option to diversify on-farm activities to create supplemental income to further support farm production. Moreover, this effort of training women farmers and housewives on banana food products processing put in additional importance to banana as an agricultural commodity by way of value adding technologies. Fostering Participatory Approach

Armed with a strong belief that farmers can create their own

knowledge especially adapted to peculiar local conditions, the project implementers actively involved farmers in technology promotion activities such as the establishment of banana techno-demo farms in various sites in the province; the delivery of on-farm banana techno trials and experimentation; and the launch of banana technology fora and Farmers’ Field Day.

The solicitation of maximum farmers’ involvement in showcasing the

recommended technologies was employed through tapping farmers as cooperators in the various banana techno-demo farms that were established in the 14 municipalities and one city of the province. There were more techno-demo sites that were established in two of the municipalities because fresh banana was declared in both as their One Town, One Product (OTOP) commodity.

The farmer-cooperators were usually selected during the delivery of

the trainings. Validation on the desired qualities of these farmer-cooperators was done by gathering information on their socio-economic background, including the profile of their farm, their farming experience, entrepreneurial skills, and extent of their knowledge and skills on the practice of the technology. Farmers recommended by officers from LGUs (provincial and municipal agriculturists and agricultural technologists) were usually considered, as they sometimes receive support from LGUs in terms of financial assistance for the purchase of farm inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides. All prospective farmer-cooperators were required to undergo the “Hands-on Training on Field Management of Banana”.


The techno-demo farms were usually established at the farmers’ site. There were times though that farms owned and managed by LGUs were tapped as sites for the intervention. In this case, the agricultural technologist assigned in the area took the operational lead of the collaborative projects. One to two members of the Banana Extension Project Team directly engaged in the collaboration with the farmer-cooperator of each techno-demo farm.

In the 10 banana techno-demo sites established by the project team

through a techno-validation project with the Oriental Mindoro Technology Commercialization and Enterprise Development Center, also known as the Technology Promotion Center of Oriental Mindoro, the farmer-cooperator of each techno-demo farm was given a start-up capital in the form of farm inputs such as planting materials (tissue-cultured Lakatan plantlets), fertilizers, and pesticides. Labor was the farmer’s responsibility because this entailed the direct employment of the field operations comprising the technologies in raising the crop. Some amount from the project was, however, allocated for labor expenses such as for land preparation, field layout, planting, de-suckering and weeding.

It was noted that land preparation incurred the highest expense

among the different labor components; and was therefore, regarded as a critical factor in the establishment of techno-demo farms. It is very important that the field should be thoroughly prepared first for the planting of banana suckers or transplanting tissue-cultured banana plantlets. It was also observed that the survival rate of newly planted banana suckers and plantlets was put at risk in poorly prepared fields. Through this observation, farmers were able to realize by themselves the importance of following the recommendation on proper land preparation. Consequently, the thorough preparation of land served as one of the early success indicators of the project.

Similarly, farmers were able to realize that after the early part of crop

establishment in the field, weeding operation became a critical factor as well. The fields often necessitated weeding in order to protect plants from harm caused by stiff competition with weeds for nutrients, water, and sunlight. In techno-demo farms in which weeds were allowed to grow, banana plants were found to have slowed growth, thus showed signs of unhealthiness. The farmers, therefore got the full realization of the advantages gained in following the recommended plant care practices. They further realized that these were advantageous field operations that when employed, were no more expensive than necessary.

In the College’s collaborative project with the Provincial Agriculture

Office’s Farmers’ Information and Technology (FITS) Center funded through


the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) Techno Gabay Program, the technology for field management of Saba was validated by the recognized “Magsasaka Siyentista” right in his farm. Validation of the advantages of the technology was done through rehabilitation of a portion of the “Magsasaka Siyentista’s” old Saba plantation and its establishment into a science and technology-based farm. This was employed through on-farm experiment that compared the growth and yield of plants, which were raised using the recommended science and technology-based practices with those raised using traditional farmers’ practices. After a year or just one cycle of production, the old unproductive farm was turned into a rejuvenated one, producing significantly larger and heavier bunches of fruits. In this project and similar techno-demo projects that yielded successful outcomes, techno-fora and Field Days were held, where other banana growers from other parts of the province were invited to see for themselves the demonstrated benefits of using the recommended technologies for banana production.

The opportunities offered by techno-validation activities in farmers’

sites served as avenues for technology experts to establish their credibility as authorities who could give advice to the cooperating farmers. Providing on-farm advice in terms of credible, practical, and useful answers to farmers’ questions on day-to-day farm operations was encouraged. Linkaging

Besides partnering with farmers, linkages were also forged with other

stakeholders. Essentially, this was done as a continuing effort to generate more project funds and to synergize on efforts in technology promotion and transfer toward eventual technology adoption by farmers.

Established linkages were with various agencies such as other RDE

institutions; funding agencies; other public institutions, including LGUs at the provincial, municipal, and barangay levels; private sector entities such as industrial companies, NGOs including farmers’ cooperatives, farmers’ associations, and other farmers’ groups; and other educational institutions.

Linking with these different entities led to a remarkable number of

reached farmers. Some of the project team members were also tapped by other agencies as technology experts and resource persons in similar projects.

All built linkages with fund support were proposal-driven. To prove the

project’s worth for the support being sought, the then current progress in the project’s operations was presented; and the goals and objectives of the


project were made sure to align with the thrusts and priorities of those agencies where support was being sought.

For work facilitation and logistical support in terms of coordinating with

farmers, the project team consistently got in contact to request assistance from the LGU officials: municipal mayors; the Provincial Agriculturist and staff; the municipal agriculturists; and concerned barangay (village) officials, particularly in regard to identifying farmer-participants for the extension activities.

In the collaborative banana extension projects, a memorandum of

agreement (MOA) was entered into by MinSCAT with partner agencies that granted funds for the extension activities: PCARRD; Commission on Higher Education, through its Integrated Research Utilization Program; Department of Agriculture (DA)–Region IV-B; DA–Agricultural Training Institute–Regional Training Center; and the Oriental Mindoro Technology Commercialization and Enterprise Development Center, comprised of the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro, the municipal government of Victoria (MGOV), the Department of Science and Technology–Science and Technology Provincial Office and the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Since farmers were not represented in the project MOA, a sub-MOA

was prepared between MinSCAT and each group of farmer-partners in order to elicit commitment from farmers. In this sub-MOA, provisions were laid, taking into consideration all agreements reached among participants, with particular inclusions of the responsibilities of each party and stipulations on other arrangements and operational activities.

An inception meeting for all agency representatives, other project

staff members, and the farmers was usually held a few weeks before commencing the project. Such meetings were usually held at the College or near the project area, as agreed upon by all stakeholders. The project implementers thought of inviting twice as many candidate farmer-participants as initially needed in the project. This was in order to obtain a reserve pool of farmers in case there would be some who would later lag in or back out from the project.

Occasionally, coordination was also made with mass media personnel

in the province who happened to be equally interested in documenting and promoting the banana technology promotion and transfer activities for the public at large.

Officials, teachers, and students from other schools of all levels, i.e.

elementary, secondary, and tertiary in the province also formed part of the


stakeholder groups of the project. Year after year they would visit MinSCAT to see the existing banana techno-demo field, the BTCL, and the nursery. The said group also served as agents in the dissemination of the technology to other school officials, teachers, students, and parents on a continuing basis.

The experience gained through networking was not confined to

technical and fund assistance, but rather the drawing of insights from lessons learned through partnership/collaboration that was useful in expanding and enhancing technology promotion and transfer activities, documenting, carrying out researches, and improving management practices and policy formulation.

CONCLUSIONS

The Banana Extension Project of MinSCAT is a project in progress with an evolving management strategy intended to realize the project objectives of scaling up smallhold farmers’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward the adoption of banana production technologies.

Engaging farmers in the various phases of technology promotion and

transfer activities was a big challenge. On the account of their diversity, the need to identify their “farming styles” arises and into which, different intervention activities were fitted in.

For the increased awareness and shared understanding of the

technologies among the farmers, incorporating information around a number of relevant themes such as environmental issues and concerns, values formation, economics of production, as well as gender concerns in the delivery of the technology trainings were employed.

In addition, a participatory approach was fostered through actively

involving farmers in validating production technologies as a form of experiential learning.

Moreover, linkages were forged with other stakeholders as a

continuing effort to generate more project funds and to synergize on efforts in technology promotion and transfer among farmers. The means for enhancing coordination, acquiring the needed support, and building commitment among partners were employed.


POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The heightened recognition of the importance of farmers as partners in the Banana Extension Project of MinSCAT calls for re-thinking and re-directing existing methodologies adapted for dissemination of information and technologies. In taking into account, the farmers’ diversity and their subsequent “farming styles”, a variety of approaches and methods to deal with the different categories of clients is essential. The new methodologies and approaches should be demand-driven and should stimulate interactive participation of local farmers at all levels of decision making in the extension process.

Raising banana as a crop is not just a technical activity, but a function

of an integrated set of factors and concerns that relates to several other issues like those that have to do with the environment, economic situation, and other concerns with which, the farmers should be conscious about. Consequently, technological information has to be integrated with other aspects of farm management. Extension workers should therefore, consider the multi-faceted perspective of crop production in the delivery of technology promotion and transfer activities.

On the part of both the extension workers, a learning paradigm rather

than a teaching paradigm must be adapted in providing direction and formulating mechanisms in technology promotion and transfer. This further calls for designing ways to make the extension organization act as a professional service organization that is able to cater to clients’ needs and not merely able to deliver technologies and information.

REFERENCES

MinSCAT Research and Extension Annual Reports (2002-2010) Neuchatel Initiative Group. 1999. Common Framework on Agricultural

Extension (http://www.neuchatelinitiative.net/english/documents/CommonFrameworkonAgriculturalExtension.pdf)

Provincial Agriculture Office (Oriental Mindoro). 2007. Provincial Agriculture Profile (2007)

Vanclay, Frank. 2004. Social Principles for Agricultural Extension to Assist in the Promotion of Natural Resource Management, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, Vol. 44, pp 213-222 (http://www.publish.csiro.au/journal/ajea)

Van Heck, Bernard. 2003. Participatory Development: Guidelines on Beneficiary Participation in Agricultural and Rural Development, 2nd


Ed., Rural Institutions and Participation Service, Rural Development Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy (http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/ad817e/ad817e00.htm)



Jaime O. Puracan 1

ABSTRACT

The success of a research project is dependent on the

management approaches to be used in the implementation. Different organizations use different approaches in implementing projects. Management books list several management approaches. Most works on project management speak of the need to manage and balance the four elements (people, time, money, and project scope) of a project. This was illustrated in this paper. The Community-Based Cooperative Management (CBCOM) approach was chosen because the project being implemented was also a community-based project. The CBCOM is a people-centered, community-oriented, resource–, and partnership-based approach. A unique feature of this approach is that the community is its focus of development, yet it still recognizes strong linkage and involvement of community organizations, government line agencies, and the academe for the sustainability of the project. There had already been several projects implemented in this study’s community but they were not successful mainly due to poor management. The CBCOM approach used in the implementation of the two-year Community-Based Coastal Resource Management project in Malimono, Surigao del Norte resulted to a sound success and its sustainability has also been assured. Until now the project is still existing and has already garnered several awards such as the Best Development Paper during the 15th Annual Zonal In-House Review of the Philippine Council for Aquaitc and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD) Zonal Center IV: Northern Mindanao Zonal Center; the Second Best Development Paper during the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development System award during the PCAMRD 22nd Founding Anniversary in Los Baños, Laguna; and a Bronze

1 Assistant Professor, Surigao State College of Technology, Surigao City


Prize in the Agnes C. Sequino International Video Research Award (Best Practices Category) during the 2010 International Conference for Higher Education Research in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

RATIONALE

The Community-Based Coastal Resource Management Project (CBCRMP) in Malimono, Surigao del Norte was a two-year project funded under the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP), in partnership with the local government unit (LGU) of the municipality of Malimono. It was implemented through the Research Development and Extension (RD&E) office of the Surigao State College of Technology (SSCT), Surigao City. The project was in line with the provincial engagement strategy and the Hinatuan Passage Development Alliance-Focal Community Assistance Scheme (HIPADA-FOCAS), incorporating the goals and programs of the municipal and the provincial development plans on economic, social development, and environmental conservation through coastal resource management with livelihood activities to address poverty and to improve rural living standards of the coastal communities amidst climate change.

Ferrer and Nozawa (1997) emphasized that CBCRM is a people-

centered, community-oriented, and resource-based approach. It starts from the basic premise that people have the innate capacity to understand and act on their own problems. It begins where the people are i.e., what the people already know; and build on this knowledge to further develop their knowledge and create consciousness. They further stated that CBCRM strives for more active people's participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of coastal resources management program. The approach also allows each community to develop a management strategy that meets its own particular needs and conditions thus, enabling a greater degree of flexibility and modification.

Since the central theme of CBCRM is empowerment of the coastal

communities to control and manage coastal resources, the proponent used the Community-Based Cooperative Management (CBCOM) Approach in implementing this project. CBCOM as a CBCRM management strategy is people-centered, community-oriented, resource- and partnership-based. Thus, CBCOM approach has the community (people’s organizations [POs]) as its focus, yet recognizes the importance of the involvement of the different government line agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the academe. The use of the CBCOM approach was very much instrumental to the successful implementation and sustainability of the project.


OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this paper is to share the experiences of the Project Supervisor in successfully managing a CBCRMP in Malimono, Surigao del Norte using CBCOM Approach.

METHODOLOGY

The method used in this paper evolved from the actual experiences of the project supervisor in implementing the project using the Community-Based Cooperative Management (CBCOM) approach. Project Background

The municipality of Malimono is situated 32 kilometers (km) from

Surigao City. It faces the vast and productive Bohol Sea to the west and the municipality of Mainit to the east. Fisheries play a major role in Malimono. The municipality is not a major trading center, being at the national road’s dead end. It has no industries and is not even considered as a major agricultural producer in the province. In spite of the vastness and richness of the Bohol Sea, an LGU survey revealed that the three contiguous and farthest barangays (villages) located at the southernmost tip of the municipality are considered poorest. These barangays are: Karihatag, Pili, and Can-aga, which are 20, 15, and 13 km, respectively from the town proper. Karihatag being the farthest is accessible only by sea travel because there is no road that connects it to neighboring barangays. Pili and Can-aga are accessible through a rough and rugged barangay road.

The LGU survey revealed further that the majority of the residents live

below poverty line due to the following issues:

1) Low Family Income. Due to the area’s remote location, low level of education, and inadequate livelihood training, fishing is the only means to feed one’s family. Most fishermen do not even own a small boat for fishing;

2) Degradation of Coastal Environment. Denudation of upland areas has resulted to soil erosion that further degrades the coastal environment and in turn affects coastal productivity;

3) Depletion of Coastal Resources. The community has been suffering diminishing fish catch due to overfishing. Overfishing pressure creates ecological imbalance. The trawling of fish larvae called “Pino” has been a long time practice among the residents. As a consequence, coastal productivity has continuously been decreasing;


4) Lack of Alternative Livelihood. Lack of capital, low level of education, and lack of capacity to operate income-generating activities are a great hindrance to initiate alternative livelihood that causes them to rely on fishing; and

5) Encroachment of Small Scale Commercial Fishing Vessels into Municipal Waters. Encroachment of small-scale commercial fishing vessels into municipal waters deprives them of the opportunity to catch fish. The community does not have enough capacity to control this illegal fishing practice.

In response to these community issues and concerns, the CBCRMP was

implemented in the abovementioned barangays. The project was composed of three parts, that were physically different but complementary with each other. It was a two-year project funded under the PACAP-FOCAS, in partnership with Malimono’s LGU. It was implemented through SSCT’s RD&E.

The project aims to improve the economic condition of the beneficiary

communities through viable and profitable livelihood activities and to restore the coastal ecological balance that enhances biological productivity to promote food security among coastal residents. Management Practice

Management of the CBCRMP in Malimono, Surigao del Norte had a

unique feature. This was the approaches being utilized. The project itself used the Integrated and Complementary Approach while the project management utilized the CBCOM one.

In terms of management, this project used three stages: Pre-

Engagement, Project Implementation, and Completion. A. Pre-Engagement Stage

The Pre-Engagement Stage refers to the planning and designing stages of the project. This stage included the assignment as a project proponent; preparation of the project proposal until its approval by the funding agency; project launching; and the release of funds.

1.) Assignment as Project Proponent At the national level, the PACAP Advisory Committee (PAC) was

composed of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Australian Assistance for International Development (AusAID) and the stakeholders (the NGOs); at the


provincial level was the Provincial Stakeholders Committee (PSC) and the Hinatuan Passage Development Alliance-Focas Management Committee (HIPADA-FMC).

The PSC was composed of representatives from of the provincial LGU

(represented by the Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator [PPDC]); the municipal LGU (the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinators [MPDCs] of the seven municipalities); the City Planning and Development Coordinator (CPDC) of one city within the Hinatuan Passage; the FOCAS representatives, who were the FOCAS Coordinators of the three FOCAS areas in Surigao del Norte (namely, the Lake Mainit Development Alliance [LMDA], Siargao Protected Seascapes and Landscapes [SIPLAS], and HIPADA) who were also representative of NGOs; and the FMC representatives; who were the HIPADA-FOCAS Project and Assistant Coordinators.

The HIPADA–FMC on the other hand, was the highest management

committee in the provincial level. It was composed of the MPDCs and the PACAP proponents’ representative.

HIPADA-FMC decided to explore the possibility of forging a project

cooperation with SSCT-Malimono Campus, where the Coastal Resource Management project would be implemented. HIPADA-FMC conducted a series of consultation meetings with the officials of the college until an positive agreement was reached. After which, PPDO and HIPADA-FMC conducted several more meetings to discuss on matters regarding the project partnership with SSCT. HIPADA-FMC decided that SSCT, through its RD&E office, be one of the agencies to prepare a proposal for the Coastal Resource Management Project in Malimono. Luckily, HIPADA-FMC decided that SSCT would also be the proponent of the CBCRMP.

HIPADA-FMC required SSCT-RD&E to prepare the full project proposal.

The full project proposal included the following: Project Implementation Plan (PIP); Grant and Counterpart Utilization Scheme (GCUS); and a copy of audited financial statement of the college for the last two years.

2.) Preparation of the Proposal

a. Integrated and Complementary Approach

Prior to the planning and designing of the project, proper consultations

were conducted among the three beneficiary barangays. The communities themselves were consulted on possible solutions that they saw as essential to the solutions of common community issues and concerns mentioned earlier.


The establishment of the decision to implement the CBCRMP using the CBCOM approach was the product of the community consultations. Therefore, the preparation of the proposal was anchored on the principle of the Integrated and Complementary Approach. The project composed of three parts that were physically different but were interrelated and did complement each other. These were implemented simultaneously in support to each other. Non-implementation of one component could result to the total failure of the project. These were: Coastal Environment and Resources Rehabilitation, Protection, and Management; 2. Constituency-/Capability-Building; and 3. Livelihood and Enterprise Development.

3.) Approval of the Proposal The full project proposal was presented for comments and suggestions

in one of HIPADA-FMC’s monthly meetings. The proponent revised the proposal, integrating the comments and suggestions made by members of HIPADA-FMC. After the revision, the proposal was then presented again, after which HIPADA-FMC recommended it for submission to PACAP through the PACAP Provincial Officer (PPO). The PPO conducted a desk appraisal in cooperation with the HIPADA-FMC Secretariat. After this, the proposal was already considered for FOCAS program and was presented to the PSC for final deliberation and recommendation. The proposal was then found in oRD&Er; thus, the PSC recommended for the site appraisal and debriefing. The PPO, with the participation of the FMC Secretariat, conducted the site and project debriefing. After which, the PPO, with the help of the FMC Secretariat prepared the findings of the site appraisal and submitted the same to the PSC for deliberation as to its appropriateness. The PSC then approved of the appropriateness of the site. Then the PPO again, with the help of the FMC Secretariat, prepared the Project Appraisal Report and endorsed it to the PSC, which in turn, endorsed the proposal and deliberated it with the PAC. Then the PAC approved the proposal without further conditions. The PAC informed the PSC and FMC on the approval of the proposal and then sent an approval letter to the proponent. After the receipt of the approval letter, the FMC informed the proponent to prepare the pre- contract requirements, as follows: 1.) Grant Agreement; 2.) The proponent’s written confirmation/resolution that declared the funds received from PACAP would be used only for the agreed project activities; 3.) The project was not to receive any financial assistance from other agencies; 4.) The names, positions, duties, responsibilities, and curriculum vitae of the project implementing team members; 5.) A photo copy of the bank account passbook or the bank certificate of deposit for the project; 6.) The names of two individuals authorized to do bank transactions; and 7.) Milestone Report.


4.) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Signing A MOA signing was done prior to the implementation of the project.

The MOA was signed between the PACAP Project Director and the SSCT President and was witnessed by the PACAP PPO and the National PACAP Project Officer.

5.) Release of Funds

The first tranche was released after the signing of the MOA and the

submission of the required documents. The succeeding releases were dependent on the submission of milestone reports. Funding of the project was released in four tranches. B. Project Implementation Stage

The project implementation stage is more commonly known as the

project management stage. Other sources refer this as the project execution or the project implementation and control stage.

In this project, the implementation composed of two major activities

that were conducted simultaneously: 1.) Actual implementation of activities and delivery of the project output; and 2.) The delivery of project monitoring and evaluation that included project steering and control.

These stages ensured the achievement of project deliverables. This

stage was undertaken within the parameters of the baseline plan, according to the approved activities, cost, and time frame.

Actual Implementation of Activities and Delivery of Output Project Implementation Team

In the actual implementation of the project activities, the proponent

provided to the project a supervisor, a community development worker (CDW), a project technical staff member (PTS), a bookkeeper, and a cashier. It also organized the Integrated Project Management Council (IPMC). This team worked together for the success of the project.


Project Supervisor

The project supervisor was responsible in the actual monitoring of day-by-day activities of the CDW and the PTS in carrying out their specific assignments; providing assistance to CDW and PTS regarding community development works and project development activities; and submitting necessary reports and documents bi-monthly to the IPMC and monthly to the HIPADA-FMC. Besides the submission of written reports, the project supervisor presented the Project Status Report to HIPADA-FMC in its monthly meetings for; comments and additional information; and to the HIPADA-FMC on the status of the project based on PIP and GCUS. Community Development Worker (CDW)

The CDW was primarily tasked to facilitate community-organizing works and to support activities of the people organizations (POs); to assist the PTS in the delivery of capability trainings, workshops, and other major project activities. The CDW was also responsible for the submission of required reports, proceedings, and attendance sheets to the project supervisor. The CDW was also required to submit monthly accomplishment reports capturing the project’s daily activities through proper documentation. In community organizing works, the CDW, with the help of the PTS, was able to establish six POs and register these POs at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). These POs have been holding their regular monthly meetings for the entire duration of the project up to the present. The PTS was tasked to assist the CDW in community-organizing works, in the delivery of the capability-building activities, and other related activities of the project. Bookkeeper and Cashier

The bookkeeper was responsible for preparing and safekeeping of all financial records while the cashier was responsible for depositing and disbursing funds and for other financial related activities. Integrated Project Management Council (IPMC) Composition and Functions of IPMC Composition

IPMC was composed of the following personnel from the different sectors: 1.) twelve from the POs (presidents and vice-presidents); 2.) three from the municipal LGU (MPDC, Municipal Agriculture Officer [MAO], and SB); 3.) a member or a chairperson on Environment Protection; 4.) three from the


barangay (village) LGU (barangay captains of the three beneficiary barangays); 5.) two from the proponent institution with expertise in CRM; 6.) the project supervisor and his research staff; and 7.) a representative of the HIPADA–FMC (the HIPADA Project Coordinator).

IPMC elected its chairperson and vice-chairperson, who would lead in

the IPMC project management. The CDW and the PTS comprised the IPMC Secretariat. Functions HIPADA-FMC Representative 1) Ensured that measures significant to the project development was

appropriately undertaken; 2) Monitored the development of the project within the specified time frame

and cost; and 3) Coordinated with HIPADA members regarding matters that involved the

project. LGU Representative 1) Ensured that certain measures were appropriately undertaken within LGU

policies and development plans; 2) Monitored project development in coordination with other members; 3) Connected LGUs to the project to increase support and efficiency; and 4) Coordinated with other line agencies in matters that needed outside

expertise. SSCT representatives 1) Ensured that the project plan was appropriately implemented; 2) Monitored the development of the project within the specified time frame

and cost; 3) Coordinated with the SSCT administration on the matters that involved the

project; 4) Coordinated with line agencies in matters that needed outside expertise; 5) Provided technical assistance to the CDW and PTS; 6) Submitted necessary reports and documents to the IPMC and the

HIPADA-FMC; 7) Submitted Milestone Reports to the HIPADA-FMC and PACAP according

to schedule; and 8) Prepared the Completion Report and submitted the same to HIPADA-FMC

and PACAP. Aside from the IPMC; other organizations/agencies had very important

roles in the project implementation.


Participation of Beneficiary Organizations

Six POs were organized. These were the United Women’s Association of

Can-aga (UNIWAC); the Association of Farmers and Fishermen of Can-aga (AFFICA); the Women’s Association of Pili (WAPI); the Fishermen’s Association of Pili (FAPI); the Nagkahiusang Kahugpungan sa mga Kababayen-an sa Karihatag (NKKK); and the Samahan ng mga Mangingisda sa Karihatag (SAMAKA). These POs actively participated in the project planning, implementation and monitoring process throughout the project duration. They were the main players of the project. PO meetings were conducted monthly under the guidance of the project staff. Participation of LGUs Formulating and implementing project-responsive legislations, policies, and ordinances were the legal LCUs support to the project. LGUs also provided direct financial and technical contributions and other logistical support. The MPDC acted as one of the executive members of the IPMC and served as the bridge between the project and LGU. Barangay LGUs

The Barangay LGUs adopted and helped implement the legislations formulated by MLGUs to further support the project. Involvement of Men and Women

All members of each organization had equal rights to discuss matters

in a decision-making process designed by IPMC. The project design was framed in accordance with the principles of equality between men and women in the context of community development. Six people’s organizations with equal numbers of men and women were organized.

Women’s participation in the planning, implementing, monitoring, and

managing their respective livelihood projects that generate income contributed a great impact to the project’s sustainability. Women’s groups had a great role in the monitoring and delivering bi-yearly assessment of the land reforestation project. The project demonstrated the importance of women’s role in family and community developments.

Men’s groups were responsible for clearing grass and applying

fertilizers for the land reforestation project. They were also responsible in the delivery of the Habitat and Resource Assessment. With the guidance of a


hired licensed diver, they were also able to carry out the delineation and installation of a marine sanctuary; construction of the sanctuary guard house; delivery of by-yearly assessment of the marine sanctuary. They also served as members of the Bantay-Dagat Team (BDT). The three barangays had their own BDT members. These BDT members were organized into an integrated BDT known as the Can-aga, Pili, and Karihatag Fish WaRD&Ens’ Association (CAPIKAFWA). CAPIKAFWA was properly trained on fish waRD&En and fishery law enforcement systems; and was provided with a patrol boat; patrolling equipment like cell phones, flashlights and other lighting facilities, Global Positioning System, and binoculars with night vision capacity; and a BDT mobilization fund. To sustain BDT activities, the six POs contributed 10 percent of their net income from their respective livelihood projects to the team.

Both men and women POs assisted the CDW and PTS in the preparing

necessary materials during the delivery of trainings, seminars, Immediate Environmental Concerns activities and in the monitoring monthly fish catch. Government Line Agencies

Government line agency representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries

and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and DOLE were involved in sharing their time and expertise in the delivery of various trainings and seminars of PO members. They were also involved in monitoring and evaluating the project.

C. Project Launching

The project’s launching was done after the CDW was able to organize the six beneficiary associations (two per beneficiary). Part of the launching was the oath-taking ceremonies of the officials of these associations, and the signing of MOA of Partnership between PACAP as represented by the Provincial PACAP Officer, SSCT administration as represented by the SSCT Administrative Officer, LGUs, Malimono municipality as represented by the Municipal Mayor, BLGU as represented by the presidents of the six POs, HIPADA-FMC as represented by the HIPADA-FMC Chairperson, who was also the City Planning and Development Coordinator of Surigao City.


Project Activities and Outputs Component I: Coastal Environment and Resources Rehabilitation, Protection and Management

This component aimed to rehabilitate damaged coastal ecosystems in

which protection and management were done with the direct involvement of the community. This effort was directed toward the establishment of a marine sanctuary in full support of the MLGU and the BLGUs. The following were the activities under this component: 1.) Participatory Coastal Resource Assessment (PCRA); 2.) Establishment of Marine Sanctuary; 3.) Reforestation of Coastal Land; 4.) Bantay-Dagat Operations; 5.) Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Planning; and 6.) Monthly Fish Catch Monitoring Component II. Constituency-/Capability-Building

This component was focused on the strengthening of partner POs to manage activities of the project, particularly the management of the livelihood enterprise and environmental protection. The following were the activities undertaken: 1.) Community Organizing; 2.) PO Formation and Registration; 3.) CRM and Environmental Awareness Seminar; 4.) Cooperative Management Seminar; 5.) Financial and Bookkeeping Management Seminar; 6.) Squid Processing Seminar; 7.) Product Packaging and Marketing Seminar; 8.) Information and Education Campaign; 9.) Linking and Networking; and 10.) Field Trip and Exposure Tour. Component III. Integrated Livelihood and Enterprise Development

Another unique feature of this project was the implementation of livelihood projects. They were implemented after a year of project implementation. The first year of a project was devoted to strengthening POs’ structure and capability-building. Furthermore, a livelihood project was implemented after strong bonding and commitment among the members were achieved.

A CRM project without a livelihood component will not succeed.

Viable, profitable, and sustainable livelihood and enterprise options considered in this project were identified by the beneficiaries themselves. The following were the livelihood projects: 1.) Diversified Deep Sea Fishing (provision of 15 units motorized boat); 2.) Small-Scale Convenience Store (NKKK store); and 3.) Squid Drying (for UNIWAC and WAPI) with one mechanical drier each


However, there were activities of the project that were delayed due to the recent world economic crisis, when raw materials prices climbed up, as well as to the unfavorable weather conditions that hindered the project staff to report to the project site on occasions of impassable roads and bridges. The project supervisor, with the consent of SSCT administration and the recommendation of the HIPADA-FMC, requested PACAP for the realignment of the project budget and for an extension of project implementation for another six months. The request was approved. D. Project Monitoring and Evaluation

Another factor that contributed to the successful implementation of the project were the efficient monitoring and evaluation strategies. Monitoring is the continuous or periodic review and overseeing of an activity to ensure that input deliveries, work schedule, targeted outputs, and other required actions are proceeding according to plan.

Evaluation on the other hand is the process for determining

systematically and objectively the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of activities in light of the project objectives. It is an organizational process for improving activities in progress and for aiding the management of future planning, programming, and decision-making.

In this project, evaluation was carried out in three different periods as

follows: During project implementation; During project completion (summative evaluation); and two years after project completion (impact evaluation).

The project got passing rates from three monitoring and evaluation

groups. These were the IPMC, which conducted monitoring once every two months and the HIPADA-FMC Monitoring Team, which conducted its monitoring and evaluation every quarter of the year.

Besides these, the project supervisor was required to present the status

of the project to the HIPADA-FMC during its monthly meeting. During project monitoring and evaluation cycles, monitoring groups

used the following tools: 1.) PIP; 2.) GCUS; 3.) Business plan for the livelihood projects; 4.) Established outcome and impact of the project activities; 5.) Records of the project’s progress and its effects on the beneficiaries; and 6.) Records of the minutes of monthly meetings.

Moreover, during the monitoring and evaluation cycles, a PO’s officer

or representative presented to the monitoring and evaluation group a


project progress report that included its impact on the beneficiaries. After the presentation, the monitoring group asked questions to the POs, CDW, PTS, and the project supervisor based on the above tools. At times when the implementation of the project was not on time based on Tools Nos.One and Two, the POs and the project supervisor explained the reasons for variance and how to solve this variance. In this case, project implementation was done with utmost care to avoid variance. E. Completion Stage

This stage confirmed that the project has been implemented

according to the specifications in the baseline plan. This is called as the project closure/project phase out and turnover. This included the preparation and eventual submission of the project completion report (PCR). PCR is a document of the project’s performance detailing the accomplishments, activities undertaken, issues, problems encountered, and lessons learned during its implementation. Problems Encountered During Project Implementation

There were some problems encountered during the project

implementation. These problems really affected the accomplishment of project objectives. However, these problems occurred early in the project’s life cycle and were resolved right away, way before seriously impacting the project. Among these problems were the following:

1.) Political faction. This happened for almost a year during the project

implementation just after the barangay election. Beneficiary members who were supporters of the winning barangay captain rescinded. The newly elected barangay officials wanted officers and members of the project to be changed because the latter groups did not support the candidacy of the new barangay captain nor supported the incumbent municipal mayor, who in turn supported the winning barangay captain. However, with the effort of the project supervisor and project staff, the problem was resolved.

2.) The economic meltdown in 2009. The worldwide economic meltdown in 2009 that started at the last quarter of the previous year caused the prices of raw materials needed in the project to suddenly shoot up, causing much financial constraint. The problem was resolved through the cancellation of some project activities that were not critical to the project and through the realignment of the budget to the most critical ones such as the purchase of two mechanical dryers. Realigning of budget was made after PACAP’s approval.


3.) The unfavorable weather conditions. The road traversing the beneficiary

barangays were very rugged and peppered with weak wooden bridges. Moreover, from of June to December 2009, bridges eroded and the sea was turbulent most of the time, both conditions hindered visits of the project staff to the project site. Project implementation was temporarily halted and a request for a six-month extension was processed. PACAP granted the request thus, project implementation was pursued until its final completion.

Management Strategies

The project itself utilized the Integrated and Complementary Approach while the project management utilized the Cooperative Management Approach. The project was composed of three interrelated components that complemented each other, though they were different in priciple. They were implemented simultaneously, supporting each other. Non-implementation of even just one component could result to the total failure of the project.

In terms of project management, it used the so-called CBCOM

Approach. The CBCOM is a people-centered, community-oriented, resource-based, and partnership-based approached. In this approach, the community is its focus of development and it also recognizes strong linkage and involvement of community organizations, government line agencies, and academe for the sustainability of the project.

DISCUSSION/INTERPRETATION Reasons for Management Decisions or Actions

Prior to the project planning and design, the RD&E staff conducted a

community orientation and consultation for the three target beneficiary barangays (Can-aga, Pili, and Karihatag) regarding the result of the LGU survey, which identified the four common community issues and concerns. To address these issues, a CBCRM project was implemented in their community with SSCT as the project implementer. During the community orientation and consultation, the residents themselves expressed their cynicism about their participation to the project and were wary of joining associations because of their past experiences of failed government livelihood projects and several failed cooperatives in their community. They already developed distrust to any development project.


In order to gain their trust and confidence in the project, CBCOM approach was used. Through CBCOM, the beneficiary members themselves were given the opportunity and/or responsibility to manage their own association, livelihood projects, and coastal resources. They were also given the chance to define their needs, goals, and aspirations. Finally, they were also allowed to make decisions affecting their well-being. This approach also recognized the important participation of representatives from LGUs, different government line agencies, and the academe. Consequences of Management Decisions

The use of CBCOM approach encouraged active participation of the

beneficiary communities as well as enlisted the full support and involvement of different government line agencies and NGO representatives. These contributed much to the achievement of the project goal of improving the economic condition of the beneficiary communities through a viable and profitable livelihood. In addition, the approach indirectly helped in the restoration of coastal ecological balance that enhanced biological productivity to promote food security among coastal residents.

CBCOM also paved the way to an effective management by the

project proponent because the beneficiary members themselves were committed. Moreover, the project was able to turn the cynical attitude 180 degrees not only of the project beneficiaries but the community in general.

The management approach also fostered leadership capabilities

among the participants through the use of parliamentary procedures such as applying and proper way of recording minutes of meeting in their monthly meetings. This also encouraged those timid participants to step up and express their ideas and participate in discussions. These experiences transformed some beneficiary members to become community leaders. As a consequence, some were elected as barangay and school Parent-Teacher Association officials. Others became members of the Barangay Development Council, Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council, and Barangay Health Workers. Implications of the Management Decisions/Actions

The implication of the management decisions`is that CBCOM is a very useful management approach for community-based RDE projects.

The use of CBCOM approach could lead to smoother in project

management implementation because it encourages the active participation of the community.


Most research institutions conduct researches that would help mitigate problems of the community in their respective service area; here, CBCOM approach could ensure a successful project implementation.

This simple yet effective project management approach shared in this

paper may reach the mind of all policy-making bodies to initiate and formulate policies that employ CBCOM approach in all community based RD&E projects and advise government line agencies concerned for their involvement.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The use of CBCOM approach resulted to the successful and smooth implementation of the project and even achieved its sustainability. These encouraged the author to come up with the following recommendations:

1) Utilize CBCOM approach in any community related project; 2) In research proposal preparation, budgetary allotments on project

management, monitoring, and evaluation should be included; 3) In the use of CBCOM approach, strong linkage with the

government line agencies and other NGOs should be established; The involvement of the community in the project planning and

designing stage should be solicited to gain their support and cooperation.

REFERENCES Acedera,M. M, E.M. Redera, and C. R. Pagdilao, 2002. Integrated

Coastal Management Experiences in the Philippines(Proceedings of the Integrated Coastal Management Practitioners Convention in the Philippines,Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development, International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, 326pp.( PCAMRD Book Series No. 32/2003.

Batongbakal, J.L., G. Mayo-Anda, 2004.fisheries Management Policy in Relation to other Resources Management Policies of the Philippines, Fisheries Resource Management Project, Technical Monograph Series No.2.


Francisco, B.S., R.F. Siewert,2004. Guidelines and Considerations in the Establishment and Management of Marine Protected areas in the Philippines, Fisheries Resource Management Project, Technical Monograph Series No.1.

Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program, 2007. Project and Financial Management Systems Manual for PACAP Partner Organizations


Collaborative Banana RD&E: Enhancing the Livelihood of Banana Smallholders in Cagayan Valley Biley E. Temanel 1, Florenda B. Temanel 2, Joel L. Reyes 3, Orlando F. Balderama 4, Jimson S. Ramirez 5, Aubrey Jillian C. Gandia 5, Ludivico A. Mercado 5, and Romeo R. Quilang 5

ABSTRACT

This project aims to enhance the livelihood of banana

smallholders in selected areas in Cagayan Valley Province. It was collaboratively implemented from June 2005 to December 2010 by the Isabela State University, Department of Agrarian Reform-Isabela Provincial Office, and selected local government units in partnership with the Cagayan Valley Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium; the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources; the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research; Biodiversity International; and the Cooperative for Rural Development.

The project utilized the collaborative and network-

building approach in the implementation of research, development, and extension (RD&E) activities. Through the involvement of various stakeholders, researches and studies to develop and validate appropriate technologies and upscaling of RD&E results were undertaken.

The package of technology was fine-tuned and other

component technologies were developed that helped address gaps in production technologies, nursery management, and micropropagation of bananas. Participatory research approach involving the farmers was employed in the development of locale-specific component technologies.

1 Professor V, Isabela State University, Echague, Isabela 2 Associate Professor IV, Isabela State University, Echague, Isabela 3 Professor VI, Isabela State University, Echague, Isabela 4 Laboratory Technician, Isabela State University, Echague, Isabela 5 President, Isabela State University, Echague, Isabela


As a consequence of upscaling RD&E results, there was a marked increase in the level of banana production to 37.03 percent and income at 24.46 percent. Nursery establishment was shown as a profitable venture, with a return on investment of 189.49 percent.

The project demonstrated that a strong collaboration

among stakeholders is necessary to enhance the livelihood of banana smallholders in Cagayan Valley.

INTRODUCTION

Cagayan Valley Region (Region II) in Northern Luzon consists of five provinces: Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batanes, and Cagayan. The banana industry in the region is a small-scale production one intended only for the local market and self-sustenance. However, many farming households depend on it as a prime substitute for rice and corn and is considered as a subsistence cash crop source that provides additional household income.

Cagayan Valley Region consistently ranks fifth in the over-all Philippine

banana production. The region’s banana smallholders supply its own the demand as well as that of the rest of Luzon, including the Greater Manila Area. Hence, banana is crucial not only to the Cagayan Valley banana smallholders’ livelihood, but also to Northern Luzon’s food security.

There was a time when the banana bunchy top disease struck and

affected the region’s most popular local banana variety–Lakatan. This disease is caused by a virus that renders the plant severely stunted, chlorotic, necrotic, and eventually unproductive. Once the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) infects a plant, the virus becomes systemic, transferring the disease to subsequent suckers. The disease spreads and persists because farmers replant banana using suckers.

A three-decade build-up of the banana bunchy top disease

culminated in an outbreak in the 1990s. The outbreak put banana smallholders out of business and forced them to abandon the traditional perennial growing of Lakatan, and of another variety, Bungulan. Supplying the banana demand of Luzon (including that of Metro Manila’s huge market) was taken over by commercial banana plantations operating in Southern Philippines.

Despite the significance of the devastation wreaked by BBTV on

Northern Luzon’s banana industry, the crop was not given the priority that its


economic importance warranted. However, the banana smallholders needed their livelihood back; therefore, it was imperative to revive the region’s banana industry.

To address the problem, a collaborative research, development, and

extension (RD&E) approach was conceptualized. The Cagayan Valley Agriculture Resources Research and Development (CVARRD) consortium, together with state universities in the region, participated in a Bioversity International-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources (PCARRD)- Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR)-coordinated RD&E to address the BBTV problem for the farmers, thereby re-establishing banana as an important source of livelihood.

This collaboration conducted RD&E activities that covered integrated

pest management; production systems improvement; and market establishment and market linkages. The output of this collaboration included the development of POTs for production systems; establishment of healthy seedling delivery system to smallholders; consolidation of knowledge on BBTV control tactics; and identification of new varieties as potential supplemental and/or alternative options.

Upscaling the results of the RD&E collaboration was undertaken to

improve the productivity of banana smallholders in the region through the establishment of science and technology (S&T)-based farms coupled with market matching and/or development with the strong complementation of various stakeholders such as local government units (LGUs), farmers’ organizations, and national government agencies.

OBJECTIVES

In general, the project aims to enhance the livelihood of banana smallholders in selected areas of Cagayan Valley. Specifically, it aims to

A. Fine-tune developed technologies on banana production system,

crop nutrition, pests and diseases management, post-harvest handling, and farming practices;

B. Impart appropriate technologies on banana production system, crop nutrition, pests and diseases management, and post-harvest handling, and farming practices through the establishment of S&T-based farms at the farmers’ level;

C. Organize the banana growers for technology, marketing, and information assistance for the project’s sustainability; and


D. Establish strong partnerships with LGUs, private sector entities, and other stakeholders in developing the industry.

METHODOLOGY Project Background

The core problem that has been confronting the banana industry is

low productivity as a result of banana farmers’ lack of capability to produce quality bananas. This is due, in part, to poor cultural management practices such as the lack of sound and appropriate fertilization, poor irrigation and drainage systems, and poor farm sanitation. This situation is further aggravated by prevailing inefficiencies in the market system and limited access to credit facilities.

With the availability of RD&E interventions, matched with a proper

marketing system and a strong organizational structure supported by LGUs and other development partners, the industry would redound to more modernized and productive banana smallholder farms in Cagayan Valley within a specified timeframe. These farms would then supply the local and export market demands for fresh bananas with the required quantity and quality.

This project aimed to enhance the livelihood of banana smallholders in

selected areas in Cagayan Valley. It was collaboratively implemented from June 2006 to December 2010 by the Isabela State University (ISU), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-Isabela Provincial Office (IPO), and selected LGUs in partnership with CVARRD, PCARRD, DA-BAR, Bioversity International, and the Cooperative for Rural Development (CORDEV).

Management Practice I. Development, identification, and validation of appropriate technologies

A participatory research approach involving the farmers was

employed in the development of locale-specific component technologies. To fine-tune various component technologies on the production of high quality bananas and to develop component technologies that addressed gaps, the following studies were undertaken in situ:


A. Improvement of production system

1. Effect of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) on the quality and yield of Lakatan This study was conducted to determine the quality and yield of

Lakatan under Isabela environmental conditions. This was a superimposed research in the farmer-cooperator’s fields with an area of 5,000 square meters.

The study revealed that the application of GA3 significantly

affects the pseudostem diameter at bud formation (in centimeters [cm]), plant height at shooting (cm), length of fingers (cm), diameter of fingers (cm), fruit weight (in grams [g]), and weight of bunch (in kilograms [kg])

2. Effect of male bud removal and different rates of GA3 on the

yield of banana cultivar (cv.) Grand Naine The result of the study showed that the male bud removal as a

single factor (Factor A) significantly affects the pseudostem height at shooting (cm), weight of bunch (kg), number of fingers at harvest, length of fingers (cm), and finger diameter (cm). On the other hand, the different rates of GA3 (Factor B) as a single factor significantly affects the pseudostem height (cm), pseudostem girth (cm), weight of bunch at harvest (kg), number of fingers at harvest, finger diameter (cm), weight of individual fingers (g), weight of fruits per bunch (g), and number of functional leaves at harvest.

There was no interaction effect observed between male bud

removal and different rates of GA3 in all the yield parameters.

3. Effect of different bunch covers on the quality and yield of Lakatan

The study showed that the use of different bagging materials

has no significant effect on the pseudostem height at flowering (cm), pseudostem diameter at harvest (cm), weight of bunch (kg), number of hands per bunch, number of fingers per bunch, finger length (cm), finger diameter (cm), weight of individual fingers from the 3rd hand (g), fruit weight (g), number of functional leaves at shooting and number of functional leaves at harvest.


4. Response of Lakatan to different plant growth substances and urea applied singly or in combination The study showed that the application of different plant growth

regulators and urea applied singly or in combination has significant effect on the bunch weight of Lakatan. In addition, the number of fruits per bunch at harvest, finger length, finger diameter, weight of individual fingers, fruit weight, and weight of individual fingers are also significantly affected by different plant growth regulators and urea.

5. Response of Lakatan to varying rates of GA3

The study showed that the application of GA3 at different rates

has significant effect on the number of fingers at harvest and weight of individual fingers. The weight and length of fingers were also significantly affected by the varying rates of GA3 application.

B. In Vitro propagation of bananas

1. Reduction of contamination incidence in the micropropagation

of bananas

Initially, 80 percent contamination of cultures was observed in the banana tissue culture laboratory. Assessment of the existing practices on field collection of suckers, media preparation, media storage, and the establishment of cultures in the laboratory were done to determine specific interventions to reduce contamination.

Techniques developed significantly reduced the contamination

rate of cultures to at least 20 percent in the mass propagation of bananas resulting to production efficiency of quality meriplants. The cost of production was reduced from PhP9.50 to PhP5.00 per meriplant.

2. Optimization of media composition for increased shoot

proliferation in vitro (effect of brassinosteroids in in vitro shoot proliferation) The use of brassinosteroids in micropropagation resulted in

increased bud proliferation by 20 percent; faster shoot induction and root proliferation; larger meriplant pseudostem; and heavier fresh weight. It also reduced production cost due to increased bud proliferation and production of bigger and healthier meriplants


thereby enhancing and sustaining the production of quality banana plantlets for Region II.

C. Production of quality plantlets under nursery conditions

1. Response of Lakatan to inorganic fertilizers and Brassinolide

applied singly or in combination under nursery conditions The study was conducted to determine the effect of inorganic

fertilizers and brassinolide applied singly or in combination, on the growth of micropropagated bananas. It also aimed to determine which among the different treatments hastens the growth and development of micropropagated bananas. The study was conducted at ISU’s Banana Tissue Culture Nursery of and was laid-out following the Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with the following treatments replicated three times: T0 (Control), T1 (Urea ; 46–0–0), T2 (Brassinolide), T3 (14–14–14 + urea), T4 (Urea + Brassinolide), and T5 (14 – 14 – 14 + Brassinolide).

The result of the study revealed that plant height, pseudostem

girth, and total leaf area at 15, 30, 45, and 60 DAT are affected significantly by the inorganic fertilizers and brassinolide applied singly or in combination under nursery conditions.

2. Effect of vermicast, duofos, humic acid, and inorganic fertilizer applied singly or in combination on in vitro-propagated Latundan, another banana cv., under nursery conditions

The study was conducted to determine the response of tissue-

cultured Latundan to organic and inorganic fertilizers when applied singly or in combination under nursery conditions. It also aimed to determine the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth performance of tissue-cultured Latundan. The study was conducted at ISU-Echague’s Tissue Culture Laboratory and was laid out following CRD with the following treatments: T0 (Control), T1 (Vermicast Alone), T2 (Duofos Alone), T3 (Humic Acid Alone), T4 (Inorganic Fertilizer Alone), T5 (Vermicast + Duofos), T6 (Inorganic Fertilizer + Humic acid), T7 (Vermicast + Duofos + Inorganic Fertilizer), and T8 (Vermicast + Duofos + Inorganic Fertilizer + Humic Acid).

Results of the study revealed that the plant height, pseudostem

girth, and total leaf area at 30 and 60 DAT are highly significantly affected by organic and inorganic fertilizers when applied singly or in combination.


D. Exploring other uses of banana wastes and rejects

1. Banana rejects (banana peel) on the growth performance of sunshine chicken

Formulated ration (with banana peel at 10 percent, 15 percent,

and 20 percent) produced heavier birds; faster rate of growth; increased gain in weight of the birds; and had a higher return but lower cost than commercial feeds

II. Upscaling of RD&E Results

A. Pre-Implementation

1. Community Mobilization

a. Project conceptualization and dialogue with DAR. Initially, the project concept was presented to DAR-IPO to explore possible partnership in the upscaling of POTs on banana production. The project concept was finalized after a series of dialogues and inception meetings.

b. Forging of a memorandum of agreement (MOA). When the project was launched, a MOA was forged between DAR-IPO as the coordinating agency and ISU, as service provider.

c. Project concept presentation to selected LGUs. The project

concept was presented to eight LGUs of the following municipalities and a city: Cabagan, Roxas, Alicia, San Mariano, Naguilian, Tumauini, Benito Soliven, and Cauayan City. These locales were considered as potential pilot areas based on DAR’s recommendation of. The concept was also presented to the League of Municipal Mayors in meeting conducted at Tumauini and San Mateo, Isabela.

d. Forging of tripartite Memorandum of Agreement. A tripartite

MOA among DAR, ISU, and concerned LGUs was forged.

2. Organization of the Project Team

A team was organized to implement the project. The project team was a multi-agency partnership of DAR, ISU, and LGUs. Partnering and complementation arrangements were also identified through the management structure.


a. Technical Working Group (TWG) consisted of representatives of

partner-agencies tasked to provide directions and formulate plan of work; recommend policies as necessary; and oversee, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the project.

b. Field Representatives consisted of members from LGUs and DAR municipal offices (DAR-MOs) tasked to report directly to the TWG; serve as frontline implementers of the project; coordinate project activities; and provide feedback to TWG.

3. Identification of pilot areas and selection of farmer-cooperators

Target areas that would serve as pilot areas were identified.

Fourteen farmer-cooperators were also selected based on the following criteria: expressed interest and commitment; willingness to adopt recommended technologies; willingness to invest in banana farming; openness to innovations; and willingness to share information or learnings to other farmers.

Initially, the project targeted an aggregate area of 17 hectares

(ha) located in various municipalities.

III. Implementation

I. Capability-building

1. Delivery of trainings on the production of quality banana. Trainings were conducted to develop the necessary knowledge and skills as well as the attitude and values (KSAV) of agricultural technicians and farmer-cooperators to ensure the success of the project implementation. Enhancement trainings were also conducted to strengthen their KSAV. In the delivery of these trainings, a combination of participatory discussions, experiential sharings, and exposure to actual nursery and field operations were used to make learning more concrete.

2. Delivery of season-long training. A season-long training

showcasing the recommended technology on banana production was also undertaken to further develop the skills of farmer-cooperators on banana farming. It was conducted in a half hectare Lakatan farm located in Villa Gamiao, San Mateo, Isabela. About 50 farmer-cooperators were trained on field establishment, disease management, culture management, and fruit care.


II. Establishment of plant distribution scheme

The project established a plant distribution scheme to ensure the

quality of planting materials. Initially, meriplants were procured from a commercial tissue culture laboratory based in Southern Philippines. The bare-rooted meriplants were then reared in village nurseries for two to three months before field planting.

With the Banana Tissue Culture Laboratory’s capacity enhancement

through PCARRD and the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) funding, meriplants and plantlets were procured from ISU.

III. Establishment of village nurseries

Village nurseries were established in various cooperating LGUs and

farmer-cooperators’ farms. Meriplants were reared in the nurseries where they acclimatized for a period of two to three months before field planting. At the initial stage of the project, there were eight nurseries that were established to supply their own requirements for planting materials. With the nursery operations’ robustness and the potential of the banana industry in the region, two of these nurseries ventured into commercial scale. To date, these nurseries have supplied the needed demand for tissue-cultured planting materials. IV. Field establishment

Field establishment was done as soon as plantlets were ready for

planting. It was carried out on different planting dates.

V. Technical guidance and backstopping On-site visits were continually conducted to provide technical

guidance and assistance to farmer-cooperators. This was done jointly by DAR-IPO and ISU.

VI. Monitoring and Evaluation

Periodic evaluation and monitoring exercises were jointly undertaken

by the field representatives. Meetings were also conducted regularly as a feedback mechanism to monitor the status of the project. Regular field visits were also done to provide technical guidance to the farmer-cooperators.


VII. Production of IEC Materials 1. Printed materials. Through the ISU’s Extension and Training Services

and CVARRD, IEC printed materials were produced to ensure a wider dissemination of the technology. Such materials were the following A. POT for Lakatan, Latundan, Saba and Organic Bungulan

Production B. Guide on Handling and Hardening of Tissue-cultured Bananas C. “Panagpartuat iti Dippig a Saba” D. Banana Production and Entrepreneurship Training Manual

(Manual) E. Banana Production and Entrepreneurship Training Manual (CDs)

2. Publication of techno-guides/factsheets to the World Wide Web.

Through the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA) Project–Isabela CyberCommunity, several factsheets and technoguides were produced and published on the OpAPA website (www.openacademy.ph). These included:

1. Frequently Asked Questions on Banana 2. Technoguide for Saba Banana Production in Cagayan Valley 3. Technoguide for Lakatan Production in Cagayan Valley 4. Why Proper Drainage is Important in Banana Farms 5. Banana-based Farming System 6. How to Control Black “Sigatoka” 7. How to Control Banana Freckle 8. How to Diagnose and Control “Bugtok” Disease 9. How to Diagnose and Control Banana Mosaic 10. How to Diagnose and Control Banana Bract Mosaic 11. How to Diagnose and Control Banana Bunchy Top Virus Disease

3. Text BANANA on your cellphones. The mobile short messaging

system technology using mobile number +639214753011 was also tapped through the OpAPA-Isabela Cyber Community to answer queries on various aspect of banana production. From January 2007 up to September 2008, there were 420 queries received about site selection; soil and climatic requirements; planting; culture management practices; pests and disease management; postharvest; investment cost and income per hectare; and marketing. This infotext service, not only catered to Isabela farmers, but also to others outside the province and even the region.


IV. Post-Implementation and Institutionalization

A. Organization of banana growers

Banana growers were organized into the Isabela Banana Growers’ Association. The organization would serve as a support group for further development of the banana industry in the province. The association would also serve as an avenue for information or experience sharing that would enhance farmer’s capabilities.

B. Linkage of banana growers to funding agencies and market outlets

A series of meetings and consultations were conducted with funding

agencies, such as the Land Bank of the Philippines, Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation, Producers’ Bank, and Abrasa Multipurpose Cooperative. To date, Abrasa Multipurpose has been providing financial assistance to some of the growers. In the case of market outlets, a formal agreement was forged with CORDEV; and at present, CORDEV is serving as a marketing outlet for Lakatan and Bungulan cultivars.

C. Institutionalization of the project

Banana growers were organized as a sustaining mechanism. The

organization served as a support group for further development of the banana industry in the province. The association also served as an avenue for information or experience sharing that further enhanced their capabilities. The association also helped farmers on market intelligence and market-matching of their produce.

At the LGU level, the project was institutionalized through the

enactment of ordinances and as a regular program of LGUs on agricultural development. Ordinances could include policies on quarantine and the marketing system of the products.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION I. Developed component technologies that addressed gaps in production

and postproduction technologies

As a result of the various studies conducted, the following were the component technologies developed:


A. Quality and yield of bananas can be improved through application of GA3 ranging from 20 to 80 parts per million (ppm); male bud removal and GA3 application; and bunch covers usage irrespective of its color;

B. Reduction of contamination in the laboratory through proper identification of problem situations and the corresponding possible causes. Accuracy in problem identification led to determination of proper interventions or remedies. Techniques developed significantly reduced the contamination rate of cultures to at least 20 percent in the mass propagation of bananas resulting to production efficiency of quality meriplants. The cost of production was reduced from PhP9.50 to PhP5.00 per meriplant;

C. The modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal nutrient supplemented by coconut water, BA, and brassinosteroids at 4 ppm produced faster in vitro shoot proliferation, bigger meriplant pseudostem, and increased fresh weight compared with the modified MS media supplemented by coconut water and BA only. Findings showed that the interplay between the hormones BA and brassinosteroids favorably influences in vitro shoot proliferation of bananas;

D. Healthier, larger, and taller in vitro propagated bananas under

nursery conditions could be produced through the application of any of the following plant growth substances: brassinolide, vermicast, duofos, humic acid, or foliar fertilizer; and

E. Formulated ration (with banana peel at 10, 15, and 20 percent)

produced heavier sunshine chicken; faster rate of growth; increased weight gain of birds; higher return above feed and supplement cost than the commercial feeds, comparable to dressed weight with or without giblets as well as the pancreas and liver weights; and feed conversion ratio and efficiency of the birds fed with feed rations with different rates of banana peel were as efficient as those birds fed with commercial ration.

II. Established strong partnership with DAR and LGU

The project demonstrated that an academe-LGU-government

agency partnership and complementation could be established and strengthened in the cause of improving the productivity of banana smallholders. Though meager financial resource was involved, through the willingness and commitment of partners and the support of LGUs concerned


coupled with the desire of the banana smallholders to improve their plight, implementation of the project was still possible; and accomplishments were still evident. In addition, the private sector, especially lending institutions and cooperatives, still invested in the project.

A. Capability-building

Capability building activities were undertaken through the delivery of

various trainings and fora. Appropriate KSAV outlook of partner agency and LGUs, as well as of farmer-cooperators, was gradually inculcated in the capability-building process. Trainings conducted were categorized into fora, nursery management, banana production technologies, and season-long training. There were 954 farmers who benefited from these trainings from 2005-2008 and 664 from 2009-2010.

B. Areas covered per cultivar

The project exceeded its target of 17 ha. From 2005-2008, the project

covered 63 ha located in various municipalities in the province. Of these, an aggregate area of 47 ha was planted with Lakatan, 8 ha was devoted to Grand Naine and another 8 ha was planted with Latundan. In 2010 an additional 5 ha was dedicated to Lakatan in Jones and San Agustin.

In 2009-2010, the area expanded to another 38.50 ha. These radiation

areas included the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ifugao, Nueva Ecija, and Aurora.

C. Increased Number of Cooperators For the five-year implementation of the project, the number of cooperators increased. Initially, there were 60 farmer-cooperators in Isabela. With the expansion of the coverage area in Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, Ifugao, and Aurora, an additional 93 farmer-cooperators joined the project.

III. Adoption of farmer-cooperators to recommended banana production technology

In the adoption of farmer-cooperators to recommended banana production technology, 95 percent of the farmer-cooperators used tissue-cultured planting materials. This was observed among farmers that planted Lakatan and Grand Naine cultivars; while suckers were used in the establishment of Latundan orchard. However, it was noted that all of them followed the component technology on fertilizer application and removal of style, perianth, and male bud. Majority of the farmer-cooperators followed


the component technology on weeding (95 percent); stem and mat sanitation (90 percent); deleafing (90 percent); sucker pruning (80 percent); control of diseases (70 percent); and mulching (60 percent). With regard to irrigation and drainage, only 50 percent adopted the technology; while 40 percent empled the technology on bunch spraying with GA3. On the other hand, only few adopted the technology on propping (30 percent), bagging (30 percent), and control of insect pests (20percent).

IV. Increased production and income of banana smallholders

Generally, increased production and income of the farmer-cooperators were observed. For nursery operations, for a 20,000 capacity nursery, a net income of PhP332,193.00 or a return on investment (ROI) of 189.49 percent was realized.

On the other hand, the planting of bananas following the

recommended production and post-production technology showed a marked increase in both production and income of the banana smallholders. The simple cost and return analysis showed that there was a 37.03 percent and a 24.46 percent increases in production and income, respectively when the recommended technologies were followed, as compared to farmers’ existing practices.

V. Other accomplishments

As offshoots of the project, the following were accomplished during

the period under review:

A. Conducted the First Cagayan Valley Banana Stakeholders Forum from March 30-31, 2006 at ISU-Echague. This activity was conducted through the leadership of ISU-CVARRD in collaboration with PCARRD and Biodiversity International and in cooperation with the Office of Congressman Edwin C. Uy. The two-day activity focused on the identification of the status of the banana industry in the region, gaps/problems besetting the industry, and strategies that would address the identified gaps;

B. Conducted the Frist Banana Field Day and Technology Forum on October 13, 2007 at San Mateo, Isabela hosted by Eveland Christian College;

C. Cascaded the project to nearby Kalinga Province by conducting a banana stakeholder’s forum in July 2006 and entered into a multi-agency agreement involving DAR-Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), DA-CAR, CVARRD-ISU, KASC, and LGUs for the implementation of the Banana Rehabilitation Project in Kalinga.


Activities were conducted with ISU providing the technical guidance;

D. Encouraged financial- and church-based institutions (i.e., United Methodist Church) to invest in the project by providing financial assistance and/or marketing support;

E. Marketing agreement was already forged with CORDEV for the export of quality bananas;

F. Recognition of two of the adopters ([Engr. Loreto Lazaro and Col. Simeon Felipe [Ret]) 1. 2008 Gawad Saka (High Value Cash Crops [HVCC]-banana-

based category) Awardee in the Province of Isabela 2. 2008 Gawad Saka (HVCC-banana-based category) Awardee

in the Cagayan Valley Region 3. 2010 Gawad Saka (HVCC-based category) Awardee in the

Province 4. 2010 Gawad Saka (HVCC-based category) Awardee in the

Region 5. 2010 Gawad Saka (HVCC-based category) Awardee

(Second Place) in the National Level G. Garnered the 2008 Best Development Paper Award (First Place)

for Agriculture and Natural Resources held at the Hotel InterContinental Manila on November 7, 2008;

H. The accomplishment of the project was featured in Banana Asia and Pacific Network’s newsletter article for the second quarter in 2008 entitled, “A new lease on life for bananas in Northern Philippines”;

I. Bagged the 2009 PEN Outstanding Research Paper on Extension awarded during the Third National Agriculture, Fishery, Forestry, and Natural Resources Extension Symposium held at the Heritage Hotel Manila on October 14, 2009

J. Earned the Best Paper Award (First Place, Downstream Research Category) during the 18th National Fruit Symposium at the Bohol Island State University in Tagbilaran, Bohol on October 28, 2010; and

K. Got the 2010 CHED Best Higher Education Institution Research Program for Region II.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The Collaborative Banana RD&E: Enhancing the Livelihood of Banana

Smallholders in Cagayan Valley Project aimed to enhance the livelihood of banana smallholders in selected areas in Cagayan Valley. Specifically, it aimed to fine-tune developed technologies on banana production system;


crop nutrition; pests and diseases management; postharvest handling; and farmers’ practices. It also aimed to share appropriate technologies on banana production system; crop nutrition; pests and diseases management; and postharvest handling and practices through the establishment of S&T-based farms at the farmers’ level. It organized the banana growers for technology, marketing, and information assistance for the sustainability of the project. It also developed strong partnership with LGUs, the private sector, and other stakeholders in developing the banana industry.

This project was collaboratively implemented from June 2005 to

December 2010 by ISU, DAR-IPO, and selected LGUs in partnership with CVARRD, PCARRD, DA-BAR, and Bioversity International.

Participatory research approach involving the farmers was employed

in the development of locale-specific component technologies. In situ researches and studies to develop, verify, and validate appropriate technologies were undertaken.

Collaboration and network-building were utilized in the upscaling of

RD&E results. The upscaling of RD&E results was done in three stages: pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation.

At the pre-implementation stage, community mobilization;

organization of the project team; and identification of project areas and farmer-cooperators were undertaken. On the other hand, the implementation stage was characterized by the delivery of the following: capability-building; procurement of meriplants; nurseries and field establishment of tissue-cultured bananas; in situ researches to address gaps in the production of quality bananas; season-long training; provision of technical guidance and assistance; monitoring and evaluation; production of IEC materials; and linkaging of the Banana Growers Association to funding agencies and market outlets. At the post-implementation stage, institutionalization of the project as a sustaining mechanism was undertaken.

With the five-year implementation of the project, POT was fine-tuned

and additional component technologies were developed that addressed gaps in the production of quality bananas. These developed technologies included the application of GA3 to improve the yield of Lakatan and Grand Naine; and the application of brassinolide and foliar fertilizers to enhance the growth of plantlets under nursery conditions. Researches on in vitro propagation of bananas were also conducted that resulted in increased production of quality meriplants and reduced contamination; thereby, improving production efficiency and enhancing and sustaining the production of quality planting materials for Cagayan Valley. The use of


banana peelings as supplements in feed ration for poultry was also explored. Favorable results were obtained such as heavier birds; faster rate of growth; increased gain in weight of the birds; higher return above feed and supplement cost than the commercial feeds; and comparable dressed weight with or without giblets, as well as the pancreas and liver weights. In addition, the feed conversion ratio and efficiency of the birds fed with feed rations supplemented with different rates of banana peel were as efficient as those birds fed with commercial ration.

Various trainings were conducted and were categorized into: fora,

nursery management technologies, banana production technologies, and season-long training that benefited 1,618 men and women farmers. The project covered an aggregate area of 129 ha planted with Lakatan, Grand Naine, Latundan, and Bungulan banana cultivars.

Adoption of recommended technologies on banana production was

also evident, where majority of the farmer-cooperators adopted the component technology on the use of tissue-cultured planting materials 95 percent; fertilizer application (100 percent), removal of style, perianth, and male bud (100 percent); weeding (95percent); stem and mat sanitation (90 percent); deleafing (90 percent); sucker-pruning (80 percent); control of diseases (70 percent); and mulching (60 percent). With regard to irrigation and drainage, only 50 percent of them adopted the technology; while 40 percent employed the technology on bunch spraying with GA3. On the other hand, only a few adopted the technology on propping (30 percent); bagging (30 percent); and control of insect pests (20 percent).

Comparing farmers’ practices from that of the utilization of the

recommended technologies, a marked increased in the level of production and income of banana smallholders were observed with 37.03 percent and 24.46 percent, respectively. On the other hand, nursery establishment was shown to be a profitable venture with an ROI of 189.49 percent.

Moreover, the project demonstrated that a academe-LGU-

government agency partnership and complementation could be established and strengthened in the cause of improving the productivity of smallholders in the region.

It was also realized that successful project implementation required

strong collaboration/partnership of stakeholders, each having a complementary role. This was compounded by the dedication of project implementers and willingness of farmer-cooperators to adopt recommended technologies despite limited funds.


With the humble accomplishment of the project, the banana industry in the province was more or less transformed into a higher levelled livelihood of efficiency and competitiveness through improved productivity of poor banana growers supported by a strong complementation of key players of the industry.

IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. A successful project implementation requires a strong collaboration or

partnership of stakeholders, each having a complementary role to each other;

B. Dedication of project implementers and willingness of farmer-cooperators to adopt recommended technologies, despite limited funds are key ingredients for successful a project implementation; and

C. The banana industry in Cagayan Valley can be enhanced through the improvement of productivity levels and of the quality produce of banana smallholders supported by strong complementation of key players of the industry.

REFERENCES Angeles, D.E. 1986. A closer look at small-scale banana farms in the

Philippines. Farming Systems Digest, 2(1):6-7 Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, 1999, 2000, 2001. DA-BAR and PCARRD, 1999. The Philippine national program on banana

research, development and extension, DA, Manila, Philippines. DOST-MNDP. Achieving international competitiveness through technology

development and extension. DA, Manila, Philippines. Espino, R. C. 2000. Banana industry development strategies. Paper presented

during the 2nd National Banana Congress held in Butuan City on August 3-4, 2000.

Molina, A.B., V.N. Roa and M.A.G. Maghuyop.2001. Advancing banana and plantain r&d in Asia and Pacific. Vol 10. Proceedings of the 10th INIBAP-ASPNET Regional Advisory Committee meeting held at Bangkok, Thailand, 10-11 November 2000.

Temanel, B.E. 2006. POT for Lakatan production. Technology Bulletin, ISU Extension and Training Services., ISSN 1908-4536

Temanel, B.E. and F.B. Temanel. 2007. Effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) on the quality of Lakatan banana. ISU Research and Development Journal, vol.XXVI No.2 (on press)


Temanel, B.E. and F.B. Temanel. 2007. Response of banana cv Lakatan to inorganic fertilizers and brassinolide applied singly or in combination under nursery conditions. ISU Research and Development Journal, vol. XXVI No.2 (on press)

The Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc. founded on 09 September 1989 is a private, non-stock, non-profit professional organization dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the role of managers in improving and sustaining productivity in research.

The Association aims to promote the institutionalization of research management as a profession, a career, and a tool for the management and development in the science and technology sector and to catalyze the development of research management organization in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific Region. The activities of the Association include the conduct of national R&D management conventions, R&D management training courses, and regional R&D management seminars. The Association is composed of members from various government agencies (DA, DOST, DENR, and attached agencies), local government units, state colleges and universities, private agencies, non-government organizations and international institutions (from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Nepal).

PHILARM

Mailing Address:

Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc.

c/o Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources, Research and Development (PCAARRD)

Los Baños, 4030 Laguna, Philippines

Email: [email protected]

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