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A CFTU Network activity
funded by the Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development (ALO)and US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

 
       
 
 
 
 
 
 

THEME #2
Building Institutional Capacity

- Project #3-
Enhancement of Community-Based NRM in Cienda Watershed, Baybay, Leyte

      Project Leader: Dr. Victor B. Asio


• Project Summary • Objectives
• Outputs/Results • Documents

PROJECT SUMMARY

This research focused on enhancing the capability of the Cienda-San Vicente Farmers Association (CSVFA) to protect and manage the Cienda watershed through skills training on natural resources inventory, alternative livelihood activities, and through actual collection and interpretation of data on the tree, wildlife and soil resources of the watershed. The watershed is part of the Community-based Forest Management (CBFM) area awarded to the community by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in January 2000.

Based on the needs and priorities of the community, the research team organized, for the farmers and youth members of CSVFA, an integrated participatory training on tree/timber, wildlife and soil inventories and another follow-up training focusing on the same topics but conducted in another portion of the watershed. The trainings not only trained the farmers and some youth members on resource inventory, but these also resulted in the collection of considerable amount of data on the natural resources of the watershed by the farmers themselves. Thus, the trainings created awareness among the farmers of the existence and importance of the resources of their watershed.

Regarding livelihood activities, the research team organized a seminar on ornamental and flowering plants production which was participated in by the housewives and youth members of the community. In addition, a field trial on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) was conducted by the leader of the association so that the farmers can increase their income from their small rice farms in the lowland. Results of the trial impressed the farmers since it clearly showed the superiority of SRI in increasing rice yield compared to the conventional method of rice production employed by the farmers.

Based on the request of the community, a seminar on first-aid was organized which focused on managing injuries and injured persons, insect and snake bites and first-aid for common illnesses and diseases. This was considered a top priority by the farmers and their wives considering the inherent danger in working in the forest especially when they have local and foreign visitors to guide into the forest, and due to the far distance to the hospital and clinics in the town of Baybay.

Finally, the research was able to collect and interpret great amount of primary data on the tree/timber, wildlife, and soil resources of the watershed. Before this ALO research, very little information was available on the above-mentioned resources of the Cienda watershed. Now the association can use the data to design strategies for the sustainable management of the watershed primarily in relation to the CBFM award. The data will also be of tremendous value for the ecotourism activities of the association.

The research team believes that this small ALO research in Cienda has greatly enhanced the capacity of the Cienda farmers to manage and protect their watershed. It was thus able to accomplish the objective of the research.

 

OBJECTIVES

 
  • To enhance the community’s capability to protect and manage the natural resources in the watershed through skills training on tree, wildlife and soil inventory and through improved livelihood projects.
  • To conduct an inventory of the tree and wildlife species and soil resources in the Cienda watershed through farmer participatory approach.

OUTPUTS/RESULTS

  • Based on the suggestions of the members of the community, the trainings on tree, wildlife and soil resources inventory were combined into an integrated participatory training. The first training on October 21-25, 2003 included a one-day lecture in the training hall of CSVFA followed by four days of field work in the CBFM area. A total of 35 CSVFA farmers actively participated (25 farmers and 10 youth members).

    For the soil inventory, the farmers who joined this group were taught on simple ways to evaluate soil productivity and soil-related problems. They were also taught on how to collect soil and water samples for laboratory analysis. Soil data from laboratory analyses are important for the sustainable management of the watershed as well as for ecotourism purposes. During the two trainings, the farmers had collected about 120 soil samples from various portions of the CBFM area including the summits of the mountain ranges. The samples were brought to the Pedology and Geo-ecology Laboratory at the Leyte State University for chemical analysis.

  • The follow-up training on May 1-8, 2004 basically followed the same strategy but involved only 15 farmers. As in the first training, the farmers did data collection on tree, wildlife and soil resources of the watershed.

  • The one-day seminar on First Aid that was organized on March 18, 2004 focused on managing injuries and injured persons, managing insect and snake bites, first aid for common illnesses and disease prevention. The seminar involved lectures and demonstrations. Another seminar on ornamental and flowering plants production was held the following day (March 19, 2004). About 20 farmers and housewives attended the one-day training held at the CSVFA Training Hall.
  • The field trial on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) was held from March to June 2004. SRI is a new technology of producing lowland rice developed by a French priest in Madagascar and now being promoted by CIIFAD of Cornell University. The technology involves modification of the management practices like distance of planting, number of seedlings to be planted, modification of water regime and the use of manure instead of the chemical fertilizers. The field trial was conducted by the chairman of the board of directors of CSVFA in his farm. It involved two adjacent plots, one was for the “conventional method” and the other plot was for SRI. The conventional method employed the modern farming method used by the farmers in the locality which involves the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, 21-day old seedling at 3-4 seedlings per hill and the continuous submergence of the soil until a few weeks before harvest. Results of the trial revealed that SRI was superior to the conventional method in terms of plant height, herbage yield, root volume, number of tillers, panicle length, number of filled grains and weight of seeds. Moreover, the plants in the SRI plot were not damaged by the typhoon while in the conventional plot, almost all of the plants lodged due to the typhoon. The four-month participatory field trial on SRI was seen by the farmers as successful (based on the large yield increase observed).
  • A great amount of data on the tree and wildlife species as well as soils of the watershed were gathered during the participatory trainings and related activities. These data will be vital for the management, protection and ecotourism promotion of the watershed by the CSVFA. (For more information see the documents below)

DOCUMENTS

Asio, Victo B., T.M. Patindol and E. Nasayao. 2005. Enhancement of Community-Based NRM in Cienda Watershed, Baybay, Leyte: ALO Project Report. College of Agriculture, Leyte, State University. 15 p.

Other documents associated with the above report:
• Morphological characteristics of soils in a catena near the bunk house in the protected area. Table 2. 5 p.

• Some agronomic and yield parameters of rice as influenced by SRI and conventional production methods. Table 1. 1 p.

• 2004. Lists of fauna recorded in Cienda Watershed, Baybay, Leyte, c. 2004. Table 8-10. 2 p.

• Cienda project pnoto documentation. 5 p. (9MB!)