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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 #4-
Setting Local Development Agenda: Explorations in People's Participation

  Project Leaders: Dr. Edwin Balbarino and Mr. Rudy Trangia


• Project Summary • Objectives
• Outputs/Results • Documents

PROJECT SUMMARY

The project “Setting Local Agenda: Exploration in Peoples Participation” was implemented in three sites in the Visayas, one in Cebu and two in Leyte.  The main objective of the project was to describe how local people in small communities identify and prioritize community problems and how they work together to solve the problem. The sites were characterized using participatory methodologies. The community people identified their needs and prioritized the problems according to importance and urgency for solution.  In both sites in Leyte, the project identified by the people was the construction of drinking water reservoir. The project was decided upon by all the sectors in the community.  In Cebu, the project was a training of  high school students on natural resource management. In all the study sites, the processes involved in planning and implementing the projects were documented and analyzed.  Some of the project impacts included: local leadership development, the completion of the project that solve the problem of the people,  enhancement of the capacity of the people to solve their own problems, linkages established by the community, and university student learning of rural development principles and practices.

OBJECTIVES
General: The project will try to study how a typical Philippine rural community if assisted will set their own development agenda and how the people take actions to realize their plans.

Specifically, it aimed to:
  • Characterize the bio-physical and socio-economic condition of the selected rural communities as study sites.
  • Describe how local people in a small community set their own development agenda and priorities accounting for and addressing difference among different sectors of the community
  • Illustrate how the community people look for solutions of the identified problem and carry-out activities for the accomplishment of community project plan.
  • Analyse the process of community–based project planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

RESULTS

  • The project “ Setting Local Agenda: Explorations in Peoples’ Participation” was implemented in three sites in the Visayas, one in Badian, Cebu and two in Leyte in the towns of Baybay and Inopacan. The selection of the sites followed some criteria which include distance, accessibility and potentials of the people’s involvement in natural resource management.

  • Two of the sites were characterized using participatory rural appraisal tools.  The problems of the community were identified, deliberated and prioritized by the people themselves.  Decisions as to what project to implement, how and when to implement it were made through community consensus involving all the sectors of the community. Some of the problems identified were related to low income and employment, lack of community services and facilities, and problem on community unity.

  • In Cebu , the project activities focused in conducting trainings for high school students on soil and water conservation and agroforestry while both study sites in Leyte, dealt on the community project of drinking water. The problem on drinking water came out as the most serious problem in both communities that needs immediate attention.

  • The people through the implementation of the project got the very simple message that that they are capable of planning and implementing projects to answer community needs.   Before the project, the people never assembled in a meeting as a community. Participating in group discussions and planning sessions has brought personal   satisfaction and confidence on the part of the people.  Bringing the voice to be heard by the government is another big accomplishment of the people.

  • The community people gained the attention of the Barangay and municipal leadership to support their project plan.  Part of the training of the community was to make a simple letter of request for support. The community received materials for the completion of their project.  The sitio plan was able to link with the plan of the barangay chairman for community projects under his administration.

  • A group of students from LSU learned the basic principles and practices in participatory project planning, implementation and evaluation from the  project.  The group who were enrolled in Agricultural Extension courses handled by the project staff acquired firsthand field experiences by participating in the  community activities

DOCUMENTS

2005. Setting Local Agenda: Explorations in People’s Participation. the Farm and Resource Management Institute and Mag-uugmad Foundation Incorporated,Leyte State University, Visca, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines. 25 p.
(Documents associated with the above report are:

   •Cover
   •List of contents
   •Executive summary
   •Project leaders and agencies
   •Introduction and objectives
   •Social map of Caloocan
   •Results and discussion
   •Lessons learned and recommendations
   •Appendix A: Project sites summary
   •Appendix D: Caloocan census