ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA, June 2, 2023 – With the goal of providing key tools and basic principles in community organizing for 2024 community entry, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2 in Zamboanga Peninsula conducted a two-day training on Community Assessment and Analysis using the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Approach. 

Held in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay on March 28-29, 2023, the training was facilitated by John Paul Guadalupe, Science Research Specialist (SRS) and Archer B. Pilongo, Technical Project Specialist from the DA Research Division. This was attended by 17 SAAD development workers from the Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO) as well as the Provincial Program Management Support Offices (PPMSOs) of  Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay.

In pursuit of acquiring comprehensive community study and beneficiary profile, understanding the PRA tools is a requirement upon integration phase. A booklet with nine (9) PRA tools was introduced by SRS Guadalupe to the participants. Through team-teaching, the participants learned about PRA methods such as village walk, village map, village transect, social map, timeline of events, seasonal calendar, community problem ranking, and possible solution ranking. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was also discussed during the training. 

Following the lectures, the activities facilitated PRA simulation exercises for the learners to gain better understanding on the proper utilization of PRA tools in the planning phase. The PRA conduct is a sub-component of the Social Preparation component of SAAD.

Alongside, Ms. Desiree Arriola, Agricultural Provincial Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Zamboanga Sibugay reminded the implementers to provide quality service in order to make sure that livelihood projects are suitable and appropriate for SAAD beneficiaries. “To fulfill our main objective, which is to provide quality services to the farmers, we must focus not only on what SAAD can provide them, but also on the other DA Banner and Special Programs,”expressed Ms. Arriola.

Using the knowledge acquired from the training, SAAD Zamboanga Peninsula began conducting PRA in the municipalities of Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte and Imelda in Zamboanga Sibugay. The said activity was conducted by the DA-SAAD Community Development Officers from the Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) and the staff from the Social Preparation and Program Management Unit of the Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO).###

Writer: Aimee Lou D. Madjus, DA-SAAD Region 9 Information Officer