LEYTE, January 22, 2024 – Efficient implementation of rural development projects in poverty-stricken communities relies heavily on thorough community study and meticulous project planning. With this, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Eastern Visayas conducted a training on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) for its technical and field implementers. 

Personnel from SAAD Eastern Visayas Regional and Provincial Project Management Support Offices and staff from the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) attended the training at the Visayas State University (VSU) – Tolosa Campus from November 7 to 10, 2023.

Ms. Ferlynn Basanez, SAAD Operations, Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, and Evaluation (OPBME) Lead Officer and one of the resource speakers, emphasized that the four-day activity helped SAAD development workers understand PRA as a tool for problem analysis, solution identification, and project planning within a community context. 

She also expressed her hope that the participants would internalize this knowledge and apply it to contribute to SAAD’s success in developing impactful projects that uplift the beneficiaries.

The PRA component is an integral part of the Social Preparation component of SAAD. It imparts essential principles, tools, and techniques to community developers, enabling them to precisely identify deserving communities and beneficiaries eligible for SAAD assistance and interventions through research methods.

PRA utilizes a social research approach in rural development work, involving local communities in the planning and decision-making processes. This empowers communities to take charge of their own progress by actively participating in the assessment of their needs, resources, and priorities.

To put the learnings of the training into action, a PRA on-site simulation was conducted on November 9, with the participation of 25 members of the Haiyan Farmers’ Association in Brgy. Canmogsay, Tolosa, Leyte. This practical application served as a precursor to the actual implementation of PRA next year, with a focus on identifying the communities most deserving of SAAD interventions.

Equipped with the knowledge gained from the training, development workers of SAAD Eastern Visayas are ready to conduct a series of PRA activities for farmers across the region this January to March in preparation for beneficiary expansion in the FY 2024 implementation. ###

Writer: Lester Mark A. Lora, DA-SAAD Eastern Visayas Information Officer