ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, February 14, 2024 – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Zamboanga Peninsula conducted a refresher training on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to reinforce the skills of its development workers in community engagement, data collection, and interpretation. 

The three-day training took place from January 30 to February 1 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, and was attended by 21 participants consisting of 10 Community Development Officers from Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay, three Social Preparation and Program Management Officers, two Information Technology and Database Development Officers, one Public Relations and Development Communication Officer, two Food and Livelihood Production Officers, and three Administrative staff. 

PRA, as a bottom-up approach, prioritizes community participation and involvement in all stages of the development process, recognizing their valuable knowledge about local needs and available resources. 

Mr. John Paul Guadalupe, Science Research Specialist II from the Research Division, served as the resource speaker, focusing on interpreting PRA data to enhance the critical thinking skills of the participants for effective decision-making in community development projects and programs. 

During the training, each participant engaged in a workshop to synthesize and analyze the data collected in the PRA activity conducted in 2023 for the 19 barangays covered under the FY 2024 SAAD program implementation. The participants used the PRA guidelines provided by the SAAD National Program Management Office to generate PRA results, which were then submitted to the SPPM Unit for consolidation. 

Ms. Marisol Opinio, the SPPM Unit Lead, highlighted that the capacity-building and skill enhancement through PRA for implementers is a proactive and strategic approach to ensure the success and sustainability of livelihood projects managed by farmers’ associations in the region. 

Equipped with the knowledge and skills acquired from the training, the DA-SAAD 9 is now prepared to empower communities and conduct PRA activities in its target areas across the three provinces from February 13 to March 8, 2024, as part of the 2025 implementation. ###

Writer: Ellaine L. Quiamco, DA-SAAD 9 Regional Information Officer