The UPLB-Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (UPLB-INREM) and Isabela State University (ISU) conducted their second leg of data gathering in Isabela province from May 28 to June 7, 2024.
This is part of the capacity needs assessment activity of the project, “Modelling CIS Application in the Agriculture and Fisheries Sector Through Tripartite Collaborations in Region II, Northern Philippines.”
For the first part of the two-week field activity, the UPLB-INREM project team, represented by Dr. Rose Jane Peras, Aileen Peria, Marielle Baliwag, and Lyra Puno, trained 10 ISU staff and college students to be enumerators. The activity introduced the scientific approach in enumerator training and centered on using KoboCollect, an open-source software that makes data gathering and analysis more efficient.
Right after the enumerators’ training, the project team conducted surveys in several municipalities of Isabela – Alicia, Aurora, Cauayan, Echague, Ilagan, Ramon, San Mariano, and San Mateo through the assistance of their respective Municipal Agriculture Office or MAO. These surveys gathered additional information on the capacity and needs of farmers and fisherfolk.
The project team also held a focus group discussion (FGD) with fisherfolk in the Dinapigue Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) for the second week. The FGD revealed how fisherfolks are affected by climate change and how they use climate information services (CIS) in daily livelihood activities. After the FGD, a representative from the MAO accompanied the project team in conducting the household surveys at the different barangays and sitios.
The capacity needs assessment of different stakeholders in Isabela is one of the activities under Output 2, “Tripartite Capacity Enhancement,” which enhances the capacities of selected national and regional agencies, state universities and colleges, farmers, and fisherfolks, and other key players in the CIS process.
(Aileen Simondac-Peria, Lyra Mae Puno, and Marielle Baliwag)
This article was originally posted at the UPLB News Site here.
