Project KASAMA: KAunlaran SA paMAyanan

A livelihood-related community development project for the Coastal Community of

Maydolong Eastern Samar (Pilot Project).

Introduction:

The socioeconomic situation of a community is affected by a conglomeration of factors.

Aside from political, demographics, societal, and cultural influences, natural factors, specifically,
geographical have crucial effects on how people live their lives in a certain community. Simply
speaking, it is a combination of nature and nurture, the natural and the synthetic.
In the Philippines, there is an overwhelming challenge of high poverty incidence,
increasing cases of teenage pregnancy, rampancy of gender discrimination, high incidence of
Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), and issues related to environmental pollution.
Aside from that, due to its geographical location, the Philippines is known to be vulnerable to a
variety of natural hazards. As a matter of fact, the country is well acquainted to the occurrence of
typhoons recording an average of more than 20 typhoons per years as per PAGASA. The disaster
that results from this natural hazard further entrenches the existing challenge of poverty,
malnutrition, and health hazards.
Over the years, the Philippine government had formulated interventions to further
improve the quality of life of the people living in its periphery – such as those living in urban
poor areas and rural areas. Along with this, Non-Government Organizations are also keen on
helping these communities develop in all aspects of society. However, due to unprecedented
global events, problems, issues and challenges still cloud community development platforms for
such areas.
With livelihood sources being one of the most pressing problems in poor communities in
the Philippines, it is important that interventions cater to this area. Livelihood sources provide for
the daily sustenance of families, when family members are well-provided with proper food and
nutrition, they are able to assume their daily tasks. For instance, student family-members are able
to do well in school and they absorb the proper and quality education that they deserve. Similarly
speaking, when adult family members are well provided with proper nutrition, they are able to do
well in their respective employments. Thus, making livelihood one of the most important aspect
in a community.
This project proposal introduces a novel way to approach the problem of lack of
sustainable livelihood opportunities for coastal communities. In here, they are urged to diversify
into the area of agriculture. It is a common fact that coastal communities rely on marine
resources for livelihood. Although this is legal and common, some livelihood practices involving
marine life, if not controlled lead to overconsumption of natural resources. Governments as well
as non-government organizations adhere to the Sustainable Development Goals, but, it cannot be
denied that one is often looked upon with more importance than others. This project looks at one
of those underrated SDGs with higher regard – the importance of SDG no. 14: Life Below
Water.
Why is it important to give due significance to SDG 14? Simple, according to the United
Nations Development Program, the world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and
life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. The management of this
vital resource is crucial for humanity as a whole as it could counterbalance the effects of climate
change.
Currently, there are over three billion people who depend on marine and coastal
biodiversity for livelihood. However, we are presently seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish
stocks overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.
Apart from that, oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide released by humans,
and we are now seeing a 26% rise in ocean acidification since the start of the industrial
revolution, thus marine pollution is considered even more rampant.
This project probes around a possible intervention to take better care of the ocean and the
life below water.

Overall purpose/Objectives of the Project

It is important to note that development in the countryside of the Philippines is with large
deviation that that of those located in Metro Cities. There are more employment opportunities in
urban areas compared to rural areas and because of this, a significant number of workforces
move to urban areas coming from these rural areas (Quisimbing, 2005). Apart from this, most of
the workers in the country also opt to work outside the Philippines for better work opportunities.
Aside from the fact that this causes a vital divide in terms of the availability of manpower, this
also hinders further development of poor areas, this is even more so for those in the coastal areas.
One of the present interventions of the Philippine government to provide citizens with
means of sustenance is through the provision of financial assistance. This means, however, is
often seen as a band-aid solution in combatting the strongly entrenched issue of poverty
incidence as it is viewed to be unsustainable. With that, it is material that interventions are not
only meant to survive in the long run but are also inclined to what the community really needs.
This project looks at the potential of these residents into the field of agriculture through
providing them with an additional livelihood strategy to lessen their dependence on marine
environment. Specifically, the expected outcomes of this project are as follows:
Objective no. 1. To be able to introduce to coastal communities the idea of
vegetable and crop growing as an alternative livelihood;
 Objective no. 2. To ensure that all beneficiaries are equipped with the necessary
skills and are provided the necessary tools for vegetable and crop growing;
Objective no. 3. To monitor each beneficiary with regards to the progress of their
alternative livelihood;
Objective no. 4. To make this form of livelihood sustainable for these
beneficiaries.

Vision Statement:
To establish a sustainable livelihood program in the area of agriculture in the coastal
community of Maydolong.
Mission Statement:
To ensure the protection of Life Below Water from overexploitation.

Situation Analysis
Eastern Samar lies along the Philippine Sea. Hence, it is unsurprising that most of the
municipalities in the province have their respective coastal barangays. The Municipality of
Maydolong is not an exemption to this. In order to identify the necessary project needed by the
said community for their development, the problem analysis conducted started at identifying the
overriding problem and establishing the causes and effects related to that problem. With that, it
was found that one of the main causes of overexploitation of marine resources in the community
is due to the fact that it is the main source of livelihood that the residents have. The fact that
there is a very limited source as well as opportunities of other forms of livelihood, magnifies the
need to educate the community members with regards to the negative effects of marine
exploitation, as well as to introduce to them other forms of livelihood sources.
Upon surveying and interviewing the residents, it was found that most of them have spare
lands in yard or owns idle lands in the interior barangays. Hence, the proponents of this project
sought to make use of these land forms to be used as livelihood sources.

Logical Framework

Vulnerability Context
 Marine resource
exploitation; Livelihood Assets
Livelihood Program
 Limited sources  Manpower;
 Crop farming
and  Land and vegetable
opportunities availability; growing
for livelihood;  Farm labor
 Lack of skill and
experience
Methods and Strategies
The methods to implement this project and to attain the general and the specific
objectives laid out on three specific parts: information dissemination, project implementation,
and post-project monitoring.
Information Dissemination. This part deals with the primary tasks of the project
without which the general objective would not be attained. It involves mobilization of
coastal residents in an attempt to inform and educate them with regards to the Sustainable
Development Goals or in particular, the area within which this project is rooted on.
Specifically, this will involve symposiums, orientation, and seminars as part of
disseminating information and at the same time educating the residents with regards to
the importance of marine life.
Project Implementation. This involves the actual implementation process
wherein the residents are now aware of the necessity of preserving marine ecology.
Hence, they shall now be introduced to the alternative livelihood of vegetable and crop
growing.
Project implementation shall be divided into three parts: orientation, crop
farming test, and actual crop farming.
1. Orientation - With the help of experts in agriculture and crop farming, an
orientation shall be conducted to the residents of the said coastal area. The
beneficiaries will mainly be those fisherfolks, their wives, or those teenagers
of legal age who are willing to engage in crop farming. The orientation shall
include the dissemination of knowledge with regards to the basics of crop
farming which will include: land preparation, crop operations, and weeding.
Keeping in mind, however, that the land available for farming that the
residents have are of small scale.
a. Land preparation – This considered as the first operation in making
sure that crops can achieve the best yields. It is imperative that plants
are provided with the best soil conditions for their development. A
seedbed should be equipped with the right nutrients and conditions that
can allow, first of all, seed sprouting and then the establishment of
crops for its later development. Conventionally, this has previously
been done with aggressive customs such as ploughing, slash, burning,
and others. However, such practices are not only unsustainable in the
long run, but are also labor intensive, especially in low mechanized
contexts, and became a burden for small-scale farmers that have to
prepare seed beds manually with basic tools. As such, new techniques
 involving easier land preparation are slowly being introduced to
farmers;
b. Crop preparations – The performance of crop growing depends on
several factors which includes seeding and weeding. Also, the
adequate rate of seeding, spacing between seeds, as well as placement
are crucial for proper development of crop. This can also be influenced
by soil conditions and cropping system. Thus, these matters need to be
vitally considered;
c. Weeding – Weeding is also an important part of crop production. It
should be conducted at critical times in order to avoid the
establishment of weeds and thereby result to crop damage.
The basics of crop farming presented above are crucial for the knowledge and
understanding of the prospected beneficiaries. Hence, it is important that all of
them are discussed and are well demonstrated during the orientation process.
2. Crop farming test – During this phase of the program, the beneficiaries are
given the tools and equipment they need and are to be tasked to perform the
procedures of crop growing and farming based on the learnings they garnered
in the orientation process. In this part, the beneficiaries are thoroughly guided
by the crop farming experts to evaluate if they are able to stand on their own.
In this phase, errors and mishaps can still be corrected by the agricultural
experts. So that actual crop farming may not put too much of a pressure to the
beneficiaries.
3. Actual crop farming – The actual crop farming shall take place after the
orientation and crop farming test. Actual crop farming involves the real
application of the beneficiaries of the techniques and skills they have gathered
after the series of orientation and practical testing that they have experienced.

Post-project Monitoring. This is an important addition to the whole process of

providing a sustainable livelihood program to prospected beneficiaries. Most of the time,
livelihood programs are only to the extent of the actual implantation process and post-
monitoring is not that prioritized. In this program, post-project monitoring is a crucial
part as it will ensure the success and the sustainability of the project itself. Post-project
monitoring is meant to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in realizing the proposed
benefits as laid out in the beginning of the project.
Organizational Setup of Project Implementors

Project Timetable
Year 2024
Project Phase Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Orientation
Project
implementation
Post-project
monitoring

The table above shows the project timetable. Basically, it presents the timeline to which
each of the three phases shall be implemented. The first phase is the orientation process which is
to be implemented on the first two months of the year 2024. The reason for such is to give ample
time to for the beneficiaries to be oriented and be aware of the basic skills and strategies for crop
farming and growing.
Meanwhile, the project implementation phase ranges from March-July, project
implementation shall involve the three sub-phases aforementioned in the above sections. This
shall be followed by the post-project monitoring which shall thoroughly be done in order to
ensure the success and sustainability of the program.

Proposed Budget Plan

Project Phase Cost
Orientation
*includes…
 Cost of venue 500,000.00
 Food and accommodation
 Honorarium for agricultural experts
Project Implementation
*includes…
 Tools and equipment 2,000,000.00
 Seeds for crop and vegetable farming
 Honorarium for the assistance of
agricultural experts
Post-project implementation
*includes
 Project monitoring and evaluation 100,000.00
 Continued assistance of project
implementor and agricultural expert
(until they can stand on their own)
Total 2,600,000.00

Prepared by:

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