The summit focused on assessing farmer experiences, validating project monitoring findings, and identifying strategies to strengthen natural farming practices in New Lucena. The program featured discussions on Project KAPISAN’s implementation, farmer-led practices, and the gaps between training and actual field application.

Key activities included video presentations and a roundtable discussion featuring seven KAPISAN farmer-practitioners, participatory evaluation of monitoring findings, and the identification of promising practices, farmer-mentors, and potential learning and demonstration sites. Participants also mapped technical, organizational, financial, policy, and institutional support needed to advance natural farming in the municipality.

The summit concluded with a visioning session and the development of a KAPISAN Natural Farming Action Agenda outlining priority actions, responsibilities, timelines, follow-up mechanisms, and monitoring commitments.

Through collaboration among farmers, academic institutions, local government, and agricultural stakeholders, Project KAPISAN seeks to translate field-based experiences into coordinated action toward positioning New Lucena as a model municipality for natural farming.

Held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the activity aimed to strengthen faculty members’ understanding of university extension processes and encourage greater participation in extension projects in support of the college’s performance targets.

The orientation was organized following consultations with the COD Dean regarding the college’s FY 2026 PREXC-E targets, which highlighted the need to enhance faculty members’ familiarity with extension project development, implementation, and their contribution to institutional goals.

The session covered the university’s extension processes and the UEDC Statement of Intent (SOI), extension proposal procedures and templates, PREXC-E targets for FY 2026 and FY 2027, the latest status of accomplishments, and the university’s strategic indicators and targets for 2027.

A key component of the activity was the discussion on third-party impact evaluation led by Dr. Becodo. He outlined five sets of documentary requirements for extension projects: governance, approvals, and compliance; implementation evidence; financial and resources documentation; monitoring, evaluation, and results documentation; and stakeholder, partnership, and sustainability documentation. The discussion emphasized the importance of maintaining complete and organized records to demonstrate project implementation, results, and impact.

Dr. Becodo also facilitated a discussion on situational analysis, presenting examples of potential research-based extension programs. The session highlighted the importance of identifying community needs and using research evidence to develop relevant and sustainable extension initiatives.

The activity was attended by COD faculty members led by Dean Dr. Liza Assumpta M. Jover and Extension Coordinator Dr. Paulett Marie B. Pamonag. The UEDC Director and staff members—Colyn, Rona, Catheren, and Fe Seta—also participated in the activity.

Through the orientation, UEDC sought to equip COD faculty members with the knowledge and guidance necessary to engage more actively in extension work, strengthen project documentation and evaluation, and align college initiatives with the university’s extension mandate and performance commitments.

The University Extension and Development Center (UEDC) conducted a Baseline Assessment for Impact Evaluation Readiness for Project Meat and Grit: Herbal Preservatives on Processed Meat as Opportunity for Sustainable Livelihood on October 7, 2026, at Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz, Iloilo City.

UEDC staff gathered baseline information from the community to support the assessment of the project’s outcomes and potential impact.

The project explores the use of herbal preservatives in processed meat while promoting opportunities for sustainable livelihood and community enterprise development. The baseline assessment will provide essential data for monitoring project progress, measuring outcomes, and evaluating its effectiveness and sustainability.

The activity highlights WVSU’s continuing commitment to research-driven extension initiatives that respond to community needs and translate innovation into meaningful livelihood opportunities.

BEFORE THE HARVEST. Farmer-leader Rodrigo Dominguez stands beside his maturing rice crop on his 1.4-hectare farm in New Lucena, Iloilo, before harvest. The field later produced 225 sacks of freshly harvested palay at approximately 50 kilograms per sack, equivalent to about 11.25 metric tons in actual fresh harvest weight. Photo by Pilar P. Dominguez.

NEW LUCENA, Iloilo — Two hundred twenty-five sacks of freshly harvested palay from a 1.4-hectare farm. At approximately 50 kilograms per sack, farmer-leader Rodrigo Dominguez recorded about 11.25 metric tons of fresh palay in his latest harvest.

This is not Dominguez's first substantial harvest. In a previous cropping, he harvested 280 sacks at approximately 45 kilograms each, equivalent to about 12.6 metric tons of fresh palay, or 252 sacks when expressed at 50 kilograms per sack.

So, what is Rodrigo doing on his farm?

Dominguez practices natural farming and uses KEMAS, KAPISAN Foliar, and KAPISAN Pesticides, natural farming products of Project KAPISAN. His harvest, however, should not be attributed to these products alone. Many factors affect rice production, including land preparation, crop management, weather, soil and water conditions, and pest management.

Instead, Rodrigo's experience offers fellow farmers an opportunity to see, ask, compare, and learn.

An active farmer-leader, Dominguez generously shares his farming experience with others. Under Project KAPISAN, he has served as a practitioner and farmer-scientist, helping fellow farmers learn about natural farming principles, natural inputs, farm planning, and actual farm practices.

His experience carries a simple invitation: Come and see. Ask. Learn. Then decide what may work on your own farm.

Project KAPISAN is an extension initiative of the Division of Development Communication, College of Communication, West Visayas State University, working with farmers and community partners in New Lucena to strengthen natural farming practices, preparation and use of natural inputs, farm planning, and farmer-to-farmer learning.

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Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI continues to strengthen its engagement with State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in advancing social welfare and development through research, community extension, capacity building, and policy development.

As a follow-up to the Third Quarter Meeting of the Regional Independent Monitoring Committee (RIMC) held online on August 19, 2026, the 4Ps team of DSWD Field Office VI convened with representatives of the University Extension and Development Center (UEDC) to further explore areas of collaboration and complementation that may contribute to the continuing enhancement of 4Ps implementation.

The meeting focused on several proposed collaborative initiatives, including the development of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) delineating areas of complementation between DSWD and the university; the potential adoption of the College Survival Toolkit developed by Dr. Baby Rose Robles; and the policy proposal of Dr. Elias Olapane concerning the continuation of the Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) and the provision of additional grants for tertiary education.

In relation to the proposed MOA, the participants discussed mechanisms for strengthening resource complementation, including possible cost-sharing and counterparting arrangements with local government units (LGUs) in identified target communities. The proposed agreement also includes the adoption of the College Survival Toolkit as a potential resource for the training and capacity development of DSWD 4Ps personnel, particularly case managers. The integration of an evidence-informed educational support resource into staff development is expected to enhance the capacity of program implementers in responding to the academic and developmental needs of beneficiaries.

The policy proposal on the continuation of ESGPPA was likewise discussed as a potential mechanism for sustaining educational support for qualified beneficiaries pursuing tertiary education. The proposal will undergo further refinement to strengthen its policy and programmatic basis. A corresponding resolution will also be prepared to mobilize institutional and stakeholder support toward its consideration and potential adoption.

The collaborative discussions reflect the shared commitment of DSWD and SUCs to harness academic expertise, research, and community-based knowledge in strengthening social protection interventions. Through sustained institutional collaboration, the partners seek to promote evidence-informed approaches, enhance the capacity of program implementers, and contribute to policy initiatives that address the educational and socioeconomic needs of 4Ps beneficiaries.

The initiative further underscores the role of higher education institutions as partners in social development, particularly in translating research and academic expertise into responsive community interventions and policy recommendations. Continued collaboration between DSWD, SUCs, LGUs, and other stakeholders may provide opportunities for more integrated and sustainable approaches to social welfare and development in the region.