Show and Tell: Identifying community problems through community maps
“Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems.”
But what if not knowing the problem at the first place is the real problem? How to get solutions if at that very first stage it has already been tagged with glitches?
The first statement above was a quote by Anthony J. D’Angelo, an American author and the founder of an organization called Collegiate Empowerment. His biography shows that he went to Mid-Atlantic to interview over 5,000 college students and 1,000 university professionals. It was said that his goal was to know what college students were missing. After six months, he found the answer: "Most college students go to college and get a degree, but not an education."
Most people, when encountered with problems, overthinks on how to get the solution to their problems in the best way possible. In Medina, a little piece of land yet agriculturally-rich municipality of Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, the case is different yet new.
Through the help of the Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) of Xavier University and the participation of the whole municipality of Medina, a project was conducted in 2012 to strengthen the capacity of local communities in Medina, Misamis Oriental through an understanding of various services and programs of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Medina.
The non-technical tool
In order to achieve the goal of the project, one of the methods used by XSF, with Ma. Theresa M. Rivera as the Project Director, is the participatory community mapping. It is an approach in which it enable community participants to identify and analyze community needs through information based on the people’s actual experiences as they make their own area map.
As the technical assistant of the project and Agricultural Engineering instructor, Engr. Mark Sabines led the community mapping method. “So ang buhatun nila, i-map nila ilang lugar sa ilang barangay… (naa’y) dalan, balay daun ipakita daun nila didto ang mga lain-lain na mga problema sa barangay or issue or unsa ilang gusto na mahitabo na projects na buhatun”, he said.
The activity was participated by various Barangay leaders of the sitios and puroks of the total 19 barangays of the municipality. The participants were chosen through a criteria made by the XSF before they get involve on the activity. One of the requisites in selecting a participant was one must be a longtime resident of the Barangay who is familiar with the history, topography and assets/resources of the barangay.
So what’s the difference with the community map with any other ordinary maps?
“Ang kalahian nila sa technical na map labi na (sa) mga gabuhatun sa gobyerno, nay mga sukod gyud, mga scale. Makita nimo dira na mga mapa kay nay boundary, nay scale bar, insakto gyud iyang mga sukod niya. Pero ang kuan (kalahian) lugar niya, walay participation sa pagbuhat niya. And ang community map, dili siya scale kay drawing lage siya. Kung unsa ka mag-drawing sa kinder hangutod karon kay ingun ana gyud, as is. Pero nay mga experiences ug mga kasinatian or kanang indigenous knowledge lugar nila, community knowledge nga sila ray nakabalo pero na-express nila through drawing”, Sabines said.
In addition, Sabines shared the process partaken by the participants as they make the community map. “Kini siya, simple ra gyud kayo kay nay paper, gisumpay sumpay, then gitakluban dayun siya ug acetate or plastic cellophane then didto na sila mag-drawing. So, sila ray mag-drawing. Wala silay guide, mag-drawing lang gyud sila”, he added.
After the map has been completed, it will then be processed for the second component of the method which is the 3D mapping. Such method is done by having a photo taken of the map since its size is so large and difficult to fix. Then, the map will be digitalized in the Geographic Information System (GIS) office which will display a digitized version of the lines, houses, trees, and all that’s in the map.
The major findings
Generally, after conducting surveys and undergoing through the community map methods, the project has revealed the socioeconomic status and the local government services availed by the people of Medina.
Specifically, both the coastal and upland barangays in Medina get their source of livelihood through planting coconut, banana, and rice. In upland barangays, people who are employed are company workers while in the coastal barangays, employment varies from Government worker, factory worker, barangay officer, pension holder, company worker, driver, OFW, to helper. In the coastal barangay, their other source of livelihood is through sari-sari store, poultry, and food processing. In upland barangays, they engage in poultry, piggery, and pig fattening.
In addition, problems related to the aforementioned source of livelihood were also determined. In the coastal barangays, few of their problems are capital, low salary, lack of fishing equipment, and unstable jobs. Whereas in upland barangays, they are having challenges with fertilizers, farm to market road, and crop diseases such as aphids for Lanzones and bugtok for banana.
Also, LGU programs that helped the communities were identified. In the coastal barangays, some of the LGU programs were financial assistance, Philhealth, toilet bowl distribution, scholarship, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), feeding program, and communal and backyard gardening. In the upland barangays, they were assisted with LGU programs such as road construction, livelihood programs, food terminal, solar drier, and also the 4Ps.
As livelihood problems were identified in the municipality, suggestions and solutions were given. In the coastal barangays, it is suggested to have more jobs, increase the salary, a need for skills training, and also provide equipment for fishing. On the other hand, it is suggested in the upland barangays to have livelihood programs, Activity for Out of School Youth, road constructions, Pahina (volunteer work), and additional capital for the cooperative.
Furthermore, suggestions for the development of the barangay were also provided. For the coastal barangays, some of the suggestions were implementation of Zero Waste Management, budget allocation for damage seawalls, proper drainage, and provide assistance for livelihood. For the upland barangays, it is suggested to have construction of centers in the barangays, budget allotment for roads and water supply, bridge construction, proper waste segregation in every barangay, understanding among the people and settle things directly, and also discipline in maintaining the cleanliness of the environment.
The role
As the output of the community mapping method was undeniably important, the process in its creation also plays a big part on the attainment of the project. The participants in the making of the community maps had a big role in the process as they promote dialogue which made it easier to reveal the problems in the communities.
“Si mayor lugar kay gusto pa masayod kung unsa ang sitwasyon sa ilang munisipyo lugar; mas holistic ug comprehensibo lugar ang pagplano kay gikan man gyud sa mga tawo gyud… sa mga barangay kung unsa ilang mga nakita o mga suhestyon nila. Makabalo na dayun si mayor kung unsa ang mga kinahanglan sa barangay. So gikan ana, mas maayo og komprehensibo og kung naay mga concern lugar kay ma-address gayud”, said
Sabines as to the significance of the methods used in the project specifically to the community mapping method.
In Anthony J. D’Angelo’s case, he simply suggested to take a little time in the problem than in the solutions. In relation to the Municipality of Medina, taking 10% of the time for the problem seems to be less and not enough as it covers a huge land which could reveal countless problems. Actually, it does not matter as to how much time one must have for problems and solutions. What matters most is the ability to identify real problems and thinking of ways that could lead to possible solutions. At this point, doing community mapping can be a new and easy strategy for community problem identification that should be adopted by all communities not just in small municipalities but also for greater dimensions around the country.
