IRPEP is one of the major components of the Rapid Food Production Enhancement Programme (RAFPEP) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) with more than 100 Community Irrigation System (CIS) beneficiaries spread in Regions VI, VIII, and X covering six provinces in southern Philippines. The assessment aims to estimate IRPEP's impact to the household beneficiaries and partner irrigator's associations. The assessment will be done through survey of more than 2,000 households, 16 focus group discussions (FGD), and 24 key informant interviews (KII).
The project kicked off with a meeting between the SEARCA Project Team and Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director, and Mr. Daniel James Higgins, IFAD Research Assistant, on 20 February 2017.
Mr. Higgins is visiting SEARCA as part of the finalization of the survey instruments needed for the training of enumerators. The training runs from 27 February to 5 March 2017 in Cagayan de Oro City, with 24 participants composed of 15 enumerators, three field supervisors, three representatives from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and three officers from DA-RAFPEP.
The enumerators' training has three parts covering paper-based questionnaires, tablet questionnaires, and pilot-testing of the two survey instruments. The objective of the activity is to familiarize the data collection team with the proper execution of the survey instruments.
Dr. Walfredo R. Rola, Project Manager, serves as the lead person for the training, while Dr. Filma C. Calalo, Field Manager, serves as the overall facilitator. Other members of the Project Team, including Prof. Roselle V. Collado, Data Manager, and Mr. John Lorenzo Yambot, Programmer, are also present in the training.
Mr. Paul Winters, IFAD Director, presented the overall perspective of the IRPEP, as well as the rationale and objectives of the enumerators training. Mr. Higgins and Ms. Aslihan Arslan, both IFAD Research Assistants, discussed the sampling frame. The IFAD representatives will be hands-on in the approval of the final paper and tablet-based questionnaires.
Field data collection activities will commence after the training. These will include FGDs and KIIs with the regional and provincial program staff and irrigators' associations to be held on 6-9 March 2017 in Bukidnon. The topics to be covered are the following:
- Description of program implementation (i.e., activities to be administered, selection of beneficiaries, level of participation of beneficiaries)
- Barriers to participation and success
- Suitability of program activities
- Possible spillovers
- Potential improvements
SEARCA is represented by Ms. Imelda L. Batangantang, Program Associate for Project Development and Technical Services. Other SEARCA project staff assisting in the training are Minette Felismino and Ms. Erica Kristel Sale, both Project Associates; and Ms. Maylyn Desamparo, Project Assistant.
