BANGA, Aklan- Twenty-two Rural-based Organizations (RBO) Coordinators gear towards social mobilization as they attend the Training Course on Social Mobilization (TCSM) on April 18-20, 2022, at ATI Training Hall, ASU Compound.
“This training is important for us, Extensionists, so that we can extend our services to whatever our community needs. I strongly believe in what Ma’am Mary Ann said about the ripple effect; that even a simple action we can make in our community will have a huge impact on people’s development,” said Aleia T. Aleja, Agricultural Technologist from the Municipality of Jordan, Guimaras.
After the three-day training and workshops, the participants explored and discovered themselves by recognizing their strengths and weaknesses as Agricultural Technologists. They articulated the meanings of development and change and associated these concepts with stakeholders’ engagement which is vital to their functions as extensionists. Moreover, they analyzed various case studies that led to creating their advocacies to strengthen engagement and partnership in communities towards sustainable rural development. Furthermore, they explored steps in building partnerships and examined habits that effective community social mobilizers should have.
Mary Ann A. Ramos, Assistant Center Director, as the sole Resource Person of the course discussed the topics namely: achieving personal mastery, appreciating diversity, mobilizing, and sustaining social change, valuing, and strengthening stakeholders’ engagement, winning and gaining support, why working together works, and creating habits of success. Structured learning exercises and a day-to-day learning evaluation process were incorporated to make the training more engaging. The participants went through simple personality tests, brain orientation, multiple intelligences, and case analyses. As agreed, participants submitted their plan of activities in implementing the learning gained from the course which will be monitored and evaluated by the training management team.
Dr. Eden DLR. Bautista, Center Director, in her inspirational message emphasized the importance of the training course as these RBO Coordinators will have a crucial role in the implementation of the Executive Order 138 (Full Devolution of Certain Functions of the Executive Branch to the LGUs) and the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES) in organizing and mobilizing communities so that they will actively participate in the development process and contribute greatly in the delivery of extension services, particularly in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
With this, RBO Coordinators in Region 6 are now fully geared as they were prepared to organize and mobilize their rural-based organizations. With the knowledge and skills that they have gained, they are now ready to face the challenges of social mobilization.
