Beyond Covid-19: The Future of Festivals in Calabarzon, Philippines

Purpose: This study aims to determine or forecast the willingness of regular participants of festivals to attend or join events festivals in the post-COVID-19 scenario. Specifically, it aimed to 1.) identify the perceived future of festivals in the post-pandemic scenario and if people are still willing to participate in or join in any of the festival's events, and 2.) discuss the role of festivals in the post-pandemic scenario.   Theoretical framework: The researchers employed the stakeholder theory technique to predict the future of the festival's events. A stakeholder is "any group or person who may impact or is affected by the attainment of the institution's objective," Freeman (1984). Freeman contends that a person or group is a stakeholder if it has a sincere interest in a particular component of the institution's operations and, as a result, either can influence the company's performance or has a stake in that performance. Particularly, in this study, the stakeholders are the participants, the businessmen, and the organizers of the festivals. Ultimately, the perception of the stakeholders may be used by festival organizers as a basis for holding festivals in the post-pandemic scenario.   Design/methodology/approach: This study used a qualitative design using phenomenological approach based on the lived experiences of the participants with the festivals they have attended. Snowball sampling was used to choose 32 participants, commencing with the tourist local government official that had control over the festival events. The researchers utilized key informant interviews and focus group discussions on obtaining data, guided by a semi-structured questionnaire to allow the researchers to adjust questions according to the participant's willingness and manner of answering. For data clustering and theme identification, the researchers utilized a qualitative research tool (NVIVO) with license key: (N-L-Z-7-7) and used the analytical framework by Moustakas (1994), as covered by Creswell (2007). The researchers began by outlining the subject's or participant’s encounters concerning the festivals being examined. Next, they created collection of noteworthy remarks and organized these into more substantial units of information (i.e., units or themes).   Findings: As a result, every participant is eager to engage, be present, or take part in their respective festivals again, once the COVID-19 restrictions are removed, but some have a few reservations.   Implications for research, everyday life, and society: In the Philippines, the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in 2023. This is also a time for the local economy to recover. The series of lockdowns heavily hampered the local economy due to the pandemic. The local governments may use festivals to help small, medium, and microenterprises recover from the losses they took during the pandemic, and festivals. can kick start the local economy. Festival organizers may utilize the findings of this research as a foundation.   Originality/value: All the data gathered in this research was at the peak of lockdowns and cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines. This made it very difficult for the researchers to collect data, thus resulting in an integration of in-person interactions, key informant interviews and online focus group discussions. It was a time when mass gatherings were hard to imagine, let alone the celebration of festivals uncertain. Nevertheless, the result was surprising since all the participants were still willing to join or attend festivals

Can Agroforestry Farmers Attain Sustainability? Case of Farmers in Selected Upland Farming Communities in the Philippines

This article is based on the study which investigated the socioeconomic and biophysical conditions of the upland farming communities in the Philippines; identified the development pathways that were undertaken by the upland farmers; and determined level of sustainability of the upland farming communities on the basis of their development pathways. This article argues that agroforestry farmers in upland farming communities in the Philippines can attain sustainability. This argument is based on the study conducted in the three pilot upland communities of the Conservation Farming Villages program in Albay, Ifugao and Negros Oriental, Philippines. From seven focus group discussions (FGDs) with at least 12 participants per FGD for a total of 147 farmers, and farm household survey of 230 upland farmers, research results indicate that agroforestry farmers in the three study sites were smallholders and were cultivating in areas with marginal conditions. There were five development pathways identified. These are monocropping in contour, multiple cropping in contour, agroforestry, agroforestry with non-farm activities, and multiple cropping/monocropping without contour. With the community capitals framework as the theoretical foundation, analysis indicated that the five development pathways contributed to a high level of social, human and political capitals having mean scores of 0.73, 0.55 and 0.54, respectively; a moderate level of physical, financial and natural capital, with mean scores of 0.23, 0.20 and 0.23, respectively; and a very low level of cultural capital with mean score of -0.08. At the community level, on the other hand, research results revealed that the CFV sites in Ligao, Albay and La Libertad, Negros Oriental have almost similar contributions to the sustainability of the upland farming communities, while Alfonso Lista, Ifugao had the lowest. Thus, institutional arrangements with the farmers’ association and the local government units also played a key role in the sustainability of the upland farming communities. These results imply the need for a holistic and collaborative engagement towards attaining sustainable upland farming communities

Water user fee for households in Metro Manila, Philippines

This report provides an assessment of whether residents in Metro Manila would be willing to pay a fee for the protection and conservation of the four main watershed areas that provide them with water. It also investigates how such a ‘water user fee’ would best be organized and implemented and suggests a potential mechanism for its management. The research was done in response to the growing water supply problem in the Philippines. This problem is partly caused by the environmental destruction of watershed areas, which in turn is exacerbated by a lack of finance for watershed management. The report finds that a majority of residents would be willing to pay such a fee. It shows that this is due to a general desire for both a regular and sustainable water supply and for the conservation of the watersheds themselves. The report also finds that most people questioned would prefer the fee to be added to their water bills and would be happiest if the money was channeled into a special fund earmarked for watershed conservation – not merely absorbed by central government, which many do not trust. The report therefore recommends that such a fee be introduced and concludes that if it is put in place, it should go a long way towards ensuring a sustainable supply of water for Metro Manila

Towards the development of a sustainable financing mechanism for the conservation of the Ifugao rice terraces in the Philippines

This EEPSEA study from the Philippines shows that tourism revenue could finance a significant part of the restoration and preservation work that is needed to save one of the country’s most important cultural treasures. The study focuses on the key challenges that are facing the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippines have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. These terraces have been deteriorating steadily in recent years and they have been the subject of a number of under-funded and delayed ‘action plans’ that have failed to halt their decline. The challenges facing the terraces include a declining water and labour supply. The study is the work of a research team led by Dr. Margaret Calderon from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. It finds that capturing tourists’ willingness-to-pay for the conservation of the rice terraces could generate revenues of P 6.65 million or more a year. The study also finds that the water supply problems in the terraces would be reduced if deforestation was tackled and irrigation systems and damaged terrace walls were repaired. The study recommends that a labor subsidy payment should be introduced for Ifugao farmers. This would help them to continue to farm the terraces, would go some way to solving labour supply problems and would also help finance costly maintenance and terrace repair work

Stakeholder Convergence in the Revitalization of Community-Based Enterprises: The Case of Halog West Producers’ Cooperative in La Union, Philippines

Stakeholder convergence is a widely practiced approach in development particularly towards developing sustainable community-based enterprises. This study aims to assess the contributions of convergence in the sustainability of these enterprises by examining the case of the chichacorn enterprise of Halog West Producers’ Cooperative. Results show that convergence was instrumental in the revival of the enterprise with the institutional support that enabled the enterprise to develop its capacities to continue and improve its operations, promising a more sustainable enterprise in the long run. Specifically, the study found that effective partnership, streamlined inter-agency coordination, and clear communication among stakeholders are significant factors contributing to the sustainability of the enterprise

Glucose Lowering Effect of Brown Pigmented Rice (oryza sativa l) in Diet-Induced Hyperglycemic Sprague Dawley Rats

The study investigated the dietary fiber and glycemic index of the three varieties of brown pigmented rice, namely, Inpari 24, Mawar, and Segreng, and the hypoglycemic effect of the rice variety with the highest dietary fiber and low glycemic index in hyperglycemic Sprague Dawley rats. Study phases included: 1) chemical analysis such as dietary fiber and amylose content, and proximate analysis of brown pigmented rice, 2) intervention phase 1: determination of effective dose of brown pigmented rice; and 3) intervention phase 2: in vivo evaluation of hypoglycemic effects of brown pigmented rice. Segreng variety contained the highest dietary fiber and lowest glycemic index. At the end of the intervention period, the effective dose to lower the blood glucose level was 75% cooked brown pigmented rice and 25 % commercial rodent feed combination with a reduction of 54.57 %. And its reduction was comparable to the blood glucose level of rats given glibenclamide treatment (58.24 %). A significant positive correlation for blood glucose with calorie, carbohydrate, and fat was also observed. Therefore, the consumption of cooked brown pigmented rice can lower blood glucose levels in hyperglycemic Sprague Dawley rats. Furthermore, the glucose-lowering could be due to the dietary fiber and amylose content of brown pigmented rice. Further study is recommended using human subjects, and it may also be replicated using other grains like corn, adlai, sorghum, and root crops

Upland Rice: Cultural Keystone Species in a Philippine Traditional Agroecosystem

This paper examines rice biocultural diversity in Sarangani province, southern Philippines through a socio-anthropological lens. Participatory rural appraisal highlighted the cultural importance of upland rice and the entire suite of farming rituals practiced by ethnic communities in the area. Further unveiled by the study were concomitant rice varietal losses, a highly eroded indigenous knowledge system, or IKS, as well as major driving forces that have significantly impacted biocultural diversity on-farm. Sociological analysis of Sarangani tribal community and resources identified upland rice as a potential cultural keystone species (CKS) whose loss can severely compromise cultural integrity and food security. However, halting biocultural erosion while ensuring human wellbeing can become complicated and constrain conservation initiatives. The CKS model, albeit potentially subjective and controversial, can provide valuable insights for the development of sustainable conservation strategies specifically suited to the Sarangani upland situation. Strengthening of awareness among stakeholders about the link between traditional culture, conservation, and food security is necessary if significant results are to be achieved

Community-Based Mapping of the Rice Terraces Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List

The rice terraces in four municipalities of Ifugao were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 as the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras under the category of organically evolved landscapes. This category includes landscapes that developed as a result of an initial social, economic, administrative or religious imperative, and by association with and in response to the natural environment. However, the terraces have deteriorated over the years, and those inscribed in the World Heritage List have been reclassified to the World Heritage in Danger List in 2001. This study is part of a research project that aimed to develop a sustainable financing mechanism for the conservation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The report focuses on the estimation of the extent of the rice terraces in the heritage municipalities and the extent of damage that was undertaken with the participation of local communities. The other findings of the project concerning the financing mechanism are presented in a separate report. We used geo-referenced and other data from various sources to produce maps showing the extent of the rice terraces in the heritage sites, as well as the extent of damage. The initial activities focused on secondary data from which basemaps were generated for each of the four heritage Ifugao municipalities. Individual GIS thematic layers were produced showing rice terraces along with the general features of the landscape (e.g. river network, road network, elevation, including municipal boundaries). These were consequently presented in workshops to the communities (e.g. farmers and local officials). The information generated from the community maps specifically showing the damaged rice terraces were used to estimate the cost of rehabilitating the terraces and the potential revenues that can be collected from local and foreign tourists.rice terraces, mapping