Assessing the Level of Beneficiaries’ Participation: A Case of Medicinal and Food Plants Extension Project

Abstract

The level of participation of the beneficiaires in the medicinal and food plants extension project was assessed using the typology of participation such as passive participation, participation by consultation, functional participation, and empowered participation. All three barangays are within Cabagan, Isabela: Angancasilian, Catabayungan, and Cubag,
consisting of 37 respondents comprising three barangay chairmen, three barangay health workers, and 31 project beneficiaries. Guided survey questionnaire which was translated in vernacular dialect (Ybanag), key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussions (FGD) were employed during the conduct of the research. The participation of the project beneficiaries resulted in empowerment in the planning stage. However, there was less participation during the implementation phase due to the use of mediated communication. This modality affected the level of participation of the beneficiaries because of the lack of face-toface interaction between implementers and beneficiaries. It also demonstrated empowered participation during the monitoring and evaluation phase. The salient result of this research would be useful in conceptualizing a participatory communication plan for the project by considering an “empowered participation” of the beneficiaries in all its phases to achieve empowerment and sustainability of the project.