53 International Peer Reviewed Journal Holistic Framework as an Approach towards a Relevant and Responsive Community Extension and Development Program: The Case of Sitio Dipanamianan ROWEL G. OLILA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9672-7460 rowelolila@gmail.com Aurora State College of Technology Baler, Aurora, Philippines Originality: 100% • Grammar Check: 98% • Plagiarism: 0% ABSTRACT An integrative, participatory, sustainable, and outcomes-oriented community extension and development activity must have three main elements in the program planning, namely, (1) research, (2) extension activity that focuses on technology dissemination and adoption generated from research findings, and (3) capability building of stakeholders and beneficiaries. Combining all these concepts, the researcher termed these approaches holistic or holistic approaches towards making extension programs relevant and responsive according to the situation and conditions of the community it intends to serve. The research investigated the overall quality of the 5 Year Community Extension and Development Program, the status, and responses of the beneficiaries of the extension program in its adopted community in Sitio Dipanamianan, Brgy. Pingit, Baler, Aurora, Philippines. The researcher used the Community Needs Assessment to describe the beneficiaries’ prevailing conditions and status. The research utilized a mixed-methods research design through the Community Needs Assessment Vol. 45 · July 2021 Print ISSN 2012-3981 • Online ISSN 2244-0445 Journal Impact: H Index = 5 from Publish or Perish DOI: https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v45i1.755 Vol. 45 · July 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v45i1.755 Print ISSN 2012-3981 Online ISSN 2244-0445 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9672-7460 mailto:rowelolila@gmail.com 54 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Survey (CNA) and Focus Group Discussion. These were utilized to investigate the participants’ responses, level of participation, and willingness to make the extension activity sustainable and outcomes-oriented. Based on the holistic model, it is found out that the 5 Year Community Extension and Development Program is comprehensive, containing all the principles of the holistic approach. The respondents believed that the holistic approach to extension services is a crucial factor in the sustainability of the program and a high level of participation from the beneficiaries. Keywords — Social Science, Extension, outcomes-oriented, mixed- medthods, Sitio Dipanamianan, Philippines INTRODUCTION An extension is one of the primary core functions of Higher Education Institutions together with Research, Instruction, and Production. In the extension initiatives, it is where the generated knowledge is brought to the community through extension training and other initiatives. Technical knowledge is adopted by the community, hoping that it can transform the lives of the people in the suburbs. All the extension efforts are expected to generate results and impact the lives of the people it wishes to serve. Through the extension initiatives, the academic institutions can realize their mission. The origin of the problem of extension activities is that participants and extension workers are not treated as collaborators in the process but merely execute decisions from the central unit or agency responsible for the program. The old framework does not allow participation in the extension program, and the training of project implementers is insufficient. The ability to communicate and engage in dialogue on rendering advisory services and an institutional linkage is missing. An institutional framework must be considered that will serve as a link between the government agencies, private organizations, and the cooperators-the farmers (Cho & Boland, 2003). Many colleges and universities already have extension initiatives. It is one of the major functions of any higher education institution. There were structures adopted, designed, and invented for extension and training services to serve their purpose. An integrative, participatory, sustainable, and outcomes-oriented community extension and development activities, must have three main elements in the program planning, namely, (1) research, (2) extension activity that focuses on technology dissemination and adoption generated from research findings, 55 International Peer Reviewed Journal and 3) capability building of stakeholders and beneficiaries (International Fund for Agricultural Development [IFAD], 2006). Raison (2014) considers three innovative approaches to the educational mission: sense-making, contextual (typological) framing, and an internal starting with why concept. There were four current approaches in agricultural extensions, namely, (1) partnership extension services, (2) people-centered participation, (3) farmers organizations, and (4) fund mobilization through shared responsibility among all the stakeholders (Saliu et al., 2009). There were models of innovation related to the agricultural extension, which are believed to be mutually exclusive. Among the competing models, the innovation systems approach in agricultural extension worked in the Vietnamese context as they engage in discourses, interaction, and support strategies that will improve the people’s livelihood (Friederichsen et al., 2013). The research utilized the holistic approach towards making extension programs relevant and responsive according to the status and conditions of the community it intends to serve. Extension initiatives in the academe have been in place for years. However, with regards to making it integrative, participatory, sustainable, and outcomes-oriented, there is much work to do. After every extension work, it will die out naturally. Reasons may range from the lack of careful and strategic planning, limitations of budget, administrative support, and lack of response from the community; impacts that were complex if not impossible to see and measure. The political, social, economic, environmental, emotional, and psychological conditions prevailing between the extensionists and the community aggravate the situation. The people in the community are after an immediate result. They cannot appreciate the good benefits and the advantages of the information disseminated in the extension work. It is challenging for them to change their ways. They doubt the knowledge, technical skills, and usability of the information being packaged in the extension work. Some of the delivering institutions did it to comply with academic standards, accreditation, and targets. After achieving the desired Accreditation Level, the extension program will have its natural death. The efforts will continue if another visit, compliance, or application for accreditation is at hand. Higher education institutions operate traditionally believing that they are doing the service for the benefit of the community and not as a two-way relationship. The first perspective is a charity in nature, unconsciously emphasizing the privilege that the organizers hold. In contrast, a service perspective is about collaboration and mutual benefit (Ward & Wolf-Wendel, 2000). 56 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research There is also a misconception about extension work. Most of the time, the nature of the programs are mere outreach activities, gift-giving, and the like. The delivery of extension work is dole out, making the people mere recipients of the program well; in fact, they can share and contribute something in making the extension program work. The dole-out approach makes the people in the community believe that in the community, for extension work, there would be much stuff, groceries, and the like to be given by the organizers. They did not realize that aside from outreach activities, there are more worthwhile activities that people can use in their life to improve their socio-economic conditions (Ward & Wolf-Wendel, 2000). The Extension program of the Graduate Studies Department of Aurora State College of Technology in Sitio Dipanamianan, Baler, Aurora, Philippines, was conceived in this scenario. There were scattered activities, but all those did not lead to a particular, specific outcome. With these concepts at hand, the 5 Year Extension Development Program was developed anchored on the different principles to making the extension services of the institution relevant and responsive that engages in the transfer and utilization of technology generated from research and varied agricultural training and livelihood programs leading to the community’s empowerment. FRAMEWORK The holistic approach is where this research was anchored. It is a philosophy stating that all parts of a thing are interconnected. When applied in planning for extension work, it embraces all the aspects and domains of the life of the people it wishes to serve. It is necessary for a perspective geared towards sustainable strategic development to utilize the existing community development approaches. According to research, transformational change and effective leadership have been the goal of development approaches that is holistic and innovative. These existing approaches will be compared to what is in existence. The existing development strategies may be effective in helping and building the capacity of communities. As an institution aims for a holistic perspective, it could need planning and decision-making aligned with socio-ecological sustainability to support long- term effects and progress (Al-Dahir & Bisley, 2009). According to Vanclay (2004), the critical principles for agricultural extension to assist in the promotion of natural resource management are (1) awareness of farming as a social activity; (2) to recognize the farmers’ social diversity and the 57 International Peer Reviewed Journal prime movers in agriculture, and (3) the sociocultural basis of adoption. There are issues relating to public agricultural extension. The problems that a community faces vary from political, social, economic, and cultural issues both at the local, national, and international levels. The renewal of processes related to agricultural extension systems is a worldwide concern and the role of the public sector is still in question on how institutions shall deal with these in the future. Different partnerships may be explored between public and private and take advantage of the open access in general extension. The efficiency offered by the private sector, and capital and market orientation, will be part of this partnership (Haug, 1999). Extension development projects to be holistic must put the local community at the center, and all applied technologies must support their aim for a better life. It must serve as a springboard that will detach them from anything that prevents them from realizing their empowerment. The local community is essential. Therefore, extension projects must not be separated from the context of local culture, and they must have a deeper understanding of poverty in the context of the social, political, economic, cultural, and personal factors as invisible causes of deprivation. The development of this approach and its implementation needs a great deal of time, compassion, and dedication on extension workers. Development projects must include the “human” aspects combined with technical aspects as crucial factors of its success. Through this holistic development perspective, people who are called beneficiaries will have an equal share of their empowerment and not as mere receivers of imposed beliefs and ideas. Though time-intensive and experiences are often frustrating, the holistic development project is the heart of the holistic development approach (Zahnd, 2005). The satisfaction of fundamental, personal and familial, and communal needs may result in a long-term impact. These are indications that inevitable changes are happening in the lives of the people in the community. A series of surveys after the initial implementation of the development project can assess the impacts and the appraisal of the community participation as an outcome of the shared responsibility between the proponents and the community. The impact assessment will measure the delivery of the basic personal, familial, and community needs. It will also measure if the program resulted in an overall improvement in the quality of life of the people. The impact assessment would serve as a basis for developing the intervention project (Zahnd, 2005). The crafting of the 5-Year Extension and Development followed the model of the holistic community development approach. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/view/author/Zahnd,%20Alexander.html 58 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY There were numerous researches conducted on the approaches towards practical community extension work. These researches include the problems and difficulties encountered by extension workers, lack of response and consistency of the extension work, and almost none to the poor impact of the extension program. The research utilized the (1) holistic approach as a framework to assess the significant components of the 5 Year Community Extension and Development Program. This was used as a basis to plan, develop, and implement the community extension development of the institution. After two and a half years of implementing the holistic community development plan, (2) the research measured the impact of the extension program on the stakeholders and beneficiaries in terms of relevance and responsiveness. The results of the impact assessment were made as bases in the crafting of the intervention plan. Lastly, the researcher analyzed (3) the importance of the approach in developing outcomes- oriented community extension work. METHODOLOGY Research Design The research utilized mixed methods research design. A survey was conducted to assess the Community Needs Assessment Survey (CNA) and Focus Group Discussion to measure the impact of the extension work. The Community Needs Assessment Survey Form (CNA) and the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) are the primary instruments for gathering data. The study analyzed the components of the strategic development plan, which is patterned after the holistic framework. It also evaluated the implementation process and the responses of the beneficiaries in terms of the relevance and responsiveness of the community extension program. The study may help discover underlying principles in developing a community extension program that is holistic. It will secure that the program will respond to the needs of the community and be relevant to community conditions. The findings of this research can serve as a basis for planning, strategic interventions, and policy formulation in the design and implementation of the extension plan of the college or university. Participants The research involves the residents of Sitio Dipanamianan, Brgy. Pingit, Baler, Aurora as participants. They are primarily farmers and represent their 59 International Peer Reviewed Journal entire household. Twenty-five (25) household heads participated in the Community Needs Assessment Survey and Focus Group Discussion. These twenty-five participants were initially identified by the Municipal Agriculture Office of Baler, who were also beneficiaries of their programs and projects. They were chosen based on residency, years of stay, and certified farmers or at least engaged in farming as owners or tenants of the land they tilled. The participants accomplished the CNA form and participated in the FGD. Instrumentation The research evaluated and analyzed the Five Year Community Development Plan using the holistic framework as a basis for the analysis. The research conducted an analysis of the key components of the plan and its relevance to the community. The components of each were carefully analyzed when it comes to its contribution to the whole program. The research used the Community Needs Assessment Form as the basis for consultative meetings and re-planning. It utilizes the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) as a vital tool in gathering data that identifies the relevance and responsiveness of the Extension Program. The researcher conducted an unstructured interview to validate the data inputs collected from the CNA and a structured interview to facilitate the FGD and come out with the extension program’s relevance and responsiveness to the people’s lives in the community. Data Collection The research is descriptive. It conducted a quantitative and qualitative data analysis based on the holistic approach framework. It draws inferences and meanings from the components of the 5 Year Development Program. The research engaged in careful analysis of inferences, and meanings especially on the results of the CNA. The research conducted a consultative meeting to validate the results of the CNA. The research engages in evaluating the Five Year Community Extension Program based on the inputs gathered during the consultative. After implementing the different components of the program according to the timeline, the research utilized the FGD to gather the stakeholders’ input regarding the relevance and responsiveness of the extension program. The researcher tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted the results to answer the objectives of the study. The research used statistical tools and techniques to ensure the good and systematic presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data, primarily for the quantitative part of the study. These tools include frequency and percentage (to describe the relationship of a part to the whole). The research 60 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research utilized the qualitative method to draw inferences and give meanings to the responses of the participants based on the result of the FGD. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Barangay Pingit is one of the barangays of the Municipality of Baler. It is a rural barangay comprising seven sitios. One of these is Sitio Dipanamianan, the extension site of the Education and the Graduate Studies Department of Aurora State College of Technology. The barangay residential areas, commercial, industrial, and agricultural lands, the biggest in square kilometers except for special classes land comprising 5.84 sq. km. It has no mineral resources nor timberland, unlike other barangay that are rich with those resources mentioned. It has a total land area of 10.25sq.km. Brgy. Pingit has five different landforms. It has plains, uplands, mountains, and even coastal areas. The area is suitable for agriculture due to the vast fertile plains utilized by the locals for farming palay, fruits, coconuts, and different types of livestock and crops. From the Commission on Election data dated April 29, 2017, about 1,547 households and 1,740 families. The set-up of the family members is mainly due to the practices of Filipinos having relatives living with their parents, brother, or sisters. As of April 2017, there were a total of 2,940 registered voters in the area. There were cases of malnutrition in the barangay beginning from moderate to severe but with a very small percentage of children recorded. Although the research of Zahnd (2005) focuses mainly on the delivery of electricity as a basic need of the community, the researcher believes that it represents the overall socio-economic conditions of the people. It is important to address the fundamental concerns of the people in order to see the visible changes in their lives. Addressing the fundamental concerns of the people will also give way to other problems related to the improvement of quality of life. The extension workers and the community must work collaboratively to address these emerging problems of the people in the community. The barangay is generally peaceful with minor incidents related to crime, with some notable cases of physical injury, rape, and crime against property. The most severe cases are those related to vehicular accidents. There are also existing programs and projects based on Barangay’s Annual Investment Program during the past year. These are the existing and ongoing projects and activities that the barangay facilitates to protect the rights and freedom of the people. 61 International Peer Reviewed Journal The residents of Sitio Dipanamianan have an average of 5.48 children per family. Some have 7-13 children, most of whom are not attending schooling and married at an early age. Those married children are still living with their parents. The residents have been in the area for almost 13 years. A total of 56% held a tricycle, 48% had motorbikes, 4% bicycle, and 4% owned a tractor. The majority of the residents owned their toilets (72% flush/de buhos), 16% still use the pit latrine (hukay), and there were residents (8%) who did not have a toilet of their own. Instead, they are just using their neighbors’. The residents are still dependent on spring water/well (44%), while 20% use pitcher pumps and 28% use barangay waterworks. Although Sitio Dipanamianan is a few kilometers away from the barangay/town proper, still 88% have the provision of electricity, and 12% still use gasera (gas lamp) and batteries. The residents burn their wastes (64%), 32% of them bury their refuse in the ground, and some (12%) tend their garbage to the barangay collectors. Most of the residents have a house made from wood materials (85%), 8% Bahay Kubo (bamboo, nipa, and wood), and 4% have a place made from concrete. The residents use scrap wood/firewood in cooking (72%), some are still using charcoal (24%), and 52% use LPG. The majority of the residents (72%) have their vegetable garden in the backyard together with medicinal plants, and 24% of the population do not plant nor maintain a backyard garden. When it comes to the techniques employed in limiting the number of children, 56% disagree with the idea of using such. A smaller percentage of the population had undergone ligation (8%), 24% used pills, and 4% used IUD and condoms. The residents till and cultivate a vast tract of land, especially the mountain slopes since they are devoted to agriculture. Half (52%) of the residents served as tenants, and only 28% owned the lands they cultivated. There are inborn disabilities like being deaf and having cleft lift, in which 8% and 12% were acquired (respiratory disease, mild stroke, and bone disease). To institutionalize an extension approach that is participatory, there should be an assessment of the root problems and existing conditions. Innovations can be introduced gradually and systematically and never aim for a complete change of the system. In the case of Sitio Dipanamianan, the program assessed the prevailing conditions to identify the needs to be addressed and take advantage of good practices which are already in existence (Minh et al., 2010). 62 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Table 1. Summary of the significant components of the 5-Year Development Plan under Item A: Establishing Linkage A. Establishing Linkage Status 1. Consultation Meeting with the Local Officials and residents of the target barangay. Accomplished 2. Feeding program. Accomplished 3. Gift-giving among the selected beneficiaries. (School supplies/ Tsinelas campaign. Accomplished 4. Profiling of the target area. Accomplished 5. Needs Identification/ Assessment Accomplished 6. Development of Extension Plan Accomplished 7. MOA Signing between the ASCOT Graduate Studies and Brgy. Pingit, Baler Aurora. Accomplished The 5-Year Extension Development Plan begins with establishing linkage to the community. The organizers implemented a series of activities, like (1) consultation meeting with the Local Officials and residents of the target barangay. This ensures that the people and the local officials will commit to the program. Establishing rapport with the community is necessary to resolve indifference among the community members and immediately address concerns. After establishing linkage, the organizers conducted a series of Feeding Programs. This is to increase the institution’s visibility to the community as each tries to get the favorable response of people of all ages. The series of feeding activities were implemented simultaneously with the Gift-giving activities among the selected beneficiaries. These were mainly school supplies and slippers. After earning the confidence of the members of the community, the extension workers started the Profiling of the area with the help of the local officials and community volunteers. The extension workers completed the data through the Community Needs Assessment with the help of the community volunteers and the barangay officials. The CNA served as the primary basis in the crafting of the extension development plan. This is to ensure that the activities will be relevant and respond to the residents’ preferences and prevailing conditions. Communities vary in different ways. Extension services play a vital role in addressing community needs by formulating a program to strengthen community extensions. There have been changes in the lives of the people in the rural areas. These changes are related to basic social, economic, educational, political developments. Involvement of the community has positive effects, 63 International Peer Reviewed Journal and collaboration among service providers is vital towards the success of rural extension services (Amanah & Fatchiya, 2018). After conducting the initial activities according to the holistic community development plan, the Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Aurora State College of Technology and the Brgy. Pingit, Baler Aurora. The series of activities enable the institution to establish linkage with the community effectively. The Community Needs Assessment ensures that the program will be relevant according to the conditions at hand. According to Baxter et al. (1989), the extension needs an appropriate structure that will link other activities to agencies responsible for delivering of the program. The community extension development program must recognize the existing problems and conditions to develop appropriate and outcomes-oriented targets. For Minh et al. (2010), in their research on Farmer Livestock School (FLS), using a participatory approach in extension is a successful experiment in the micro-scale. In Vietnam, there are possibilities to institutionalize the FLS through challenges related to capacity and resources. Table 2. Summary of the significant components of the 5-Year Development Plan under Item B: Extension Programs Developed Based on the results of the CNA B. Extension Programs/Activities According to the Results of the CAN Status 8. Literacy programs a. Basic Literacy for Elementary pupils b. Alternative learning Systems especially for Out-of-School- Youths c. Adult Education c.1. Parenting/Responsible Parenthood Seminar c.2. Personal Hygiene/Sanitation/Disease Prevention Seminar c.3. Political Education Seminar c.4. Seminar on Global Warming and Illegal Logging in Aurora with Tree Planting Activity Accomplished Accomplished Accomplished 9. TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY/ UTILIZATION OF RESEARCH OUTPUTS TO CREATE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL/ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF INCOME AMONG THE PEOPLE Status a. Basic Farming Technologies Accomplished b. Trends and Technologies in Organic Farming Accomplished c. Sabutan cultivation For Implementation d. Backyard Gardening Accomplished 64 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research e. Handicraft Making e.1. Sabutan-making e.2. Souvenir items (t-shirt, fans, key chains, and others) For Implementation f. Food processing f.1. Banana chips making f.2. Gabi chips f.3. Santan (Coco Jam Making) f.4. Taro chips/polvoron For Implementation g. Seminars g1. Basic Financial Management Seminar g.2. Advance Financial Management Seminar (selected participants) For Implementation 10. LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMS a. Livelihood Projects a. 1. Establishment of Cooperative/Election of Officers b. 2. Dispersal projects (pigs, goat, sheep, cow, carabao, ducks) c. 3. Establishment of an outlet (store) in ASCOT showcasing their products. d. 4. Monitoring and Evaluation of the Cooperative. e.5. Registration to Securities and Exchange Commission to be qualified for external funding (local and foreign) For Implementation (Activities may change/vary depending on the readiness of the target clienteles.) After the successful implementation of the initial component of the community extension development plan, the extension workers implemented the series of extension programs and activities according to the results of the CNA. Literacy is one of the major concerns among people of all ages. Literacy programs should be offered for elementary pupils, alternative learning systems, especially for Out-of-School-Youths and Adult Education. Under Adult education, this includes (1) Parenting/Responsible Parenthood Seminar, (2) Personal Hygiene/ Sanitation/Disease Prevention Seminar, (3) Political Education Seminar, and (4) Seminar on Global Warming and Illegal Logging in Aurora with Tree Planting Activity. When it comes to Literacy Programs, it failed to implement numbers 2, 3, and 4. The implementation of these literacy activities shall be done in succeeding months in between the technical and livelihood activities. It is indispensable that generated knowledge from research must be disseminated to the community. The developed knowledge must be translated into extension activities in which discoveries must be known, utilized, and adopted by the community. New trends in the field of agriculture can improve the quality and quantity of harvest. The dissemination of knowledge, in the long run, will help the farmers improve their economic conditions. The problem 65 International Peer Reviewed Journal with technology adoption when introduced is that farmers are dubious about the method and scientific processes. They prefer to remain to their ancient and traditional knowledge even if the land is not yielding a good harvest. With this concern, essential farming technologies, trends, and technologies in organic farming will be part of the technical knowledge dissemination together with knowledge in sabutan cultivation, backyard gardening, handicraft making, food processing (Banana chips making, Gabi chips, Santan (Coco Jam Making and Taro chips/polvoron). It is not enough that people be given technical skills related to livelihood. It is also necessary to include a seminar on Basic Financial Management and Advanced Financial Management for selected participants. In this way, this can empower them to be entrepreneurs and engage in business without losing their initial capital. The trend about government-funded assistance on business capital is that recipients do not have the skills to improve and grow. Aside from livelihood training and management seminars, the program also aims to Establishment a Cooperative/Election of Officers, Dispersal projects (pigs, goat, sheep, cow, carabao, ducks), Establishment an outlet (store) in ASCOT showcasing their products, Monitoring, and Evaluation of the Cooperative, Registration to Securities and Exchange Commission. The registration to SEC will qualify the organization for external funding (local and foreign). The series of extension activities under technology transfer and utilization aimed to empower the community to establish their source of income, properly manage it and engage in a cooperative. It is not enough they learn the skills. The target beneficiaries must learn to adopt the skills. Depending on the participants’ readiness, the implementation of the activities will vary to secure the maximum adaptation and learning of new skills. The extension workers implemented three activities considering that livelihood training requires a budget. To address this concern, the researcher had written a proposal to Agricultural Training Institute Regional Office III. This will ensure that the livelihood and agricultural extension activities will continue with support from government agencies when approved accordingly. Baxter et al. (1989) stressed that four principles must be considered for an agricultural extension to be effective. First is the transfer of knowledge and skills in agriculture among the farmers. Second is a proper understanding of the production systems and scientific basis of the knowledge the extension staff promotes. Third, extension systems must be research-oriented, meaning all technical knowledge to be disseminated among farmers must produce intensive research. Lastly, a range of strategies for consistent follow-ups to ensure the 66 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research project’s sustainability. Further, Baxter et al. (1989) suggested that for these principles to be operational, there is a need for a trained workforce, research- based training, an approach that will encourage collaborations and stakeholders of the program. Given the access to extension services and linkage to the market, Reji and Guha (2020) maintained that farming can be profitable and productive. These agricultural innovations in the grass-roots are vital in providing the farmers’ cost- effective services. In a study conducted by Timprasert et al. (2014), the adoption of technical knowledge in agriculture has a significant difference when the researcher measured the knowledge of pest management which influenced their adoption and non- adoption of the technology. The more farmers have better knowledge about the technology, the higher the adoption level, and the lesser knowledge would mean poor adoption of the technology. This result reveals that it is necessary to disseminate research-based agricultural technology among the target beneficiaries for a higher level of adoption. This, in turn, will result in a higher yield and quality harvest. Table 3. Summary of the significant components of the 5-Year Development Plan under Item C: Research in Impact Assessment C. Research on Impact of Extension Programs Status 11. Research Study on the Impact of the Extension Programs of ASCOT Among the residents of Sitio Dipanamianan Implemented 12. Utilization of the findings and recommendations of the impact assessment: a basis for re-planning and intervention. Its aims to align the extension programs according to the needs of the community. Ongoing After the planning phase of the 5 Year Extension Development Program, packaging of literacy activities, and livelihood training and seminars, it is necessary that research be done to keep the program in place. The extension organizers understood that as it implements the community development extension program, there will be plans and initiatives that are no longer applicable or not working in the actual implementation. Research must be conducted concerning the relevance and responsiveness of the program. In this way, evaluation of the strategies is possible, the implementation can be revisited, and impacts of the extension program can be measured. Impact assessment results can be used as bases to modify, re-plan and develop intervention strategies to ensure that the 67 International Peer Reviewed Journal extension program is on the right track. Impact evaluation is necessary to measure the program’s effectiveness. The assessment must include the evaluation of the communication and the flow of information, (2) levels of adoption of the community to the technical knowledge shared in the training and other desirable practices, (3) if the training inputs were utilized, improvement in the yields of major crops, changes in the income, and if the extension program generally resulted to an improved life condition (Rubi, 2019; Sreensunpagit, 1983). Table 4. Summary of the significant components of the 5-Year Development Plan under Item D: Empowerment D. Empowerment Status 1. Founding of an organization and Election of Officer. For Implementation 2. Capacity-building of the community through their selected leaders/officers through additional training and seminars on leadership and management. For Implementation 3. Turn-over of Projects to the community. (requires minimal supervision to secure the sustainability of the project) For Implementation The community extension development plan also has provisions for empowerment. It means that there will be initiatives that will equip the collaborators with the necessary skills they need to acquire to be self-reliant and independent after the maturity of the program (Sy, 2012). For empowerment initiatives, there will be an activity for the founding of the organization and an election of officers. There will also be capacity-building activities that will prepare them for the transition. Monitoring and evaluation is a technical activity requiring highly developed and specialized skills in the social sciences and statistics, combined with substantial knowledge of the extension system and development constraints. However, the most serious and frequently encountered weaknesses are staffing, particularly staffing in the senior ranks. In some situations, insufficient professional and supervisory posts have been provided, while in others, posts have been created but remain unfilled owing to a lack of qualified staff or grading difficulties. This can have severe consequences on both data quality and work output. (Baxter et al., 1989). 68 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Table 5. Summary of the significant results of the Focus Group Discussion on the relevance and responsiveness of the 5-Year Extension Development Plan FGD Results Rank 1. Residents are not mere recipients but co-participants and co-operators of the program. 1st 2. The extension workers conducted consultative meetings among the residents, which became the basis for re-planning and intervention strategies. 2nd 3. The community engages in the sharing of resources. 3rd 4. Regional, national and municipal agencies are involved in the process, thereby strengthening the success indicators of the program. 4th 5. The extension activity is sustainable, consistent, varied, and comprehensive. 5th 6. The packaged training was informative and useful. 6th 7. The change of designations of extension workers is a concern for them. 7th 8. The change of administration of both the institution, the partner agencies, and other stakeholders affect the consistency of the extension projects. 8th 9. They concern themselves about the day-to-day needs and sometimes skip the training and or activity. 9th 10. The extension program is encompassing. 10th 11. The extension activities are varied, valuable, and timely. 11th 12. The implementation of the projects will have significant impacts on their lives. 12th 13. When the technical knowledge is appropriately disseminated to the community, this can help the residents improve their farms, yields, and other sources of income. 13th 14. Extension workers are accommodating and people-oriented. 14th 15. A partnership must continue until the community can apply the technical knowledge learned with minimal supervision from the extension workers. 15th The community prefers to be a collaborator and co-participants rather than mere recipients or beneficiaries. Participants emphasized this preference in the FGD. The idea of being recipients and beneficiaries made them feel even more inferior and insecure. The institutions or individuals are in a position of being privileged compared to the ones being helped; they prefer consultation concerning their needs and are very much willing to share the resources available to their households or in the community. They are happy that there is a convergence between the college and the regional, provincial and local agencies. In this way, efforts are centralized and focused. Agencies and institutions have 69 International Peer Reviewed Journal separate extension programs but, most of the time, a mere replication of another (Ward & Wolf-Wendel, 2000). The participants commended the usability of the technical knowledge because the program encompasses all the aspects of the life of the people in the community. Despite the valuable knowledge that they can get, participants will still skip some training because they have to provide food on their tables to feed their families for a day. The people from the beginning were doubtful but became interested, for they realized that the technical knowledge could help them improve their farms, yields, and other sources of income. The challenge related to technology adoption is the budget and the consistency of the technical services being rendered by the extension workers. They believe that partnership must continue until the community can apply the technical knowledge learned with minimal supervision from the extension workers. Active and comprehensive extension services play a vital role in advancing sustainable food production, ensuring food and cultural security at the local level (Sattaka et al., 2017). Baxter et al. (1989) maintained that effective organization of all extension activities must be stressed and identified in the program design. A feasible work program must be available and the program must be known to collaborators. The outcome of the extension work must be the dissemination of technical knowledge that will help the collaborators improve the productivity and yield of their farms and continuous assistance to agricultural services. Extension workers must also engage in professional development related to the expertise or technical knowledge that they render to the community. Lastly, the implementation of the extension activities shall be conducted in the community and must cover all the aspects of production activities of the farmer-beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS Findings revealed that the 5 Year Extension Development Plan contains all the essential principles of the holistic framework based on Zahnd (2005) model. The holistic community extension development plan started with simple outreach activities that attend to the basic needs of the community. The initial inputs of the development plan resulted in inevitable changes in their day-to-day lives. There is an increased awareness of the holistic community extension development program. The residents realized the different possibilities that the program may offer. The Community Needs Assessment became the key in unlocking https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/view/author/Zahnd,%20Alexander.html 70 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research the prevailing conditions of the community. Without the CNA, inputs in the 5-Year Extension Development Program will be inconsistent and lacks focus. The program will become irrelevant and irresponsive. After the implementation of some of the significant components of the program, the conduct of an impact assessment is necessary to validate its relevance and responsiveness. In this way, extension workers can identify missed opportunities. Impact assessment can also serve as feedback on the development program and if it is functioning according to its intended purpose. The response of the community is also important. The participation of the community in the development program indicates that they are collaborators towards their empowerment. They realized that the community is not treated as mere recipients of the program but as a co-operator who plays a vital role in personal and community development. Also, the transfer and utilization of technology packaged into extension training became an essential component towards empowerment. Lastly, the model of Zahnd (2005) includes a follow-up with previous project villages was conducted by revisiting families to discuss the ongoing changes and impacts of the projects. The 5 Year Development Plan also provides a follow-up and impact assessment that will identify if the basic personal needs, family needs, and community needs were met. The assessment of the program can determine if there is an indication that the quality of life of the people is improving. The impact assessment will validate if the community extension development program is successful in attaining its goal. This validation would serve as a basis for the re-planning and development of the intervention project. Baxter et al. (1989) pointed out that in agricultural extension, advancing technical knowledge is a requirement to effect agricultural development. For an effective diffusion of technical knowledge in agriculture, a mechanism for fieldwork involving the farmers as collaborators should be part of the program. Extension and community development initiatives can be delivered in different approaches, but there are basic and constant roles that extension workers need to perform. These functions are technical advisory services for increased production and income of farmers as well as to identify the prevailing conditions and existing agricultural practices. This will enable the extension workers to identify appropriate and relevant technical advisory services among the farmer-collaborators. Another important component of the extension development program is the relationship between agricultural researches with technical support services. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/view/author/Zahnd,%20Alexander.html 71 International Peer Reviewed Journal The 5-Year Community Extension Development Plan contains all the principles and roles that it performs in the delivery of the extension programs in Sitio Dipanamianan. Agricultural extension led to rural development and alleviated the people from poverty. However, there remains a disparity among farmer communities (Castella et al., 2006). Though effective, and results are favorable for the attainment of objectives, it must address the gaps related to training, budget, and networking, among others (Quimbo, 2013). Following the holistic framework, the community extension development program has led the Aurora State College of Technology, through its implementing academic unit, to an integrative, participatory, sustainable, and outcomes-oriented community extension and development initiatives. The 5 Year Community Extension and Development Program is relevant and responsive to community needs (Herrera, 2010). Generally, the community extension and development plan has contributed to an improved life condition (Rubi, 2019) among its identified farmer-collaborators. TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH The findings of this research may assist community extension programs of academic institutions to develop an institutional extension and development program that adheres to the holistic framework. The findings of this research can be used as a reference for crafting a community extension manual that will guide all extension workers towards developing a holistic community extension development program. 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