The University of Baguio Research and Development Center-Extension and Community Outreach Services, in its pursuit to realize one of its objectives to empower the community through livelihood skills and development, and to promote human development, social awareness and concern for others, conducted a whole day planning for its upcoming activities for School Year 2011-2012. The planning aimed to organize the processes of every activity conducted in the adopted barangays (Santo Tomas Proper and Loakan Proper) and in order to ensure the quality and maximization of the different activities for the empowerment of the residents therein. The planning was conducted on March 23, 2011 from 8:30 in the morning until 3:10 in the afternoon at room F213. The said event/meeting was led by the R&DC Director, Dr. Mary Agnes Haydee E. Dabucol and attended by Mr. Fidel Batnag and Mr. Noel Llamar. R&DC student assistant Clarissa Perez acted as the secretary.
During the planning, Mr. Batnag, the University Outreach Coordinator, reported on the ECOs’ accomplishments for the past school year. He said that last school year was a success for the office since 90% of all activities indicated in the work plan were successfully conducted and achieved. He added that for the coming school year, more activities and documentations should be done. Conversely, Dr. Dabucol said that the cooperation and participation of the different departments/schools is needed in order for the future activities to be implemented well and effectively.
Meanwhile, the R&DC Director informed the group that activities concerning the different departments should be given to them, like the medical missions and bloodletting activities should be conducted by the health-inclined departments. Similarly, tree planting and student-oriented activities should be the task of the NSTP and the Office of Student Affairs respectively, though other schools/departments can also participate.
Mr. Batnag exclaimed that the activities last school year will surely be adopted for the coming school year. Some new activities will just be added. All activities will be planned and organized by the office. The different departments will help by providing manpower and services for the said activities. Likewise, concerned departments are the ones responsible in evaluating (forms will be provided by ECOs) and making an article of the event for the Transcendence, the official publication of ECOs. Mr. Llamar was tasked to review and revise the evaluation forms.
Review of the existing guidelines for the Search for Cleanest and Greenest Department, conduct of university-wide and departmental outreach activities, and the terms and conditions for publication in Transcendence was given to Mr. Batnag. The ECOs manual is also subject for revision due to some changes in the set-up of the conduct of activities, including the duties of the different departments and the tasks of the barangays officials.
On the other hand, this summer’s assignment included the profiling and needs assessment to the residents of the adopted puroks (Magsaysay in Loakan Proper and Teachers’ Village in Santo Tomas Proper). Result of the needs assessment will be utilized by Mr. Batnag and Mr. Llamar for research purposes and to identify customized services for the adopted barangays in the coming school year. | By: Noel Llamar – Research Assistant
