Faculty of Management and Development Studies

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Browsing Faculty of Management and Development Studies by Author "Araojo, Ma. Juliet S."
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    Assessment of the Agojo Community Oriented Mangrove Development Organization (ACOMDO) in Relation to its Mangrove Stewardship Agreement (MSA) in Agojo, Ssan Andres, Catanduanes.
    ( 2005) Araojo, Ma. Juliet S.
    This study assessed the performance of the Agojo Community Oriented Mangrove Development Organization (ACOMDO) in relation to the awarded Mangrove Stewardship Agreement (MSA) in Agojo, San Andres, Catanduanes. The assessment focused on the organization's accomplishments on mangrove plantation maintenance and protection from 1997 -2003, organizational capability/development of ACOMDO, income analysis on livelihood enterprise, and problems and issues encountered in program implementation. A complete enumeration of 25 members was done. Descriptive statistics such as means, percentages and frequency counts were employed in describing the data. Income analysis was based on the comparative income statements for years 2001 to 2003 of ACOMDO. The accomplishments of ACOMDO since the awarding of MSA in 1997 until CY 1993 was low wherein its activities were less adequately implemented. Only 25 – 49 percent of the activities incorporated under the Coastal Environment Program (CEP) components and management plan were carried out by the ACOMDO members. Moreover, the organization was less capable in terms of human resource management, operational management, financial management and networking and linkaging. Thus, this resulted to poor management in the implementation of livelihood projects such as mudcrab culture, aquasilviculture and selling of propagules. A decreasing sales of livelihood enterprise and negative income from sales was noted from years 2002-2003. The decrease in percentage of net income or a negative net income could be attributed to the following: decreasing volume of sales; increasing amount of cost of sales particularly high labor cost and increasing operating expenses. The organization was constrained with major problems such as no quorum during meetings, no regular meetings, inactive members and poor management of livelihood projects. The organization also identified issues and problems with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources (BFAR) and the local government units of San Andres, Catanduanes. One of the major problems identified was the controversy over the presence of a Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) within the awarded MSA site. The two agencies, DENR and BFAR failed to coordinate with each other in the awarding of MSA and FLA. Likewise, LGU San Andres implemented livelihood projects without proper consultation with the members as revealed by nearly half of the respondents. Community-based programs such as MSA is guided by the principles of empowerment and responsibility in the sustainable management of mangrove resources. For a more effective program implementation, the following recommendations were suggested. Government agencies such as DENR, BFAR and local government units should implement a livelihood enterprise which is considered economically feasible in the area. Moreover, bottom-up implementation of community-based projects is highly recommended to facilitate networking and coordination activities between the implementing agencies and the program stakeholders. For any developmental project, proper consultation with program beneficiaries is deemed necessary to generate genuine community participation. Promoting closer involvement of ACOMDO members in planning, decision-making, management and monitoring of developmental projects is the best way to motivate the program beneficiaries to have a full understanding of the relationship between caring for the environment and being more responsive to needs of the conservation and management. Lastly, ACOMDO, as the project's beneficiaries as environmental stewards and as resource managers should be appreciative of the benefits which the organization can acquire by pledging their commitment for the sustained implementation of t6he developmental projects. They should develop a sense of responsibility and accountability to the natural resources particularly the mangrove resources entrusted to them by the government.