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Field trial on tomato production was conducted under two sources of fertilizer through integrated application with and without mulching material to measure the growth, productivity and profitability of the said crop in the province of Masbate. The study was laid in a two-factor factorial Randomized Complete Block Design. Fertilizer treatments were tested in treatment of mulching (rice straw and control). The factorial treatment combinations were as follows: A1B1 - no fertilizer and without mulching; A2B1 - complete fertilizer without mulching; A3B1 - goat manure without mulching; A4B1 - complete fertilizer + goat manure without mulching; A1B2 - no fertilizer and with mulching; A2B2 - complete fertilizer with mulching; A3B2 - goat manure with mulching; A4B2 - complete fertilizer + goat manure with mulching. The study revealed that the treatment that exhibits higher growth (plant height and number of branches) and yield (38.41 t/ha.) is in the treatment under complete fertilizer + goat manure. The same treatment also obtained higher number of fruits (543) and higher number of marketable fruits (424) per treatment with significant difference. In terms of the fruit size, length and diameter of the tomato, complete fertilizer + goat manure shows dominant effect. Profitability showed significant difference between treatments were the complete fertilizer + goat manure, complete fertilizer, goat manure, and control got 1,334, 1,265.15, 517.51 and 52.20 respectively. Therefore, the integration of organic (goat manure) and synthetic fertilizer (Triple 14) will enhance the yield of the tomato in Masbate and it is highly profitable.

This descriptive study was conducted to obtain baseline data on the rice production practices in the identified barangays of Cawayan, Masbate for the government to offer real-time intervention. A structured survey questionnaire was used to gather information on the socio-demographic characteristics and rice production practices of the farmers. Aging farmers in the three barangays of Cawayan were observed with an age ranging from 50–60 years old. About 61% of them are classified as small-scale farmers and been tilling the land for more than 31 years. Despite the years they have been in farming, they still belong to the poorest sector with a monthly family income of PHP 800.00. About 96% of the farms in the identified barangays are rain-dependent. Majority of the farmers find difficulty in identifying the variety they are using, and 73% of them used seeds from their previous harvest as planting materials. Land preparation is done through the use of animal-drawn plows and employs direct seeding to minimize expenses. The manual method of controlling weeds, insect pests, and harvesting was practiced by the farmers. The application of fertilizer employed by the farmers is not based on the recommended rate. In totality, farmers obtained breakeven or negative income from their production. The gaps in the farming practices of the farmers can be filled through a holistic and sustainable extension program like Mag-Uma Kaupod ang Pamilya (Farming Together with the Family) in which family members are involved in agricultural production to achieve sufficient and sustainable food for all.

Part of the FishCORAL project is the roll out of the livelihood projects which would respond to the objective of reducing poverty incidence of fishing communities. One of these livelihood projects was inter-island seaweeds culture of Cawayan and Placer in Masbate. Descriptive research design and purposive sampling were used in the study. Structured survey-questionnaire was utilized and employed interview and focus group discussion as means of collecting information from the target respondents. Data revealed that the majority of the respondents’ dwell in a single house with five members and have a monthly income of P10,252.00 which is not enough to finance household expenditures due to a large number of dependents. They don’t have possession of the lot where their houses are situated. Many are challenged for sources of safe and affordable drinking water. Women empowerment in the area is fair, although disempowerment is high at 51%. Seaweeds project in inter-island barangays does not have significant impacts on the lives of the beneficiaries because poverty incidence is higher than the set poverty threshold. Its effectiveness and efficiency could not be fully assessed although there are glaring pieces of evidence of the major challenges along with these criteria. Putting suitable intervention on the target coastal communities with close coordination on concerned agencies and proper monitoring of the project should be considered by the implementing agency to address the findings in this study. Insurance coverage is recommended to alleviate impacts to the livelihood during inclement weather conditions. Capability development of livelihood beneficiary association along with financial literacy, basic business management, and record keeping shall be carried out.

The Seaweeds Culture is one of the livelihood initiatives extended by the FishCORAL Project funded by the United Nations-International Fund for Agricultural Development (UN-IFAD) with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to the fishing households in Barangay Rizal and Libertad, Esperanza, Masbate, Philippines. The study aimed to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of household beneficiaries, identify the different types of livelihood assets, and evaluate the livelihood key performance of Esperanza Seaweeds Culture-Enterprise Federation. The study included the twenty-one beneficiaries, and data were treated based on cross-sectional quantitative data were gathered through focus group discussion and key informant interviews. It was found out that the household beneficiaries are mostly potential members of the labor force. The household income is insufficient, which translates to high poverty incidence. The income and expenditure approach as PSA's measure of poverty confirmed this. The primary livelihood assets are consumer durables, enterprise federation, credits as significant financial capital, and government transfers associated with buffering mechanisms to sustain the family needs. There is relevance and initial impact, which results in improved livelihood and some improvement in women empowerment. The claimed improvement in income could not be associated with project impact as the culture has just started. There are key challenges to the efficiency and sustainability of the project, especially from the end view of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. These significant risks are appropriately counteracted when the association does have a sustainability plan. The adaptive capacity of the association must be enhanced. Along these ends, the technical backstopping of BFAR, academe, and other agencies are very vital.

The Department of Education implemented gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) to assist the government in reducing malnutrition in the country. DEBESMSCAT-Cawayan Campus assessed the state of gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) of all public schools in Cawayan, Masbate as part of the evaluation technique to establish the suitable and needed extension services to be delivered. The study employed a descriptive research approach and purposive sampling. In the study, a structured survey questionnaire was used to collect data on the status of the gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) program in the schools. Data showed that the gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) initiative had not yet been adequately implemented for a variety of reasons. Schools utilized bolo to prepare the land, which took several months to complete. Planting supplies and other inputs were unavailable at all times, causing the output to be delayed. The lack of Department of Agriculture assistance for inputs, as well as the lack of training/seminars related to the gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) program, are factors that impede the program's implementation and sustainability. Since school heads did not appropriate funding from the MOOE, all coordinators were obliged to pull money from their purses to fund the gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) initiative. Due to low vegetable output, the gulayan sa paaralan (school garden) program in Cawayan public schools does not make a substantial contribution to combating school malnutrition. The implementing agency should explore a holistic strategy for GPP implementation in schools, with close collaboration with related agencies, stakeholders, and religious monitoring of the program should be strictly observed. The capacity of the school heads and coordinators to lead is a key element to the program's success.

With the alarming poverty incidence among fisherfolks communities, the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) embarked a project dubbed as Fisheries, Coastal Resources and Livelihood (FishCORAL) funded by United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (UN-IFAD) to address the problem by providing livelihood project to the coastal areas of different regions in the country. To assess the impact of the said project in the Bicol region, Bicol University in collaboration with different State Colleges and Universities in the region conducted a project called impact assessment on different project of the FishCORAL livelihood projects. The aim of the study is to assess the key indicators of the project if the goals of the project was met with the implementation of the livelihood project. The study used convenience sampling in the field surveys and focus group discussions to draw conclusion wherein the respondents are the recipient of the aqua silviculture livelihood project. The study reveals that the beneficiaries is under big household category making them hard to financially sustain the basic needs of the family because there is large percentage of dependent individuals. It was also noted that they do not have their own lot where they built their houses and the source of drinking water is unprotected well. In addition, the livelihood project is not sustainable because of various problems such as no profit from the first production cycle, most of the beneficiaries backed out during the implementation and the association itself is not technically prepared to implement the project to sustainable ends. Conduct of more technical capability training along varied aspects of aqua silviculture shall be caried out. Also, trainings on financial literacy, business management and basic record keeping are very necessary. There is also a need to craft a clearcut guideline and operational protocol to guide the aqua silviculture venture. Maybe, a root cause analysis of the previous production cycle should be carried-out to highlight lessons and undertake corrective measures. The association must be reorganized, reoriented and retooled.

Women empowerment contributes to the coastal economy and dispositions to household income. This descriptive study aimed to establish women's empowerment and their roles in the overall performance of selected fisheries-related livelihood in coastal towns of Milagros, Cawayan, Placer, and Esperanza, Masbate. It was participated by 81 women beneficiaries. A structured survey questionnaire was utilized to collect information on the sociodemographic profile and adequacy level of empowerment aligned to WEAI-5DE. It was backed up with FGDs and KIIs. The data were treated through descriptive analysis techniques using frequencies and percentages. The respondents mainly belong to the reproductive age group (15-49 years old) and are married individuals (84%). They have resulted in the dismayed of occupation because respondents are mainly housewives. The present study reveals that women achieved an adequate level of control over using income and building relationships or groups within and outside the organization; hence, women are empowered. The study also focused on the need for women's empowerment along with agricultural production, access to and control of productive resources, leadership in the community, and time allocation. These gaps and impediments may be addressed when feasible vocational/TVET training programs are introduced to women, the establishment of collaboration among concerned government agencies to channel fishery products directly to the market, and the inclusion of gender sensitivity activities to lessen gender inequality in the fishery community.

À l'interface entre les écosystèmes aquatiques et terrestres, le génie végétal sur les berges de cours d'eau s'inspire et utilise les capacités naturelles des végétaux comme matériel de base à la reconstruction de berges. Cette alternative au génie civil, confère aux écosystèmes une meilleure capacité de retour vers des systèmes plus naturels et surtout plus diversifiés. Toutefois, la restauration écologique et particulièrement les techniques de génie végétal souffrent de l'absence généralisée d'évaluation du succès et de retours d'expérience sur le développement des espèces et la tenue des différentes techniques. Cet article présente la démarche adoptée ainsi que les principaux résultats du suivi du réaménagement des berges de la Romanche au barrage de Livet, réalisé avec des techniques mixtes associant enrochements et différentes techniques de génie végétal.