A watershed is a basin-like landform defined by highpoints and ridgelines that descend into lower elevations. We need to remember that we all live downstream and that our everyday activities can affect downstream waters. In this regards, the entire community needs to get involved to spare our watersheds. The study involved 33 students subdivided into three groups. The three groups were assigned to interview a total of 132 respondents consituting of 33 students, 33 instructors, 33 local citizens and 33 government officials. The level of awareness and initiatives of respondents with regards to watershed resources management were determined. The first group of studentsfound that government officials have the lowest of awareness (69%) and initiatives (71.82%). Same results were obtained by the second and third group. The students' experiences on this participatory research were also investigated. According to the students, most government officials did not take the survey questionnaire seriously. Students also mentioned that some government officials thought that the survey is unnecessary because they are aware of their environment. The results of the survey questionnaire tell otherwise. A spatial water quality assessment will be conducted to strengthen the purpose of this research to conserve the watershed resources of DMMMSU-NLUC. HOW TO CITE PAPER: Aban, J. L. (2015). Students-Based Participatory Research for the Watershed Resources Management in DMMMSU-NLUC, Bacnotan La Union. International Conference on Nature Studies and Innovations for the Environment (ICONSIE 2015), Hotel Stotsenberg, Pampanga, Philippines, May 26-30, 2015. Philippine Society for the Study of Nature, Inc. p2.

1. Philippine Society for the Study of Nature, Inc.
(PSSN)
Hotel Stotsenberg, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines
May 26-30, 2015
JOMAR L. ABAN
Research Presenter
HOW TO CITE: Aban, J. L. (2015). Students-Based Participatory Research for the Watershed
Resources Management in DMMMSU-NLUC, Bacnotan La Union. International Conference
on Nature Studies and Innovations for the Environment (ICONSIE 2015), Hotel Stotsenberg,
Pampanga, Philippines, May 26-30, 2015. Philippine Society for the Study of Nature, Inc. p2.

2. STUDENTS-BASED PARTICIPATORY
RESEARCH FOR WATERSHED RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT IN DMMMSU-NLUC,
BACNOTAN LA UNION: A Pilot Study
JOMAR L. ABAN
Seminar-Lecture Presenter
Instructor, DMMMSU-NLUC, CE
jomar_d2@yahoo.com
(+63) 999 598 4194

3. BACKGROUND
 A watershed is a basin-like landform defined
by highpoints and ridgelines that descend
into lower elevations.
 We need to remember that most of us live
downstream and that our everyday activities
can affect downstream waters.
 In this regard, the entire community needs to
get involved to spare our watersheds.

4. DMMMSU Watershed

5. DMMMSU-NLUC
Watershed
 DMMMSU-NLUC has been considered the
most sustainable and eco-friendly campus in
Region 1 from 2013-2015.
 This reputation shows that the school has an
ecologically sound environment for all the
stakeholders that it shelters.
 However, in the recent decade, it’s population
has more or less tripled and more
infrastructures have been built near its
watershed.

6. Participation and Cooperation
of Its Stakeholders
 The aforementioned condition has lead to the
development of this study in order to assess
the knowledge and attitudes of its
stakeholders through the active participation
of students in the academe, particularly in
protecting its watershed.

7. CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
External
Expert on
Watershed
Internal Expert in
Environmental
Science
Faculty in
Earth Sci and
Envi Educ. STUDENTS
LECTURES
TRAINING
SEMINAR
Local
Government
Officials
Faculty /
Instructors /
Teachers
Students
Perspectiveson
WatershedManagement

8. MAJOR OBJECTIVES
 What is the level of awareness of the
stakeholders of DMMMSU-NLUC regarding
watershed resources and how it should be
managed?
 What are the initiatives of the stakeholders of
DMMMSU-NLUC regarding watershed
resources management.
 What are the student-interviewers’ responses
and insights to the attitudes of stakeholders
regarding such students-based participatory
activity.

9. METHODOLOGY
 Research Design
 Qualitative-Quantitative, Descriptive Type
 Study Area
 DMMMSU-NLUC
 Respondents
 33 students who have undergone, lecture, training
and seminar on watershed management
 Randomly selected local government officials, faculty /
teaching personnel, local citizens, students.

10. METHODOLOGY
 Methods and Data Sampling Procedure
 1.) Faculty member attended a 1-week training course
on Watershed Management and Climate Change
sponsored by UP Los Banos and the Collaborative
Monitoring System for Enhanced Watershed
Management in the Philippines.

11. METHODOLOGY
 Methods and Data Sampling Procedure
 2.) Faculty echo-lectured the training and seminar to 33
students of the College of Education who are taking
Environmental Education and Earth Science.

12. METHODOLOGY
 Methods and Data Sampling Procedure
 3.) Student-respondents (divided into three groups)
actively participated on one-on-one watershed
management info-drive and assessment
 4.) Each student participant needs to disseminate
watershed management information to
 1.) one local government official;
 2.) one faculty /instructor/ teacher;
 3.) one student; and
 4.) one local citizen in the campus
 after assessing their knowledge and attitudes through a
structured questionnaire,

16. METHODOLOGY
 Data Sampling and Collection
 5.) Student respondents need to present their report
through a Focus Group Discussion
 6.) Students’ reports were interpreted and analyzed.

17. RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
 1.) Results presented by the three groups in terms
of the awareness and initiatives of their respective
respondents (Quantitative)
 2.) Assessment of the students’ observations,
insights and concerns towards the activity
(Qualitative)

18. AWARENESS AND INITIATIVES
ON WATERSHED RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
RESULTS
PRESENTED BY
GROUP 1

19. AWARENESS AND INITIATIVES
ON WATERSHED RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
RESULTS PRESENTED BY GROUP 2

20. AWARENESS AND INITIATIVES
ON WATERSHED RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
RESULTS PRESENTED BY GROUP 3

21. QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE
INTERVIEW AND ONE-ON-ONE
DISCUSSION OF STUDENTS TO THEIR
RESPECTIVE RESPONDENTS
 “One respondent (local official) is so
intimidating and irate when I interviewed her
and when I shared what I know about
watershed resources management. She even
said, “Bakit mas magaling pa kayo sa akin?
Alam ko kung ano ang watershed?”
 The result of the survey however does not
indicate sufficiency of knowledge on watershed
resources of the local government official
respondents

22.  “One respondent (local government) just
copied the answer of the other official in
terms of knowledge and initiatives in
watershed management. It shows that either
they are not serious on the questionnaire or
doesn’t care about it at all.”
 This student observation is quite alarming since
local government officials are involved in decision
and policy-making.
QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE
INTERVIEW AND ONE-ON-ONE
DISCUSSION OF STUDENTS TO THEIR
RESPECTIVE RESPONDENTS

23.  “One respondent (faculty) is very helpful in
the one-on-one session. He has a lot of
inputs about watershed management. He
even said that after this activity, the scarcity
of water resources in DMMMSU-NLUC
especially during summer should be
resolved. He even thanked us in helping in
the conservation of the environment
 This is an indication that there are still a lot of
concerned citizens in the campus in watershed
resources management.
QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE
INTERVIEW AND ONE-ON-ONE
DISCUSSION OF STUDENTS TO THEIR
RESPECTIVE RESPONDENTS

24.  “A local citizen keeps on asking me to
elaborate what is written on the
questionnaire. It seems that he has very little
knowledge on concepts about watershed
resources management so I explained it
thoroughly after he is done answering the
questionnaire.”
 Student participant is very compassionate in their
duty as concerned citizens in watershed
preservation through information dissemination
especially to those who needs and who wants to
learn.
QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE
INTERVIEW AND ONE-ON-ONE
DISCUSSION OF STUDENTS TO THEIR
RESPECTIVE RESPONDENTS

25.  “My friend (student) said that the concepts on
the questionnaire were tackled in one of his
class before. He even said that he is also
willing to join any environment-greening
activities in the campus if possible”
 Positive attitude towards environmental activities
are indications of positive perspectives on
watershed resources management.
QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE
INTERVIEW AND ONE-ON-ONE
DISCUSSION OF STUDENTS TO THEIR
RESPECTIVE RESPONDENTS

26. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ INSIGHTS
REGARDING THE PARTICIPATORY
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
 “Mahirap pong makipag-usap sa mga
matatanda, lalo na sa mga local officials.
Parang pinapamukha nila na wala kami sa
lugar kasi mga estudyante lang kami.”
 “The activity gave me a cleaner
understanding of how I should act as a true
steward of nature because I don’t only do it
myself, but also proactively doing it so that
others may do it as well.”

27.  “This activity gives us students chance to do
our part as protectors of the environment not
only by plain lectures inside the classroom
but also more importantly participating to info-
drives outside.”
 “Kung hindi dahil sa research na ito, hindi ko
lubusang maiintindihan ang ugali ng ibang
tao na walang pakialam sa kapaligiran.”
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ INSIGHTS
REGARDING THE PARTICIPATORY
RESEARCH ACTIVITY

28. CONCLUSIONS and
RECOMMENDATIONS
 The level of awareness in terms of watershed
resources management appears to be lowest
in the local government official category and
it seems that they are only moderately aware
of the concepts regarding watershed
resources management. Strengthened
training and workshops on watershed
resources management must be
implemented to increase their level of
awareness.

29.  The perspectives and proactiveness of local
citizens and local government officials appear
to be lowest and it appears that they are only
moderately proactive. Therefore, seminars
which highlights the need for watershed
protection, should be conducted to increase
to make them more proactive to such
environmental concerns.
CONCLUSIONS and
RECOMMENDATIONS

30.  Some respondents reacted negatively to
lectures / elaborations by students during
one-on-one discussions. It could be possible
that their self-esteem were affected believing
that they know more than what the student-
interviewer knows. This may pose problems
particularly when such concerned
respondents were the one who scored low in
terms of awareness to watershed resources
management. Follow-up interviews and
actions must be undertaken.
CONCLUSIONS and
RECOMMENDATIONS

31.  Faculty and student respondents from the
academe appeared to have been very
supportive to the activity. They also appeared
to have high awareness and initiatives.
 Student participatory respondents appeared
to be satisfied with the outcome of their
activity particularly in inculcating the true
meaning of being stewards of the
environment as active participants to
information drive to other stakeholders of the
community
CONCLUSIONS and
RECOMMENDATIONS

32. IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES
 The results of the study will also be forwarded to
the policy-making body of the academe in
shifting the EnEd course syllabi from being
classroom-based to a research-workshop-
based course where students would assist in
the conduct of seminar workshop which involves
parents and other concerned stakeholders of the
academe’s environment.

33. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Kearney, A.R. and Kaplan, S. (2006). Toward a methodology for the
measurement of knowledge
 structures of ordinary people: The conceptual content cognitive map (3CM).
Environment and
 Behavior, 29(5), 579-617.
 Lieberman, G.A. and Hoody, L.L. (2008). Closing the achievement gap:
Using the environment as an
 integrating context for learning. Science Wizards: Poway, CA.
 Yap, K.O. (2008). A summative evaluation of Model Links. Northwest
Regional Educational Laboratory:
 Portland, OR.
 Zemelan, S., Daniels, H., Hyde, A. (2008). Best practice: new standards for
teaching and learning in
 American’s schools, 2nd Edition. Heinemann Press: Portsmouth, NH.

34. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“The voice of the academe alone, is not enough
to save the environment. It is the synergistic
relationship it has with the community that will
restrain human’s indiscriminate action; which in
return could spare us from the wrath that the
environment might bring.”
~Jomar Aban~
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!