The Ateneo Student Researchers Pool (ASRP), under the guidance of the Ateneo Social Science Research Center (ASSRC), successfully conducted the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) in Barangay Fundado, Canaman, Camarines Sur, which is one of the University’s Partner Communities on 30 November 2014. The activity specifically aims to describe the bio-physical, social and economic conditions as well as the current problems and issues in the barangay, thus identifying possible courses of actions in the future to improve the conditions in the barangay.

The whole day research activity was conducted at the Multipurpose Hall of the barangay. Eighteen residents and local leaders participated in the event. During the activity, participants were organized in small groups according to thematic areas of interest. The PRA employed several data gathering tools and techniques, which include Historical Timeline, Resource Map and Hazard Map, Social Map, Seasonal Timeline, Flowchart for Production and Marketing, Pie Chart for Income and Expenditure, Map of Services and Opportunities, Community Calendar, Stakeholders Venn Diagram and Mind Mapping.

PRA is one of the regular research outputs of the ASRP and is one of the major components of the scholars’ training program. It is a learning process employed to understand rural conditions using a number of participatory tools which involve the participation of local inhabitants during the process. After data collection, the results are published for the benefit of the various development stakeholders in the subject localities.