Process Documentation

I. Project Description
Students enrolled under the Department of Geography are required to take a
course entitled Field Methods in Geography also known as Geography 192 as a
requirement for graduation. his course allows students to engage in actual fieldwork
acti!ities to apply the theories they ha!e learned from their pre!ious courses. he
Department of Geography frequently ties up with "ocal Go!ernment #nits in need of
assistance in research and e$tension work that is rele!ant to national socio%economic
de!elopment goals related to natural disaster& agrarian reform assessment& comprehensi!e
land use planning& geographic education& physical framework planning& transportation
planning and others. his is part of the e$tension work of the Department of Geography
in the 'ollege of Social Sciences and (hilosophy of the #ni!ersity of the (hilippines.
). *ationale
he 'ity +n!ironment and ,aste Management -ffice of the 'ity of )ntipolo
.'+,M-/ pro!ide assistance to tenure holders in the forested areas 0y facilitating the
collection and generation of necessary information and documents& such as the
'ommunity *esource Management Framework (lan .'*MF(/. he '*MF( is
composed of accounts of resources a!aila0le to a community utili1ing a defined territorial
claim and consists of documentation of how these resources are 0eing utili1ed 0y the
indi!iduals& families& organi1ations and other entities. '*MF( is a part of the planning
procedure called (rotected )rea 'ommunity 2ased *esource Management )greement
.()'2*M)/ which is a tenurial instrument for the use and management of forest
resources in upland areas of the country. ()'2*M) ser!es as the agreement 0etween the
Department of +n!ironment and 3atural *esources .D+3*/ and the 'alawis #pland
Farmers )ssociation 4ncorporated .'#F)4/ which is the (eople5s -rgani1ation .(-/
in!ol!ed. '#F)4 is a grantee of the ()'2*M). hus& they are required to create this
framework plan to help them materiali1e the aims and pro!isions of ()'2*M).
2. -06ecti!es
he pro6ect aims to assist the '#F)4 in updating their '*MF( and to pro!ide a
document which will list all processes done in order to update the '*MF(. his
documentation will ser!e as an a!enue for the e$change of learning 0etween the students&
the local go!ernment unit& the 0arangay officials and participants of the in!ol!ed
community.
'. (roponents
his is a colla0orati!e pro6ect 0etween the 'ity Go!ernment of )ntipolo& the 'ity
+n!ironment and ,aste Management -ffice .'+,M-/& (ro!incial +n!ironmental
3atural *esources -ffice .(+3*-/& and the students and faculty mem0ers of the 2779
Geography 192 class. he com0ined efforts of the said groups to update the '*MF( of
'#F)4 will contri0ute to esta0lishing appropriate and attaina0le strategies towards the
sustaina0le management of the forestlands of 2arangay 'alawis.
D. Methodology
Se!eral methods are employed 0y the #( Geography team to update the '*MF(.
hese methods are used to gather primary and secondary data. (rimary data gathering
methods comprise of key informant inter!iews& focus group discussions& Glo0al
(ositioning System data collection& community mapping& and transect mapping. Spatial
data are integrated using Geographic 4nformation System .G4S/. hese were done during
the actual fieldwork phase of the team. Data gathering of e$isting information includes
collection of digital maps from local go!ernment units and rele!ant literature and laws
with regards to the study area which were done during the pre%field phase.
+. -utputs
)fter the fieldwork& the students are e$pected to produce se!eral outputs. hese
pro6ect outputs include the updated draft of '*MF(& process documentation of all
acti!ities during the fieldwork& thematic maps and management 1ones specific to '#F)4
area& and an updated 0arangay profile of 2arangay 'alawis.
II. Execution Process
). (ro6ect 4nitiation
#pdating the '*MF( of the 'alawis #pland Farmers5 )ssociation is one of the
priority pro6ects of the '+,M-%)ntipolo in relation to the implementation of the
()'2*M). )s the primary instrument in managing tenure in a protected area& the
preparation of the plan entailed colla0oration 0etween and among institutions& agencies
and the community stakeholders with legal mandates& 6urisdiction& and claims to the area
of interest. (utting together data a0out its natural and cultural landscapes from 0oth
literature and primary sources was facilitated 0y en e$ternal institution to ensure non%
partiality in the process of constituting the updated '*MF(.
,hat follows is a 0rief account of the initiation of the '#F)4 '*MF( updating
pro6ect& the stages it in!ol!es and the requisites for its official commencement.
)1. 'ommunication with (otential (artners
)s much as '#F)4 is an acti!e organi1ation of around 277 mem0ers comprising
a knowledge pool with ample capacity for accomplishing an updated '*MF(& limitations
pertaining to time& financial resources& technical skills and organi1ational concerns ha!e
hindered the completion of the said document. 4ncidentally& the Department of
Geography in the #ni!ersity of the (hilippines in 8ue1on 'ity e$tends ser!ices in the
form of technical assistance to local communities in the country through the Geography
192 course& which is offered during the summer term of e!ery academic year. 4t is in this
light that the '+,M-%)ntipolo and the '+3*-& together with their partner in drafting
the Forest "and #se (lan of )ntipolo 'ity& the (hilippine +n!ironmental Go!ernance
.+coGo!/ -ffice& coordinated with the Department of Geography as regards the initiation
of the '*MF( updating process.
)2. Forging of )greements
Formal communication 0etween the Department of Geography and the '+,M-%
)ntipolo 0egan on the first week of )pril. he -ffice of the Mayor of the city was
informed of the parties5 intent to colla0orate on a pro6ect that aims to map the forest
occupants of the '#F)4 ()'2*M) area and to update the '*MF( of the said
organi1ation& and was e!entually consented. 2oth parties fa!ored an agreement to in!ol!e
two faculty mem0ers and twel!e students of the #(%Department of Geography in
collecting& integrating and analy1ing rele!ant information towards the generation of a
draft '*MF( for the '#F)4 ()'2*M). Mem0ers of the Department were to work
closely with the '#F)4 and '+,M-%)ntipolo staff in accomplishing their proposed
acti!ities .i.e. transect mapping& key informant inter!iews& focus group discussions&
community consultations& data !erification& draft composition and editing/. he
Memorandum of )greement that details the estimated 0udget and timeline of the pro6ect
was formally signed a0out a month after the initial correspondence 0etween the #(
Department of Geography and '+,M-%)ntipolo. he latter allotted financial and
logistics support for the #( Geography team.
2y the third week of )pril& four mem0ers of the Geography 192 field class 6oined
the staff of '+,M-%)ntipolo and '+3*- during their !isit to the '#F)4 ()'2*M)
area and had the chance to engage in an initial discussion with '#F)4 (resident +pitacio
'oper. ,ith the mediation of Foresters )ida 'eni1a .(rotected )rea Superintendent/ and
+lmer 2onca6es .forester/& the '#F)4 (resident and the Secretary positi!ely responded to
the proposal of the Geography 192 class. he team then proceeded with scheduling our
trip to the study site and preparing for our stay in the area.
2. (re%Field (reparations
21. (reliminary Data Gathering
(reliminary data gathering is an important stage in the process of field research.
4n e!ery field endea!or& the gathering of preliminary data is always a must. 4t is essential
that a field team is familiar with their study area. he team should know what they are to
deal with in the field site. hey should 0e a0le to identify the needed data as well as
organi1e the gathered information in order to deli!er the analysis and interpretations in
the most clear and correct forms possi0le.
he preliminary data gathering is part of the team5s pre%field stage. he pre%field
transpired from the 19th of )pril to the 1st of May 2779. )long with the preliminary data
gathering& the pre%filed includes the course orientation& !arious workshops& and lectures&
which were prepared and conducted 0y professors and instructors from the Department of
Geography& #( Diliman& as well as guest speakers from other nota0le institutions. hese
lectures co!ered topics such as fieldwork ethics& fieldwork methods& data presentation
methods& and techniques in writing field reports.
1. Document *e!iew
During the team5s pre%field phase& legal documents were e$amined as seen
important in understanding the legalities of the '#F)4 area in 2rgy. 'alawis& )ntipolo.
4n e!ery field research& the important documents& most especially the legal documents&
must 0e re!iewed 0y each mem0er of the team. Discussions regarding these laws were
also conducted for deeper understanding& and to make sure that any clarifications a0out
these documents were clarified.
1.1 "egal 2asis of ()'2*M)
he team read& re!iewed and discussed the (rotected )rea 'ommunity%2ased
*esource Management )greement ()*'2*M) 3o. 1. he document is a0out the
'alawis #pland Farmers )ssociation 4ncorporated& 4nc. 0eing a part of the Marikina
,atershed *eser!ation. 4ncluded in the said document are the following articles:
(ri!ileges of a ()'2*M) holder& o0ligations of parties& duration of the agreement&
resolution of disputes& termination and amendments of ()'2*M)& force majeure or the
;superior force<.
he document was acquired from the Department of +n!ironment and 3atural
*esources .D+3*/. ) 0lank !ersion of the document was also recei!ed along with the
'#F)4 ()'2*M) document.
1.2 echnical Skills
)side from the legalities of the study& the team also researched a num0er of
articles a0out certain skills needed for the actual fieldwork. ransect mapping and
community mapping& to 0e specific. his was accomplished 0y mapping and community
mapping during the class sessions. ransect mapping is a skill that would ena0le one to
show how resources& land use and landscapes are distri0uted in a gi!en path and
ele!ation. 4t ena0les one to know how an area operates and plays a ma6or role in the
triangulation of data that were collected through other techniques.
he team mem0ers researched !arious articles in the 4nternet which pertain to
transect mapping. Some of the team mem0ers pre%re!iewed the articles and created
power point presentations on how it is done.
'ommunity mapping is how the community !isuali1es their en!ironment 0y
mapping out their area themsel!es. 4n the process of community mapping& the social
practices and the 0eha!ior of people towards their resources take surface. he team was
a0le to acquire a short manual 0y (eter ,alpole on 'ommunity%2ased Forest
Management and community mapping. he manual discusses the preparations for a
community mapping acti!ity& integration of the different maps gathered& and how to
!alidate the data in the community map through ground truthing.
Four of the team5s mem0ers were assigned to formulate the community mapping
guidelines that were to 0e used for the community mapping acti!ities when the team
arri!es in the field site.
2. 4dentification of rele!ant data
he following sets of data are needed to 0e acquired 0efore an indi!idual or a
team proceeds to their field site for site o0ser!ation and field work. Data a0out the area
are !ery important as they descri0e the nature and current condition of the area.
4dentifying the following would ser!e as foundations for the fieldwork and the acti!ities
that would transpire in the site.
2.1 Data on the physical characteristics of the ()'2*M)
) field team should ha!e a degree of familiarity with the study area. his is !ital
as the fielder is not a resident or a community mem0er of the field site& therefore& he
should 0e a0le to o0tain data regarding the physical characteristics of the area. )n area5s
physical characteristic includes its topography& the forest co!er& locations of important
offices and slope distri0ution.
he team was a0le to acquire the )nne$ ="5 of the ()'2*M) on the second
week of )pril 2779 when some of the mem0ers went to the Department of +n!ironment
and 3atural *esources to acquire secondary data for the field work. Maps and area
profiles are ideal sources of data on physical characteristics.
2.2 Socio%economic
he team was not a0le to acquire socio%economic data neither of 2rgy. 'alawis
nor the '#F)4 area of the 0arangay. >owe!er& it would 0e !ery helpful in the field if one
is a0le to acquire such information 0eforehand. he socio%economic data includes data on
demography& li!elihood& education and status of ser!ices.
2.? Maps
Maps are of utmost importance for they ser!e many purposes in the field. hey
are !ery essential in the process of planning transect paths& determining the ne$t places to
go to& and in scheduling the acti!ities during the field site. he team was a0le to o0tain
aerial photographs and shape files of different maps ranging from the (hilippine
+n!ironmental Go!ernance (ro6ect. hese maps were e!entually processed. he aerial
photos and the shape files were acquired during the second week of )pril.
22. Formulation of 4nter!iew 8uestions and other materials
4n one of the team meetings the third week of )pril 2779& fi!e team mem0ers
were assigned to formulate standard inter!iew questions for the teams @44s and FGD
sessions to take place in the field site. he formulation of questions is important as these
ser!e as the foundation of the inter!iew. From these questions& the inter!iew will 0ranch
out or e$pound depending on the response of the person or group 0eing inter!iewed.
2?. 4dentification of @ey 4nformants
4n the duration of the team5s pre%field& the key informants of the desired
information needed were identified 0y the team mem0ers. 4dentifying the key informants
is necessary 0ecause this will sa!e time and effort in acquiring the needed information.
-ne can get a lot of information from a key informant in one session. he key informant
should 0e a person who is knowledgea0le a0out the looked%for material and has an access
to the different documents and materials which the team might need. >e or she should 0e
a0le to relay significant information a0out the discussion.
'. )ctual Field ,ork
-ur team departed from #( Diliman at around 17 o5clock in the morning on May
2& 2779 and arri!ed at 2arangay 'alawis& )ntipolo at around 2:?7 in the afternoon. ,e
were escorted 0y Mr. +lmer 2onca6es of '+,M-%)ntipolo from the )ntipolo 'hurch to
the area of study. #pon arri!al& they were greeted 0y Mr. +pitacio 'oper and were
accepted to stay at his hum0le a0ode. he team then prepared for the opening
presentation which stated the o06ecti!es of their study& the participation of the
community& especially the mem0ers of '#F)4& and the different processes regarding the
data gathering methodology which will 0e applied to the study.
'1. 'ourtesy 'alls and (ro6ect -rientation
'2. Data Gathering Methodology
1. @ey 4nformant 4nter!iew
4n order to achie!e detailed information on certain topics it was efficient for us to
use the @44 approach. Documents were acquired from the internet and go!ernment
offices. his includes +$ecuti!e -rders& D)-& and articles regarding the su06ect area.
)fter this& we re!iewed the a!aila0le data at hand and 0egan identifying other additional
information we need. )t this stage re!iewing documents results in ha!ing questions that
would 0e used for the inter!iew. ,e also inquired for potential inter!iewers. Filtering
questions and arranging them followed. -rgani1ing it in such a way that e!ery question
would 0e in coherence with one another along its classification. ,hen all was settled&
questions were prepared and sort out. ,e then set an appointment for our inter!iewees. 4n
these appointments& we !isited the homes of our informants. here were times when we
had to conduct impromptu inter!iews when we were una0le to make an appointment or
we ha!e not coordinated with them. here were cases that we ha!e to go to them at night
to ask for an inter!iew. hroughout this process of citing for potential informants and
going to their homes& we inquired the assistance of the residents in the area. 4t was a great
help to ha!e the residents with us in searching for the houses of the inter!ieweesA for they
did not only take us to our su06ects 0ut they also 0ridged gaps 0etween the inter!iewers
and the key informants.
4n the inter!iew date& make sure to 0e on time and create a comforta0le
atmosphere so that& the inter!iew would go smoothly 4n 0etween questions& we treat it as
a chance to 0uild connection with them 0y inserting stories or asking them some
questions or 6ust relate to their story. 2y these means& we were a0le to achie!e our
o06ecti!e of gathering information as well as 0uilding a link with them.
2. Focus Group Discussion
'onducting the FGD requires procedure similar to the @44A howe!er& this centre to
a group of people that natural takes a different approach. ,e gathered and re!iewed
literature in preparation for the Focus Group Discussion. )n in%depth discussion and
0rain storming took place while formulating the questions and the way to deli!er it to the
group. 2asically& we considered how would they react on certain questions and how
would their e$change of ideas alongside comments would affect the o!erall flow of the
discussion. ,e preferred and end up with generating 0road questions that could produce
collecti!e answer for the group in the end. During the preparation we also assigned at
least two facilitators to handle the discussion. he rest of the mem0ers were appointed to
take notes and record the con!ersation. he flow of the discussion was concluded to 0e a
dialogue linking the facilitator and the group. 8uestions would 0e asked per topic and
after then the group or anyone from them would 0e free to answer the said enquiry. he
!enue of the FGD was another detailA though it was not formally discussed 0ut it came
rather as a standard operation.
he first FGD took place at the 2arangay >all. +!erything went on well e$cept
for some minor pro0lems. -n the ne$t FGD& e!ery plan details were followed. Moreo!er&
in e!ery FGD we could not a!oid questions leading to another topic that would take most
of the time or drift the discussion apart from its flow. 3onetheless& we should 0e wise&
compose& and alert enough to take it 0ack on track and continue with the discussion.
?. 'ommunity Mapping
4t was discussed earlier that during the pre%field stage& the team had done some
research a0out the details regarding the process of conducting the particular acti!ity.
he first community mapping acti!ity took place on May 9& 2779 at the team5s
headquarters in 2arangay 'alawis& )ntipolo 'ity. he mem0ers of the '#F)4 2oard of
Directors were the participants while the team mem0ers ser!ed as the facilitators. he
team prepared a sample of a community map to aid the participants in understanding the
acti!ity. )s soon as e!erything was e$plained& the participants started identifying key
features like roads& ri!ers& and infrastructures at the center of the area where most houses
and commercial infrastructures are also located. )s the acti!ity went on& the puroks and
sitios comprising the '#F)4 area were pin%pointed and delineated on the map. "and use
types& including some of the land owners& were the last to 0e identified and pointed out.
he following community mapping acti!ities were carried out in the same manner
e$cept that the land use types per purok were gi!en much attention and detail.
he team also had another mapping approach wherein a key informant is asked to
point out the natural and man%made landmarks& routes& water 0odies& plants& crops& and
trees on an aerial photograph.
9. ransect Mapping
ransect mapping is a tool for descri0ing and presenting the location and
distri0ution of the different resources& !arious landscape features& and the main !ariations
in land uses in a prearranged transect path. 4t is an information%gathering acti!ity which
in!ol!es outdoor%acti!ities& group discussions& and diagramming.
ransect mapping shows the natural resources and present land use of the area. 4t also
gi!es us data on !egetation and changes in the physical feature and cropping systems of
the field site. hrough transect mapping& we can determine possi0le pro0lems and
opportunities on the areas the transect path co!ers. "ocal technology and practices can
also 0e identified in this acti!ity. 4t can also 0e used to !erify data gathered through other
means. hus transect mapping outputs pro!ide su0stantial information in resource
management and planning.
o identify the transect path or the route we are to follow we must first select
someone from the locality to act as an analyst. >e should ha!e good knowledge of the
area. >e would also 0e the team5s guide in following the transect path.
,ith the selected local guide& carefully plan out the route or the transect path. he
proposed route must co!er all main !ariations in topography& land usage and significant
features. 4f there is a community resource map a!aila0le& the transect path can 0e 0ased
on it. 4t is important to communicate well with the local guide so that pro0lems regarding
the transect path 0e a!oided. he team may 0e thinking of another starting point 0ut the
local analyst may0e thinking of another. Good communication is needed to a!oid
confusion.
he team to conduct the transect walk is ideally composed of fi!e persons. +ach person
will ha!e a specific task to do. )mong the group would 0e a local analystBguide or
someone from the local community that can guide the team on following the transect
path. )nother person would 0e holding on a G(S unit and 0e assigned to collect G(S
points. ) person will also 0e assigned to o0ser!e and take note of the changes along the
transect path. >e will also note down all G(S points .latitude& longitude& ele!ation/ taken
to ser!e as 0ackup. )nother indi!idual will also 0e assigned to inter!iew the local guide
and note down e!erything said on the inter!iew. ) photographer would also 0e included
in the team for photo documentation .photo documentation will 0e discussed in latter
segments/.
he important equipment in doing a transect walk include G(S units for creating
waypoints and noting ele!ation and delineations .waypoints ser!e as markers and tell us
that there5s a change in features o0ser!ed/. 'lip0oards& note0ooks and pens are used in
writing down transect o0ser!ations and data gathered. 'ameras are also needed for photo
documentation. -ther things 0rought in a transect walk !ary from the terrain.
Mountainous transect paths require the team to 0ring hiking gear and things related to
hiking. ,eather conditions also cause !ariations in things to 0ring and clothes to wear.
Food and water are 0asic things that should 0e 0rought along. (rotecting equipment
against shock and water is also significant as you ne!er know what may happen in the
field.
he transect walk co!ers the most rigorous part of the acti!ity. ransect walk is
the actual data gathering process and is conducted outdoors. he time duration of the
acti!ity !aries depending on how long the transect path is and also on current weather
conditions.
2egin the transect walk& 0y going to the start of the transect path and start
walking. 3ote down significant o0ser!ations as the transect walk progresses. Stop at key
features or 0orders of new 1one .e.g. topographic& land usage& etc/. 'reate waypoints in
these transitions or 0orders of !arying land usage. 2ackup these data 0y writing down the
coordinates and ele!ation. )lso& take note of the distance in 0etween points. (ictures for
each point should 0e taken as well.
-ne of the team mem0ers should ask the local analystBguide to discuss and
descri0e things that can 0e seen along the path. 3ote down all data that the local analyst
would tell. Make sketches if necessary.
)t the end of the day& all data gathered should 0e 0acked up. )ll data recorded in
the G(S units should 0e downloaded to the computer. (hotos taken should also 0e
downloaded into the computer and sorted according to date. Cirtual Memories of the G(S
units and cameras should 0e emptied for use the ne$t day. 2atteries should also 0e
charged after use.
)fter gathering data in the field phase& we now analy1e and interpret these and integrate it
into our general land use map. he post%field phase in!ol!es drawing a transect diagram
after which we analy1e it and use it in updating the land use map.
he transect diagram ser!es as a !isual representation of all data gathered during
the transect walk. ransect diagrams make data analy1ing easier. he following are the
steps in creating a transect diagram. hese diagrams can 0e prepared on a large sheet of
paper so that it can easily 0e analy1ed and presented to the mem0ers of the group and the
locals
First we must draw an $ and y%a$is .!ertical and hori1ontal lines/ on our diagram. he $%
a$is will ser!e as a measuring tool for the hori1ontal distance and the y%a$is for the
ele!ation.
*e!iew the G(S points taken and plot them in the graph. Draw !ertical lines from each
point down to the hori1ontal $%a$is. hese !ertical lines will ser!e as a delineation for our
o0ser!ations along the transect path.
,e then connect each of our G(S points. he diagram now shows a cross%section of our
transect path.
,rite down all significant o0ser!ations 0elow the line that connects all G(S points and
0etween the !ertical lines.
Dou may add designs to make the diagram more attracti!e.
he data processing part is where we analy1e and interpret the data we ha!e at hand. 4n
this case& we will use the data we ha!e to update our general land use map of the study
area. ,e do this 0y first identifying our transect path on the general land use map. )fter
identifying it& we go down through our notes and note in the general land use map our
o0ser!ations during the transect walk& changing and updating and noting our o0ser!ations
in the transect path.
,e now use the data we ha!e gathered to update the land use map of the study area.
First& we draw the 0oundaries of the study area
3e$t we draw the transect path. 3e$t we plot the waypoints we ha!e gathered.
3ow that we ha!e plotted our transect path and waypoints& we can now start writing our
o0ser!ations
ransfer these o0ser!ations to the land use map 0y applying the legend of the general
land use map.
E. )erial (hotograph 4nterpretation and Ground ruthing
During the team5s pre%field& we were a0le to acquire aerial photographs of 2rgy.
'alawis from (hilippine +n!ironmental Go!ernance -ffice .+coGo!/. hese aerial
photographs underwent the team5s data0ase management and in!entory. During the field
work& these aerial photos were !ery useful to the team for a lot of reasons.
)erial photos are not like maps. hey do not ha!e sym0ols and they are not
generali1ed. )erial photos capture the !isi0le features of a selected area of the +arth from
an o!erhead perspecti!e. 2ut aerial photos alone are not enough. -ne has to know how to
interpret aerial photos in order for him and the team to utili1e them for the effecti!eness
and 0etterment of the field.
)erial photo interpretation is a skill wherein one gathers information a0out the
area5s co!er in order to interpret and identify the !arious natural and infrastructural
features in the gi!en photo or a set of photos. he process is tedious and may e!en 0e
difficult& 0ut with proper and careful aerial photo interpretation& it can 0e a !ery e$cellent
source of data for studying the en!ironment of the area.
he aerial photographs the team acquired were used in the following: identifying
house lots& identifying the farm lots& planning& the transect path and in identifying the
land co!er of the '#F)4 area. ,ith the help of the 2-D of '#F)4& maps& actual
fieldwork and the personal e$perience& one can 0e a0le to ha!e a good photo
interpretation of an area. he aerial photo interpretation happened on the second week of
May until the end of the field.
4n identifying house lots& the !isi0le roofs of houses within the area were marked
as points. his process was done in all the purok inside the 0oundaries of the '#F)4
area. ,ith the help of the spot map the team 0orrowed from the military& more houses
were identified. Sometimes& large trees could co!er the roofs of houses& making them
impercepti0le in aerial photos. hat is why the military spot map of the area pro!ided 0y
the (hilippine )rmy was useful for the team. )fter this process was done& one will 0e
a0le to see the concentration& location and distri0ution of house lots in the area.
4n determining the farm lots within '#F)45s area& we asked for the help of the
2oard of Directors .2-D/ of the '#F)4 area. #sing the aerial photographs& we
delineated the 0oundaries of indi!idual farm lots. he knowledge of the 2-D of the farm
lot si1es and 0oundaries of their own lots as well as the lots of their fellow farmers& the
farm lots in the '#F)4 area were delineated one 0y one. here were a num0er of sessions
with the different '#F)4 2-Ds. Sometimes& they come in ones and sometimes they
come in pairs or groups.
he aerial photos were also used in planning the team5s transect path. hough the
ele!ation and slope characteristics of the '#F)4 area are not !isi0le on the aerial photos&
the information on the land co!er along with the other physical features of the area
!isi0le on the photos can help in.
4n effecti!ely delineating the land co!er of an area& one has to take into
consideration the following factors: shape& pattern& si1e& tone or color& shadow& te$ture&
site association and time.
Shape is the form of an o06ect as seen on an aerial photo. his helps in identifying
and delineating areas with regular forms in the aerial photos. Such areas with regular
forms would 0e those places which e$perienced human inter!ention. Some e$ample of
these places would 0e roads& pla1as and infrastructures. he delineation of farm lots itself
follow the shape of its 0oundaries.
(attern is the spatial arrangement of o06ects in a gi!en space. 4n aerial photos&
croplands tend to follow a certain pattern of plantation. hat5s why patterns help in
interpreting the use of an area. 4n the '#F)4 area& there is the presence of croplands and
e!en farm lots where the crops are planted in a pattern. he si1e of the areas is also to 0e
considered in delineating land co!er.
he '#F)4 area is used in 0oth agricultural and forestry uses. here are a lot of
trees and other plants present in the area. 4n aerial photographs& these trees would all
appear in the same color: green. his is where the factor of color and tone comes in.
Different trees ha!e different color characteristics in their lea!es. )long with the color of
the lea!es& trees and plants also differ in the shape of their lea!es and the shape of their
growth. ,ater can also 0e identified in aerial photos using color. Most of the time& they
appear in a deep shade of 0lue on aerial photos.
Shadows help settle on the height& shape and orientation of o06ects. e$ture is also
a !ery important factor. he te$ture of an o06ect on ground may change once they appear
on an aerial photograph. 2ananas and coconuts can 0e mi$ed up with each other on aerial
photos especially when coconuts are not planted in a regular pattern& so knowing the
te$ture of the crops in aerial photos will help greatly in determining an area5s land co!er.
Site association also helps in delineating land co!er. ,ith the knowledge of the
2-D and some of the residents& the pro0lem on unidentified land co!er can 0e sol!ed 0y
the areas located near0y the unnamed area. he inputs of the locals are really o0liging
when one is determining land co!er. "astly& time is a factor that should also 0e well
thought%out. -ne has to keep in mind the timeline when the photograph was taken so that
he could ad6ust his interpretation with the changes that could ha!e occurred in the area.
"andscapes change in different rates o!er time& that5s why the one who interprets the
aerial photos should always keep in mind the factor of time. ,hen we were in the process
of interpreting the photos& we were also a0le to find areas which are difficult to classify.
hese =undetermined5 areas were marked as points in the aerial photos. )ll the
=undetermined areas5 within the 0oundaries of '#F)4 were marked in the aerial photo
until all the =undetermined areas5 are marked. he geographic coordinates of these points
on ground were inputted in the team5s G(S de!ices. )fter this& comes another method:
ground truthing.
Ground truthing is the gathering and !erification of data at a distance or in a
certain space. his is an important process in relating the aerial photos or the image data
to the real and present features on ground. his also helps in minimi1ing the errors that
could ha!e 0een possi0ly committed in the process of aerial photo interpretation. he
ground truthing acti!ity was done along with the team transect mapping acti!ity on 7F%79
May 2779. 2efore going on site for transect mapping& the team mem0ers assigned for
transect mapping for a specific day should make sure that all the undetermined points are
identified and inputted in the team5s G(S unit for !erification. Ground truthing also
in!ol!es updating what is already interpreted in the aerial photos. his adds up to the
accuracy of the photo interpretation of the land co!er.
)s mentioned 0efore& with careful interpretation& aerial photos can 0ecome
e$cellent sources of spatial data.
G. (hoto Documentation
4t is the documentation of acti!ities done in the field with the use of a camera. 4t is using
the camera as a tool for capturing important things that is o0ser!ed in the field. (hoto
documentation is used for !erifying the transect map and the land use map. (hoto
documentation is su0stantial for pro!ing the research done 0y the team. hese pictures
could 0e used as a tool for telling a process of how the team did its research. 4n the future&
these photos could pro!ide comparison for the current land use at that time.
4n taking pictures& the photographers took into consideration the importance of 0eing
sensiti!e to the community. he team is aware that the flow of their acti!ities should not
0e disrupted. (hoto documenters take out their cameras when they already asked
permission from the people around that they are going to take pictures. Great discretion is
ad!ised when taking pictures& 0ecause the su06ectBpeople in the community can get
distracted of those who are taking pictures.
hings to 2ring
1. 'ameraBs
2. Memory 'ards
?. Spare 2atteries
9. ,aterproof camera 0ag
(ictures to ake in Field Mapping
1. Distri0ution of *esources
2. (hysical Features
?. "andscape
9. "and uses
E. Flora H Fauna
G. *oads
F. 4nfrastructures
During the field mapping acti!ity& the photographer took pictures of the o0ser!ed
changes of the things mentioned a0o!e. (ictures taken were in line with the things
o0ser!ed 0y the transect mapper. he photographer worked close with the transect
mapper to document the things that needs to 0e taken a picture of. For e!ery G(S point
taken& pictures were taken of its immediate surroundings. he filenames of the images
were noted down together with the coordinates of the location where the photos were
taken. (ictures of !egetation were noted down together with their names and uses.
(ictures to take in FGDB@44
1. (lace where the inter!iew or Focus Group Discussion took place
2. (eople who participated in the @44 or FGD
2asic 'onsiderations for taking pictures
1. proper lighting
2. scale
?. weather conditionsBen!ironment
9. conte$t
SLR POINT AND SHOOT
ADVANTAGES D4S)DC)3)G+S )DC)3)G+S D4S)DC)3)G+S
Maximies t!e
a"ai#a$#e #i%!t in t!e
surroun&in%
2ulky& hard to protect
from ha1ards
'ompact H light&
easy to store and
carry
>ard to capture images
when there5s little light
a!aila0le in the
surrounding and using
flash is neither
appropriate nor
helpful. .e.g. candid
portraits& landscape/
Settin%s cou#& $e
a&juste& manua##'
&epen&in% to
speci(ic nee&s
)d6usting the settings
could take time
aking pictures is
easy when in a hurry
here5s only a few
settings to work around
with
(hoto )rchi!ing is the storing of pictures digitally. he ideal way of photo
archi!ing is 0y storing the pictures 0y the end of each acti!ity. 2y doing so& the memory
space of the camera5s memory card has more free space that can later 0e used for storing
photo documentation. he archi!ed photos should ha!e 0ack%up copies in order to
pre!ent data loss.
Due to the ina0ility to archi!e the photos immediately after the +$it (resentation&
the photos were accidentally deleted 0y a team mem0er.
Most of the pro0lems encountered were technical. hese technical pro0lems are
running out of 0attery power& not ha!ing enough spare 0atteries& not ha!ing enough
memory space and resulting pictures that of poor quality. hese technical pro0lems could
0e a!oided 0y making sure that 0efore lea!ing for transect mapping& pack enough
0atteries and 0ring an e$tra memory card. )s for poor resulting photographs& this could
ha!e 0een a!oided 0y taking many shots so that you can choose the 0est resulting among
these shots. he use of 4mage (rocessing (rograms such as )do0e (hotoshop& was used
for making the most out of the pictures with poor quality. 2ased on the team5s
e$perience& poor quality photos were taken during the rain 0ecause there is not enough
natural light and it was foggy. -n these weather conditions& it is really hard to take
pictures 0ecause the camera might get wet. 4t was hard to take pictures while treading on
rugged and wet terrain. he camera was waterproofed properly& as to protect it from
malfunctioning. )nother pro0lem encountered was the accidental deletion of some
important pictures. his could ha!e 0een a!oided if the pictures ha!e 0een 0acked%up.
#sing two cameras could also help in a!oiding the pro0lem of loss of photo
documentation.
'2. Data 4ntegration
1. Data (rocessing
4deally& the data processing stage should take place after the collection of all the needed
information supporting the study. 4n our team5s case& we started managing the collected
data 0y the end of each day in order to utili1e the gi!en span of time to finish this study.
+ach recorded inter!iew was downloaded immediately and transcri0ed afterwards.
Meanwhile& G(S points& tracks& and other field sur!ey data were dealt with in the same
manner. hey were downloaded after each field sur!ey and were con!erted to (M files
.pro6ection/. )t this point& the field sur!ey data may now 0e used to form and layout the
needed maps. Step%0y%step guides for data downloading& proper naming of files& and
con!erting the files into the certain pro6ections were also made during the course of this
stage so that each mem0er of the team may 0e equipped to do these tasks 0y themsel!es.
4ntegration of Data for "and #se Map
% transect H photographs
% inter!iews
% community maps
% aerial photo interpretation
2. 4dentification of Data Gaps
During the team5s second week& we5!e decided to assess if we ha!e e!erything needed to
complete our e$pected outputs. Meetings which endured for long hours were conducted
in order to !erify if the needed data is at hand. Following the outline that we ha!e drafted
0efore the data gathering stage& we went 0ack each section and thoroughly gauged if the
information we ha!e is necessary and enough to ser!e as foundation to our outputs.
4dentified data gaps were then listed down. he team then addressed which data gaps
should 0e prioriti1ed in terms of accessi0ility.
?. Data Cerification
he data !erification stage went on until the post%field processing 0ut it dawned at the
e$it conference held on May 1F& 2779 at 2arangay 'alawis& )ntipolo. he mem0ers of
the '#F)4 2oard of Directors were in!ited to participate along with some military
personnel. he conference started out with the team stating their o06ecti!es& the
community5s participation& and the e$pected outputs of the study. #pon stating those&
they went on the discussion of the collected and processed data and the outline of the
'2*MF(. 8uestions& dialogues& and clarifications were then raised from among the
0oard mem0ers.
D. (ost%field (rocessing
D1. Maps
he maps that were produced to supplement the 'ommunity *esource Management
Framework (lan .'*MF(/ for the '#F)4%()'2*M) area are as follows: e$isting land
use map& land co!er map& location map& ri!er system map& forest occupants map& and
1oning map. he definition& significance& and data required for each map are to 0e
discussed 0elow. )fterwards& an organi1ed discussion on how to generate each map
ensues. >ence& a section on producing the 0ase map is presented. ) diagram showing a
step%0y%step process of laying out the maps is pro!ided thereafter.
Existing land use map. his map shows the e$tent and location of two common types of
land use in the area which are farm lots and house lots. 4n addition& locations of
infrastructures and institutions such as roads& streets& medical centers& schools& churches&
and administrati!e 0uildings are depicted in the existing land use map. he farm lots
indicate degree of the agricultural use of the land while house lots indicate the e$tent of
the use of the area for residential purposes. he ri!er system is also to 0e shown in this
map. )n important note is that the polygonal e$tents of farm lots and house lots are
deri!a0le from the land cover map and that the point locations of ma6or institutions such
as churches and schools can 0e o0tained from aerial photo interpretation data and from
field sur!ey .G(S/ data.
Land cover map. he land co!er map is similar to the existing land use map in such a
way that this map also depicts types of land use. 2ut unlike the existing land use map& the
land cover map displays a larger set of different land use types. he farm lots are di!ided
into different uses such as mango, coconut, banana, dalandan, rice& etc. while the
residential category is retained. his map5s significance is that it shows specific types of
human land use while also depicting areas which are relati!ely untouched such as
woodlands and grasslands. he land cover map is the product of aerial photo
interpretation and field sur!ey data.
Location map. General reference to the location of the '#F)4%()'2*M) area is
presented in this map as inset maps of )ntipolo 'ity and 2arangay 'alawis are shown.
Ma6or thoroughfares like streets and roads are shown alongside ma6or creeks and ri!ers
passing through the area. 4nstitutions such as the 0arangay hall& elementary school&
church& and high school are also displayed in this map. )s such& this map supplements the
need of the map users to understand the '#F)4%()'2*M) area in terms of its general
spatial conte$t.
River system map. 4t is a simple map showing the names and locations of ri!ers and
creeks in the area. "ocal names of these water 0odies are put on !iew. )lso& E7%m%inter!al
contour lines were added. he '#F)4%()'2*M) area is part of the Marikina ,atershed
*eser!e& a system of ri!ers and forest co!ers that facilitate sustaina0le water discharge to
areas such as Metro Manila& hence the river system map is to 0e used to facilitate a good
understanding of the area5s role in the operation of the Marikina ,atershed *eser!e.
Forest occupants map. his map contains the point locations of the houses of people
residing inside the '#F)4%()'2*M) area. he forest occupants map also presents the
distri0ution of households in the area. his map was deri!ed from aerial photo
interpretation and an army spot map. ) larger !ersion of the forest occupants map
displays point locations not as mere dots 0ut as num0ers and an anne$ list of household
heads corresponding to those num0ers is pro!ided alongside.
Zoning map. he 1oning ordinance of )ntipolo 'ity designates two types of land use
1ones in the '##F)4%()'2*M) area I a restoration 1one and a multiple%use 1one. he
'*MF( for the area needs to 0e integrated to larger%scale plans such as the 1oning
ordinance and hence the demarcations of the e$tent of the said land use 1ones are
depicted in the zoning map. he 1oning data shown on the map was sourced from the
)ntipolo 'ity Forest "and #se (lan .F"#(/& which is part of the city5s 1oning ordinance.
Base map. he 0ase map is contained in each type of map stated a0o!e. 4t contains the
0oundary of the '#F)4%()'2*M) area& the road and ri!er systems together with la0els
of roads& streets& ri!ers and creeks& and graticules corresponding to lines of longitude and
latitude passing through the area.
hese maps were first made using )rcCiew ?.2& a G4S software& and were further
processed using )do0e (hotoshop 'S?& a software for image processing. "ayout was also
done using )do0e (hotoshop as to impro!e the aesthetic elements in the maps.
D2. 2arangay (rofile
2arangay (rofile
he 0arangay profile actually is not part of the proposed output for our pro6ect&
0ut upon learning the situation and the need of the 0arangay for a new profile. he group
decided to help them. ,e already ha!e the copy of their e$isting profile which was
supposed to 0e used in the updating of the '2*MF(. ,e re!iewed the content of the
0arangay profile and noticed that some statement is not clear and re!ising is strongly
necessary. he ne$t task is to create and plan for the new outline to make it more
organi1ed. he outline is composed of the (hysical 'haracteristic part where the
location& climate and topography will 0e discussed. Demography& language& religion&
education& health ser!ices and li!elihood is part of the Socio%+conomic (rofile. he team
conducted @44 and FGD to gather the information needed. ,e inter!iewed 0arangay
officials& '#F)4 2oard of Directors and the residents of the 0arangay during our field.
he processing& writing and integrating of data is done during our post field which
is after lea!ing the 0arangay. ,hile editing our '2*MF( draft& data gaps were identified
so we ha!e to go 0ack to the 0arangay to !erify and inter!iew people. wo persons go to
)ntipolo 'ity to gather data like the Facts and Figures and inter!iew the 2arangay
'alawis Secretary& let her answer the 2arangay Form from D4"G and !alidate the data
that we ha!e. he other G persons went to 'alawis and conduct other inter!iews with
certain persons that can supplement the information for the data gaps. )fter the data
!erification we proceed with the data integration. ,e already start working on the
writing and re!ising the pre!ious outline. Most of the information and the write up that
we use is from the '2*MF( 0ecause the data presented there is for the whole 0arangay
and is applica0le for the 0arangay profile. he data that we e$tract from the draft is the
socio%economic part& social ser!ices and programs& protecti!e ser!ices& climate and
topography. ,e also incorporate data5s from the Facts and Figures of )ntipolo 'ity& the
D4"G form answered 0y 2arangay Secretary and especially from their e$isting 0arangay
profile. he last phase is the editing and preparation of pictures necessary to put in the
profile.