The role of community participation for sustainable development: The case of island barangays

Community development is an endeavor often marred by projects that, despite initially starting with enthusiasm for sustainable development, can encounter various challenges. This study aims to document the community development projects initiated on the island. The research employs a mixed-method design, specifically a sequential explanatory design, which involves collecting and analyzing quantitative data followed by qualitative data in two consecutive phases within a single study. The results revealed that the demographic profile of the selected island barangays includes factors such as age, gender, educational background, and occupation. In terms of physical infrastructure, the landmarks identified in the community include households, the barangay hall, the day care center, the primary health center, the purok center, the public elementary school, the fish port, the multipurpose center, the electricity generator, communal toilets, garbage disposal facilities, rain collectors, open dug wells, pathways, a basketball court, and a Catholic chapel. Additional infrastructures related to marine coastal zone resources were also identified, such as areas for traditional gleaning, fishing grounds, mangrove plantation areas, fish ports/landing sites, anchorages, mariculture zones (including fish cages and fish pens), seaweed farming, shellfish culture, fish drying areas, lighthouses, and garbage disposal areas. Issues observed included the degradation of marine habitats/mangrove overharvesting, lack of alternative livelihood projects, high costs of fishing inputs/low prices of fishery products, poor sanitation facilities, and, lastly, declining fish catches. These problems were linked with the roles identified in sustainable community development projects. The presence of diverse resources on the island indicates a potential for more effective sustainable development programs for the island community. published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES