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TULUNAN, COTABATO – In a significant step toward inclusive rural development, the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) and the Inter-Cultural Organizations’ Network for Solidarity and Peace, Inc. (ICON-SP) joined forces on December 15, 2025, to conduct a comprehensive Community Scanning Activity in Barangay Dungos.
The initiative, held in the community near the Liguasan Marsh, serves as a foundational baseline assessment for ICON-SP’s Expanded Peace Building Project and USM’s One Health Project. This effort aims to align future academic and humanitarian interventions with the actual socio-economic and health needs of the local Moro population in the area.
The activity was spearheaded by Prof. Marianne Meriales, Project Leader of USM’s One Health Project, alongside a multidisciplinary team of experts including Prof. Lalyn Cabauatan and Prof. Kris June Callano. They were joined by USM Extension Services Office (ESO) Representative Ms. Ritchel Torres, and ICON-SP representatives Mr. Richie Aguirre, Mr. Edgar Aquiatan, Mr. Armando Manial, and Ms. Florencia Llanto.
By utilizing key informant interviews and direct consultations, the team engaged in a participatory needs assessment, revealing the community’s urgent demand for fishing resources, value-adding training, health facilities, and transportation infrastructure, such as bridges.
For Prof. Meriales, the “bottom-up” approach ensures that future projects in agriculture, health, and peacebuilding are not just theoretical, but culturally responsive and evidence-driven.
“The results of this scanning will serve as a vital reference for developing project proposals anchored on the lived realities of the community, and we want to ensure that every intervention is targeted, sustainable, and impactful,” she stated.
The activity concluded with a site visit to validate the interview findings, marking the beginning of a long-term commitment to transform Barangay Dungos into a model of sustainable development and solidarity.
Moving forward, the data gathered from Barangay Dungos will undergo rigorous analysis to inform the design of specialized extension programs and peacebuilding frameworks. The collaboration between USM and ICON-SP underscores a shared vision of a Mindanao where academic expertise and humanitarian action converge to empower marginalized communities, ensuring that the pursuit of lasting peace is anchored on sustainable, evidence-based development.
