Bachelor of Science in Forestry

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the perceived challenges and opportunities of development initiatives among Agta communities in Casiguran, Aurora. The secondary data were acquired from For. Franklin Silvestre Blanco the Officer of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) of Casiguran, Aurora. Data were obtained through questionnaire, supplemented with personal interview. The statistical tools used in the analysis of data was simple weighted mean. The selected number of Agta residents in Casiguran, Aurora was 311. In terms of age, results revealed that 108 respondents to 13-22 years old with the percentage of 34.73% and 65 out of 311 respondents belongs to 33-42 years old with the percentage of 20.90%. Most of the respondents are female of 178 with the percentage of 57. 23% and the rest are male (133) with the percentage of 42.77% In terms of number of years of residency, 271 Agta members lived in Casiguran For more than 10 years and 19 of them lived For 1-5 years with the percentage of 6.11%. In terms of educational qualification most of Agta (103) attained elementary level with the percentage of 33.115 while only 1 of them was attained secondary degree with the percentage of 0.32%. In terms of the challenges brought by the different initiatives, results revealed that Agta community have the most perceived knowledge about disposition on the land territories and resources with the general weighted mean of 4.11 and they are moderately perceived in terms of the increasing occurrence of crime with the general weighted mean of 3.07, while they are highly perceived in terms of increase access to better education, brought by opportunities in different development initiatives with the general weighted mean of 4.66 and they have a perceived knowledge that opportunities brought by different development initiatives may reduce poverty with the general weighted mean of 3.89.