By Prof. Sarex Dalida Dipol, Jr.

Dr. Renia F. Dela Peña, one of the faculty members, helps in the community needs assessment in one of the adopted communities.

Last, January 10, 2025 (Friday), the University’s social workers, guidance counselors, and psychologists conducted a community needs assessment of the adopted public elementary and high schools in the Municipality of Badiangan.

Using the Nominal Group Discussion (NGD), a method used in community needs assessment, selected faculty and local government officials shared the challenges, issues, and concerns faced by the students and communities. Aside from sharing the challenges they faced; the participants helped the CPU faculty determine possible solutions faced by the school community.

Last year, the selected CPU faculty conducted a community needs assessment of newly adopted barangays and schools spearheaded by the Department of Social Science of the College of Arts and Sciences. The communities shared the challenges, issues, and concerns related to the following themes: education, health, economic development, environment, infrastructure, social services, senior citizens, youth and children, peace and order, governance, and gender and development.

The results retrieved during community needs assessment are the basis for developing outreach programs, services, projects, and activities. The results are available in the Community Engagement and Service-Learning Center for those who want to have a copy for the formulation of extension works and community engagement but want to ensure the confidentiality of the documents. Some documents contain sensitive information.