Getting to Know the Community

As a writer, it is imperative that we are familiar with our community. And as development communicators it is our way of understanding the situation in the community in order for us to truly serve their needs.

In a group of three, only one hails from Laguna but honestly, even he was not familiar with the barangay assigned to them. It was a totally new experience for them to travel to a small barangay near the the beautiful lake of Laguna. Barangay Tadlac is a small barangay along the border of Calamba and Los Banos along with other small barangays.

In order to provide the following data, the group decided to use the method of a face-to-face interview. It was way easier to get the information in that exact manner. The assigned person of Brgy. Tadlac was also accommodating and welcoming. She even gave us a printed output of all the information that we need. Additionally, unlike the other groups, we were not required to provide a letter. That is why we didn’t have much difficulty gathering the data. Aside from the data required, we also found out about upcoming activities of the barangay for the community in which will be helpful for us to identify the needs of the community through those programs. This activity also served as an opportunity for us to observe the community and determine where it’s at in development.

Here are some tips to effectively and appropriately gather data from your local barangay:

• Research. Before going to the barangay, make sure you know how to get there and where to go in order to get the information you need.
• Documents. Provide the necessary papers, letters, or requirements if the office requires you to in order to provide you with the information you need.
• Tools. Bring the necessary tools for data gathering such as a pen, notebook, audio recorder, camera, and such.
• Manners. Be polite and have the confidence enough to ask questions or for clarifying information. Also, be patient and flexible enough to adjust to the office policies because sometimes they would ask you to schedule an appointment to maximize your visit and gather the needed data.