Text by Casandra Emata
Photos by Gyllen Sanchez

Xavier University hosted the Rural Development Action Plan Program (RDAPP) public defense for the second batch of Master in Public Management – Major in Rural Development (MPM-RD) students in Northern Mindanao on July 29 at AVR 3.

The master’s program, offered by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) in partnership with the University of the Philippines (UP) and XU, is one of the strategic interventions under the capacity-building unit of the Convergence Initiative framework. It seeks to enhance the effective governance of rural development by three related agencies: Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

XU conducts two of these courses: Asset Reform and Natural Resource Governance (AR-NRG) and Agricultural Resource and Productivity Tools (ARPT).

To apply the theories learned from the program, students are required to produce RDAPPs—a research paper cum development plan—present them to panelists, and implement them in their respective areas.

Six groups from DA, DAR, and DENR Region 10 Field Units presented their RDAPPs and received constructive comments to enhance their development plans. Their RDAPPs are a major requirement for them to graduate from the master’s program.