The Journal of Public Affairs and Development (JPAD) is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal published annually by the College of Public Affairs and Development. Published in both print and online format, the journal aims to provide a venue to discuss topics related to public affairs and development, particularly, development management and governance, strategic planning and public policy, agrarian and rurban development studies, agricultural and extension education, community development, and education management.

JPAD Volume 6 puts together five articles covering the topics on maternal health care, production and marketing of indigenous crops, agroforestry livelihood, good governance, and technology diffusion and adoption. While maternal deaths in the Philippines decreased considerably from 2000 to 2017, women’s access to health care services remains to be a problem. Thus, Landicho’s article analyzed the factors affecting Filipino women’s utilization of maternal health care services using the 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey. Wealth status is the sole socio-demographic factor that significantly relates to access to maternal health care services while frequency of using the internet is the only mass media factor found to positively affect women’s maternal health care use. The study recommends that the government enhance connectivity of and provide internet-ready gadgets to government hospitals and local health facilities to enable the women access these maternal health care services especially during a pandemic.

Cuyangoan’s article focused on the production and marketing factors of five indigenous cash crops cultivated by 67 women farmer-entrepreneurs in the municipalities of Tadian and Lower Bauko in Mountain Province, Philippines. Using descriptive statistics, the author showed that the respondents’ production systems are characterized by limited access to transportation, rainfed irrigation, and limited access to agricultural inputs and loans. In marketing, the respondents have limited knowledge on processing, packaging, labeling, promoting, financial record keeping and there are no set suggested retail prices for indigenous cash crops. Overall, the respondents’ average monthly income of PhP 10,727 remains below the 2018 poverty threshold for Filipinos. It is recommended that the local government design and adopt a market system that includes a policy on crop production calendar for clustered planting of crops, a suggested retail price to regulate the prices, centralized distribution system, and provision of agricultural loans.

The third article characterized the agroforestry livelihood strategies of resettled communities in Nakai, Khammouan Province, Lao PDR, and analyzed the economic benefits associated with these through a survey, key informant interviews, and transect walk. Sengsouvan et al. discussed the socio-economic factors associated with the adoption of the agroforestry livelihood strategies, and examined them in relation to perceived food sufficiency. The adopters practiced five different agroforestry livelihood strategies but the average income for all farming systems remained below the poverty line. The major factor influencing the adoption of various agroforestry livelihood strategies was the availability of farm labor. Understanding agroforestry livelihood strategies provides an analytical basis for the design of a sustainable livelihood framework which includes policies and strategies related to the provision of extension education and marketing support.

Meanwhile, Banogon’s descriptive comparative research aimed to compare how the cities of Bais and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, Philippines implemented projects through the Seal of Good Local Governance Award. The author used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with the local government officials and the project beneficiaries. The study shows that the two cities used the Performance Challenge Fund to design projects for their respective coastal barangays, thereby, protecting the lives of the communities. As such, the local government units (LGUs) played pivotal roles in realizing the development goals in their respective areas. The author recommends that the LGUs develop a strategic and sustainable plan and comprehensive social welfare programs that could enable them provide more efficient delivery of social services. Such plan is expected to enhance the capacity of government workers, set aside political differences among local officials, and encourage local stakeholders’ participation.

The last article investigated the uptake pathways of Green Super Rice (GSR) varieties distributed among selected farmers in Mabitac and Sta. Maria, Laguna, Philippines in 2012.  The distribution was part the International Rice Research Institute’s 100 Farmers Project in partnership with the local government units.  In the absence of a follow-up research on the adoption and uptake pathways of GSR varieties, Jhocson and Baconguis determined whether GSR adoption and diffusion occurred despite the unusual seed distribution process. The study aimed to trace the reach of GSR varieties promoted through farmer-to-farmer approach; and analyze the exchanges, structures, and relationships among the research participants and other farmers through a social network analysis. To investigate the uptake pathways of GSR in the two municipalities, the authors conducted the research with 39 first-degree research participants and some second-degree respondents. The study used survey interviews, ego-net mapping, and key informant interviews and showed that GSR diffusion in the two municipalities remained within the circles of the first-degree respondents.  Continued adoption and diffusion were negatively affected because of lack of a formal extension system which limited the respondents’ access to information and technical support.

While the five articles focused on a specific topic relevant to the communities, each of them provided recommendations to help improve the people’s way of life. The research findings and recommendations presented in each article can form the basis for the policies necessary for more effective management and governance of various development interventions and initiatives particularly access to services and livelihood improvement.