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NSTP Reflection

The document describes a community immersion experience conducted in Barangay Tumangas, Sulu, on February 28, 2026, highlighting the importance of learning from the community rather than imposing preconceived notions. Through interviews with locals, the author discovered that the residents prioritized issues such as lack of fishing equipment and poor infrastructure over the assumed lack of livelihood skills. The experience emphasized the value of collaboration and trust in understanding and addressing community needs.

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3 views2 pages

NSTP Reflection

The document describes a community immersion experience conducted in Barangay Tumangas, Sulu, on February 28, 2026, highlighting the importance of learning from the community rather than imposing preconceived notions. Through interviews with locals, the author discovered that the residents prioritized issues such as lack of fishing equipment and poor infrastructure over the assumed lack of livelihood skills. The experience emphasized the value of collaboration and trust in understanding and addressing community needs.

Uploaded by

yayysbdn
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

When we hear the term “community immersion,” the first idea that comes to our mind is operating, but

the true essence of community immersion is learning about something.

On February 28, 2026, we conducted a community immersion at Barangay Tumangas, Parang, Sulu. The
departure for our activity was 8:00 in the morning. As we arrived at the area, we received a warm
welcome from the barangay captain, Hon. Murphy S. Musaiya and its staff. They showed us hospitality
by preparing food for those individuals that are not fasting and accommodated students and visitors
well, and the secretary, Mr. Mursid M. Adani, graciously guided us towards our designated task.

I entered the said barangay with a preconceived list of questions that were provided by our advisor,
expecting to find exact answers to each one of the questions.

However, as we began the house-to-house interview with the locals. I realized that the data on a paper
cannot truly capture the true feelings and the articulation of the neighborhood. These interviews were
not just a mere collection of data activity; they were eye-opening lessons in different perspectives. This
reflection paper undertakes the insights that I gained during the communication with the interviewee
and how it challenges my perception of the reality.

One way to assess community immersion is to bridge the gap between what we assumed the
community needed and what they actually prioritize.

Entering the area, all I thought was that the main issue of the residents was lack of livelihood skills and
lack of management practices. On the other hand, while conducting the interview with some of the
residents, we discovered that their main concern was actually the lack of fishing equipment, lack of
capital assistance, and poor infrastructure. This is why Ms. Sadjari-Dammang said, “The community is
the expert of its own life,” because they know best for their own needs, they know more in regard to the
growth of their businesses, and they are capable of finding their own solutions. This phrase taught me
that as facilitators, not just students, we are encouraged to listen, learn, and collaborate with the
community rather than imposing assumptions of what we think best for them.
In conclusion, the time that I spent in Barangay Tumangas taught me that the most effective form of
service is not the knowledge that we brought to the community, but rather the one that we built
through their collaboration. From being a student performing an activity in gathering information to
immersing myself as a facilitator, I realized that this activity is not just a graded activity; in fact, it is an
activity that helps us students to learn and realize real-life situations by assessing people in addressing
their needs. It is about respecting the trust and vulnerability that the residents showed us. As Ms.
Sadjari-Dammang said once more, “Trust is the most valuable data.”

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