A significant professional development initiative titled PROJECT IGNITE 2.0 (Inspire Growth, Nurture Innovation, Transform Extensions) was successfully implemented on March 3, 2025, at the Research and Development Building’s Blue Room. The capacity-building program brought together Extension and Community Services Office (ECSO) Unit Heads, staff members, and Extension Coordinators from various colleges and institutes of Rizal Technological University (RTU).
The primary objective of PROJECT IGNITE 2.0 was to enhance the capabilities of ECSO personnel and Coordinators in the effective implementation and management of community engagement and development programs. This was achieved through comprehensive training modules and the dissemination of the newly developed Extension Manual, providing participants with evidence-based methodologies and strategic frameworks to elevate their community impact initiatives.
Instr. Ricardo H. Momongan Jr., ECSO Director, spearheaded the program with Instr. Abigail P. Mendoza, Deputy Director, serving as the event facilitator. Dr. Magno M. Quendangan, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension Services (VPRIES), delivered the inaugural address, establishing a scholarly foundation for the day’s proceedings. The session comprised a series of specialized presentations addressing critical extension processes. Director Momongan provided historical context and conceptual frameworks regarding the Extension Manual’s development, highlighting its theoretical underpinnings and operational guidelines. Dr. Robelyn B. Bautista presented a scholarly analysis of the methodological approaches to community identification, needs assessment protocols, and the procedural requirements for Memoranda of Agreement (MOA). This was complemented by Instr. John Paul G. Sison’s detailed explication of proposal development methodologies, budgetary considerations, and documentation requirements for extension service initiatives.
The afternoon proceedings featured Ms. Gemma Acer’s presentation on monitoring and evaluation frameworks for extension programs, emphasizing empirical assessment methodologies, impact measurement techniques, and standardized reporting procedures. Ms. Sheena Foster addressed the logistical dimensions of extension activities, offering systematic approaches to resource allocation, equipment utilization, and transportation coordination to optimize operational efficiency. An open forum facilitated a scholarly discourse among extension coordinators, enabling the exchange of theoretical perspectives, evidence-based practices, and strategic innovations to enhance extension services. The discussions encompassed procedural optimization, inter-unit collaborative models, and community engagement paradigms, establishing a foundation for increasingly efficacious and impactful initiatives.
PROJECT IGNITE 2.0 represents a significant advancement in institutional capacity for community engagement, equipping ECSO personnel with enhanced methodological tools, theoretical frameworks, and operational strategies. Beyond its immediate educational objectives, the initiative fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and reinforced the institution’s commitment to knowledge transfer and community development through rigorous, scholarly approaches to extension services.