Participatory video plays an integral role in promoting community development. It can be used as an interactive and inspirational media engaging both audio and visual senses and it can channel both actions and dialogues. Therefore, it can be more engaging and effective, and it can convey key messages that can be easily comprehended by the audience (FAO & Digital Green, 2022). With this nature of participatory video, it can be used by the community to elevate problems/issues they face and together, look for solutions to these problems.

ComDev Asia, a regional initiative that promotes Communication for Development (ComDev) in the Asia-Pacific region, held a training on Participatory Video Production and Sharing to enhance capacities of practitioners, development workers and family farmers and their organizations to appropriate and apply basic notions for the participatory use and sharing of video for development purposes. The training was held on November 7, 10, 16, and 21 and it was joined by 16 different organizations composed of farmers’ organizations, national government agencies, and a community radio organization in theAsia-Pacific region.

During the training, participants had participated in discussion forums, written scripts and prepared storyboards, proposed production plans, and finally had produced a two-minute video on a certain topic they’ve chosen. On the last day of the training, participants presented their initial participatory video outputs and panel members composed of FAO ComDev Team, Digital Green, and UPLB College of Development Communication gave their feedback. Based on their feedback, participants were asked to revise their outputs in preparation for a mini contest on December 21, 2022.

Reference: FAO & Digital Green (2022) Engage, film and share. A video for development practitioner guide. Unpublished manuscript.

Article contributed by: Vincent Allen Fernandez & Zane Andrei Cortez