The Future of Education

This study adopted a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework to investigate the persistent environmental concerns affecting several communities in Tondo, Manila, and to jointly craft locally grounded responses with residents. Using a combination of household surveys, focused group discussions, community mapping activities, and collaborative workshops with youth leaders, barangay officials, and sectoral representatives, the research found that unmanaged solid waste, recurring floods, shrinking green spaces, and inadequate drainage upkeep remain the most pressing issues. The PAR cycles enabled community members to design and implement context-specific interventions such as household-level waste segregation practices, neighborhood clean-up routines, more efficient reporting channels for obstructed waterways, and small greening projects. These efforts fostered higher levels of environmental awareness, greater shared responsibility, and stronger coordination with local authorities, reflected in observable reductions in waste accumulation in selected pilot areas. The study demonstrates the value of PAR as an inclusive approach for addressing environmental problems in dense urban settings and aligns with CHED’s priority on community-engaged, evidence-based research that supports sustainable urban development.