Participatory Ecosystem Management Spearheaded by Community Leaders: Policy-Driven Feedback Mechanism from Local Constituents

Authors

  • Anesito L. Cutillas

    College of Arts and Sciences & College of Education, Cebu Technological University-Argao Campus, Argao 6021, Philippines

    Center for Social Innovation, Cebu Technological University-Argao Campus, Argao 6021, Philippines
  • Ruby Ann B. Maniwang

    Science Department, Liloan National Technical-Vocational High School, Liloan 6612, Philippines
  • Kyza L. Quimpan

    Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Southern Leyte State University-Main Campus, Sogod 6606, Philippines
  • Syra C. Cinco

    Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Visayas State University Tolosa (VSU Tolosa), Tolosa 6503, Philippines
  • Niño Jerry M. Basaca

    Hilongos National Vocational School, Hilongos 6524, Philippines
  • Jao V. Duran

    Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Visayas State University Tolosa (VSU Tolosa), Tolosa 6503, Philippines
  • Rocky A. Marco

    Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Visayas State University Tolosa (VSU Tolosa), Tolosa 6503, Philippines
  • Enrique E. Balili, Jr.

    Faculty of Social Science Education, Southern Leyte State University-Tomas Oppus Campus, Tomas Oppus 6605, Philippines
  • Ybony C. Cutillas

    College of Technology and Engineering, Cebu Technological University-Argao Campus, Argao 6021, Philippines
  • Jason V. Chavez

    University Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development (UCBS), University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.12696
Received: 7 November 2025 | Revised: 4 January 2026 | Accepted: 16 January 2026 | Published Online: 13 May 2026

Abstract

 Anchored on the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework and Arnstein’s Ladder, this study explores how community leaders operationalize participatory ecosystem management to facilitate adaptive governance in Cebu, Philippines. While national frameworks mandate involvement, the transition to feedback-driven actions is often hampered by institutional unreadiness and bureaucratic delays. This research investigates the governance-ecology coupling, examining how local leaders act as knowledge filters between grassroots biophysical data and formal policy decision-making. Using a qualitative descriptive design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 key stakeholders, including strategic decision-makers, technical monitors, and community sensors situated in ecologically sensitive zones. Thematic analysis reveals that localized stewardship—specifically, regular clean-up drives—and multi-channel digital reporting via platforms like Facebook Messenger function as systemic sensors. These mechanisms detect ecological thresholds regarding waste accumulation and erosion, triggering tangible outcomes such as adaptive budget allocations for canal dredging and stricter waste ordinances. However, scale mismatches, administrative rigidity, and social friction within communities impede this feedback integration. The study concludes that hybridizing Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) with digital reporting elevates participation from tokenism to resilience-building knowledge co-production. These findings offer a transferable "Community Leader as Sensor" framework for the Global South, demonstrating that empowering local intermediaries to short-circuit command chains can effectively bridge the gap between rigid institutions and rapid ecological change.

Keywords:

Participatory; Ecosystem; Policy-Driven; Constituents

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How to Cite

Cutillas, A. L., Maniwang, R. A. B., Quimpan, K. L., Cinco, S. C., Basaca, N. J. M., Duran, J. V., Marco, R. A., Balili, Jr., E. E., Cutillas, Y. C., & Chavez, J. V. (2026). Participatory Ecosystem Management Spearheaded by Community Leaders: Policy-Driven Feedback Mechanism from Local Constituents. Research in Ecology, 8(3), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.12696

Issue

Vol.8, Iss.3 (June 2026)(In Progress)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2026 Anesito L. Cutillas, Ruby Ann B. Maniwang, Kyza L. Quimpan, Syra C. Cinco, Niño Jerry M. Basaca, Jao V. Duran, Rocky A. Marco, Enrique E. Balili, Jr., Ybony C. Cutillas, Jason V. Chavez

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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