NAGA CITY – “What we need in the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) are people with the heart, para maiangat sa kahirapan ang pinakamahihirap na mga Bicolana.” This is what Department of Agriculture-Region V Regional Executive Director (RED) Dr. Elena B. Delos Santos stressed out to 50 SAAD Program implementers last January 4-5, 2018 during the regional office’s Strategic Action Planning and Workshop on the SAAD Program.

RED Delos Santos, also the SAAD Bicol Program Director, welcomed the 23 newly hired SAAD program implementers and challenged them to have the heart to implement the program. She said, “Please have the heart to implement the program because if you have the heart, nothing can go wrong.” She also urged the implementers to focus more on social preparation – the first component of the program, since it is the most difficult one.

SAAD National Program Director Bernadette San Juan affirmed  RED Delos Santos’ directive saying that with the right state of heart, the mind and action will follow.

Having three provinces included in the region – Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon, Mr. Rodel P. Tornilla, DA-Region V OIC-Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension, cited that among all the 20 provinces included in the SAAD 2018 budget, Bicol region is one of the recipients with the biggest chunk compared to other regions.

Meanwhile, the SAAD implementers underwent orientation on community needs assessment and logical framework approach which was headed by Mr. Justin dela Rueda of SAAD National Program Management Office. Furthermore, the implementers will also undergo a series of training on community needs assessment, geotagging, and extension methodologies in the last week of January 2018. ###

Writer: Jeanelle M. Amoloza, SAAD Communications Officer

Source: Lovella P. Guarin, RAFIS DA 5