BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES—The Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) conducted the National IT Assessment and Action Planning Workshop at the Highland Villa Hotel & Resto in Baguio City on June 4-8, 2018.

Participants coming from all SAAD-covered regions for 2018 (CAR, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII) were welcomed by SAAD NPMO Operations Head Ms. Fe “Bong” E. Ybanez who emphasized the importance of having the assessment from the operations perspective, in terms of the data that has been able to be captured by the ITs that properly documents SAAD Program’s implementation.

For his part in stating the purpose of the activity, SAAD NPMO IT Cluster Head Mr. Marvin P. Segovia stressed on the use of maps to visually and effectively present the data gathered by SAAD Area Coordinators (ACs).

On the first day, presentations on the summary of FY 2018 accomplishments started with Region 8 (wherein SAAD is covering five (5) provinces—NEW Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte), followed by other SAAD-covered regions who attended the event.

Also present in the event were SAAD-CAR Regional Technical Director, Mr. Danilo Daguio; Regional Focal Person for Regional Field Office (RFO) VIII, Dr. Andrew Orais; and Regional Focal Person for RFO VII, Engr. Eugene Cahiles, Jr.

On the second day, aside from the concerns raised per region, all the participants presented their individual maps of interventions as well as their shortlisted beneficiaries, concluded by an action plan and an improved understanding or appreciation of SAAD data at hand.

SAAD Program Director Bernadette F. San Juan also challenged the IT participants to think of the bigger picture to help them in making sense of the data they have gathered into their database, or in analyzing the stories behind the figures that they present.

The National IT Assessment and Action Planning Workshop was hosted by DA-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Writer: Ela Arciaga, SAAD NPMO PR & Communications Officer
Photos: Jean Amoloza/Ela Arciaga