QUEZON CITY, December 10, 2020 – Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Operations and Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program Steering Committee (PSC) Chairperson USec Ariel T. Cayanan recommended upscaling the SAAD beneficiaries to promote livelihood sustainability.
“Mag upscaling tayo. Kapag kaya ng tumayong mag-isa ng mga benepisyaryo, huwag nang bigyan ng interventions at i-endorse na sa other DA programs like Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP),” USec Cayanan said during the SAAD’s 1st PSC meeting held at the DA Apacible Room A.
The SAAD Program is a locally-funded project of the DA that provides agricultural and fishery livelihood projects to marginalized beneficiaries from 30 priority provinces to create small to medium enterprises in the long run.
In an interview with Sensya na Tekno pa aired at Radyo Agila, SAAD Deputy Director Ulysses J. Lustria, Jr. shared that the program gives an average of Php 20,000 worth of interventions per beneficiary (household).
Program Steering Committee (PSC) members
The PSC members approved and supported the SAAD Program’s policy recommendations and accomplishment report presented by the National Planning and Monitoring Office (NPMO).
Together with USec Cayanan, the following members participated in the meeting:
| ● Dr. Myer Mula, SAAD Program Director and SAAD PSC Vice Chairperson; |
| ● Dr. Rosana Mula, Agricultural Training Institute Assistant Director; |
| ● Ms. Leny Pecson, DA-Agribusiness & Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) Supervising Agriculturist; |
| ● Ms. Mary Ann B. Guerrero, Bureau of Plant Industry Chief; |
| ● Dr. Rhea D. Desalesa, Bureau Agricultural Research Senior Agriculturist; |
| ● Mr. Michael Rey G. Carbungco, DA-Budget Division staff; and |
| ● Mr. Dexter P. Jove, DA-Accounting Division staff. |
Other participants present were Deputy Director Ulysses Lustria Jr. of SAAD; Assistant Director Juan Albaladejo, Ms. Elymi Ar-J Tunacao, and Mr. Arnel Valenzuela of BFAR-SAAD; Ms. Adamar Estrada and Ms. Angelita Martir of DA-Special Projects Coordination Management Assistant Division (SPCMAD); and Ms. Prescilla Joyce Guiwa of DA-Field Operations Service.
The PSC was ably supported by SAAD NPMO staff headed by Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation head Mr. Darwin Pamatmat.
Other PSC recommendations
During the consultation, Ms. Pecson of AMAS stressed that the SAAD can strengthen its entrepreneurial activities through the Sagip Saka Act or Republic Act No. 113211.
The Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Program under the Sagip Saka Act provides a way forward in terms of broadening interventions from production to processing and marketing using the value chain system.
Meanwhile, SPCMAD Chief Ms. Estrada said that the SAAD Program is enrolled in the Key Result Area (KRA) 2 (Ensuring Affordable and Available Food) under the Inter-Agency Task Force On Zero Hunger (IATF-ZH) whose report will be presented to the President.
SAAD Director Mula briefed the PSC members on their functions. He also reported the SAAD’s 2017 to mid-2020 accomplishments for both agriculture and fishery sectors. See SAAD’s home page to know more of its accomplishments.
The participation of SAAD in the proposed Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) for World Bank support was also raised; SAAD may provide implementation support especially in its priority provinces which may also be covered by the PMNP.
The SAAD’s PSC is looking forward to conducting its 2nd meeting in the 3rd week of February 2021 to have more concrete directions for the program and discuss the activities and deliverables from FYs 2021 to 2022. ###
Writer: Jemiema Arro, SAAD Public Relations and Communications Officer
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