DAVAO DE ORO, December 15, 2021 – Sixty-one (61) Dabawenyo farmers’ associations (FA) received capacity enhancement and entrepreneurial development training from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program to bolster their upcoming business endeavors.

“Kani siya, mao ni ang way para dili mo magpabilin na ginagmay, para ni siya kamo mahimong business enterprise na,” DA Region 11 Field Operations Division chief Marie Ann Constantino said.

(This is the way for you not to stay where you are right now, this is for you to become a business enterprise.)

SAAD Region 11 invited 253 key officials to attend the training, including but not limited to the chairperson, secretary, and treasurer. Representatives from all 11 Municipal Agriculturist’s Office were also present.

With more than Php 43 million in intervention allocation this year, SAAD Region 11 designed several of its production projects as platforms for FAs’ enterprise building efforts. Upgraded chicken and goat production projects, for example, were directed for beneficiaries to go into egg and meat production.

Speaking to the third batch of trainees, Constantino added, “Unta daghan mo ug natun-an, ampingan ninyo, ug i-share pud ninyo sa inyohang mga kaubanan kay para dili lang kamo ang makabenipisyo ana. Pati kami, makabenipisyo kay kung unsa inyohang produkto mugawas ana, amo ng garbo.”

(I hope that you learned a lot, you take care of what you learned and share it with your peers so that everyone benefits. Even us, we’ll benefit because whatever product that comes out of this training, it’ll be our pride.)

Divided in three batches, the training focused on leadership development, basic bookkeeping and accounting, and the fundamentals of organization. Aside from enterprise management, the training was designed for the FAs’ main officers to learn proper organizational management techniques and skills.

“Mapasalamaton kita nga naapil ta ani nga panagtigom, kay kani dakong tabang sa atoang mag-uuma nga mulambo. Ang atoang nakat-onan, dili lang jud ni diri kutob, kundili atoang i-apply pagabot sa atoa,” Eugene Cabalida, Sangab Integrated Farmers Association chairperson, enthused.

(We are thankful that we were included in this assembly because this is great training for us farmers for development. What we’ve learned won’t stop at us, but we’ll apply in our communities.)

“Gitudluan jud ta unsaon pagbarog, unsaon mahimong epektibo nga mga pangulo,” he added.

(We were taught how to become independent (as organizations), how to become effective leaders.)

In his visit in August, SAAD Director Myer Mula highlighted the importance of building enterprises out of existing FAs. ###

Writer: James Brian R. Flaga, SAAD RPMSO 11 Information Officer
Source: DA-SAAD Davao de Oro