NEGROS ORIENTAL, July 25, 2022 – The field implementers from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program in Negros Oriental underwent a six-day training of trainers on organizational strengthening and agro-enterprise development as a localized intensive effort to provide extension services to far-flung area farmers.

Eleven SAAD field enablers, consisting of the provincial coordinator (1), area coordinators (8), admin staff (1), and IT (1), participated in the training, which tackled facilitative leadership, decision-making and problem-solving techniques, production and operation management, basic financial literacy, record keeping, and financial management from June 1 to 3, 2022 and June 8 to 10, 2022 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

SAAD implementers are set to reecho, or conduct localized training to 420 farmers from 21 SAAD farmers’ associations (FAs) in Negros Oriental. The training aims to equip field implementers to effectively transfer the knowledge, skills and other perspectives to farmer-beneficiaries.

“Dako ug tabang ang training labi na sa pagtudlo sa farmer sa paghandle sa money. Aside pa ana, maka set na sila ug goal as to unsa ilahang gusto nga income pinaagi ani nga training. Na refresh pod ang among leadership skills labi na nga mo connect mi sa farmers sa field,” SAAD provincial coordinator Jehson T. Campos shared.

(The training would be beneficial to us in imparting what we have learned to the farmers, especially in handling their finances. Aside from that, this training could help them set goals for their desired income. The organizational training refreshed our leadership skills and would be beneficial to us when we connect with the farmers on the ground).

The field enablers will act as resource speakers from June 13, 2022 to September 8, 2022 to disseminate the information they have learned from the said training to the 420 farmers in the province.

Table 1. Schedule of Training in Negros Oriental

Organizational Strengthening

Since organizational strengthening is essential in terms of keeping a close coordination with the beneficiaries, partners, and authorities involved, the relationships within associations are also given importance.

Mary Ronville M. Aba, Organic Agriculture and High Value Crops Development Provincial Focal Person and resource person on facilitative leadership, reminded the field implementers to celebrate small achievements and acknowledge the farmers’ success, for it will drive them to pursue what they love to do.

Meanwhile, Negros Oriental Provincial Coordinator, Jehson T. Campos perceived organizational strengthening as essential to each member for proper task delegation and constant monitoring of the projects. “Importante gid nga lig-on ang asosasyon para magmalapuson ug mo lambo ang programa (Organizational strengthening is important in every organization for the program to prosper and succeed,)” PC Campos expressed.

Agro-enterprise development  cannot be pursued if the organization is not organized.

Agro-enterprise Development

Farmers tend to focus more on production while disregarding the benefits of starting or joining a business enterprise. However, with sufficient knowledge on establishing a business, there would be more chances to increase profit opportunities for the farmers. Through the agro-enterprise development training, business-related skills such as how to improve negotiations, cost-benefit analysis, and the likes were conducted.

Through DA-SAAD’s continuous efforts to provide support to the FAs, projects implemented are aimed at giving more opportunities for the farmers to establish their own enterprise. For this to be successful, SAAD recognizes the need of the farmers to be equipped with sound and relevant farming knowledge, practice, technologies, and attitude.

DTI Negosyo Center Provincial Coordinator Michael Kristoffer Doyongan,  Agricultural Technologist Miss Fe Pilosopo from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in Negros Oriental, Organic Agriculture and High Value Crops Development Provincial Focal Person Mary Ronville M. Aba, and Chief of Receipts, Investment, and Disbursement Division (RIDD) Isabel Cabrera from OPA Negros Oriental, and the Department of Agriculture RFO VII spearheaded and organized the training.

Conduct of trainings

This June, 98 participants were able to attend the trainings held in Bindoy, La Libertad, Ayungon, Tayasan, Basay, Sta. Catalina, Jimalalud, and Siaton. Meanwhile, a total of 43 attendees participated in the training sessions held in Pamplona and Guihulngan City this July. Looking forward, 25 farmers from ELCAC area in Sta. Catalina are set to attend the said training on July 27 to 28, 2022.

Table 2. Status of trainings

The participants were the officers from each group and were tasked to relay what they have learned to the rest of the members of their group.

During the conduct of the simultaneous organizational strengthening and agro-enterprise development training,  DTI Negosyo Center Provincial Coordinator Michael Kristoffer Doyongan also graced the event.

Niforlyn B. Cadayona from Tayasan FA expressed her gratitude from the training, “daghang salamat sa training nga amoang nadawat karon. Nakahibalo mi unsaon pagsugod ug negosyo dungang makahatag namo ug income. Nanghinaot mi puhon managko among mga kanding nga makasugod mi ani.”

(Thank you so much for providing us with this training. I was able to learn the basics of starting a business which could give us additional income. I hope that our goats will grow soon for us to start venturing into a business related to goats).

The field training sessions were led by SAAD Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) staff Bindoy and Guihulngan City  Area Coordinator John Mach Ogabang, Ayungon, Tayasan and Pamplona Area Coordinator Airine Bulgado, Basay Area Coordinator Randy Carpio, Siaton Area Coordinator May Pialogo, Sta. Catalina Area Coordinator Erwin Jr. Leyva, Jimalalud Area Coordinator Janaura Rivera, La Libertad Area Coordinator Via Marie Quibot, Negros Oriental IT Jessryl Saporteza, and Provincial Coordinator Jehson Campos. ###

Writer: Jolina T. Daño, SAAD Region 7 Information Officer

Sources:
Jehson T. Campos, DA-SAAD Negros Oriental Provincial Coordinator
DA-SAAD Negros Oriental Area Coordinators