CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, September 28, 2022 – As Phase 1 completes after a six-year run from 2017, the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) is getting ready to roll out its projects for the Phase 2 implementation in 2023 to 2028.

SAAD Phase 2 aims to complement the DA regular programs in terms of agricultural interventions, focusing its coverage on the top third municipalities with the highest poverty incidence (PSA 2018) and those belonging to the 5th and 6th income class. Apart from enhancing food production for sustenance and market, the program’s implementation is geared toward enterprise development through the distribution of crops and animal-based projects to identified beneficiaries.

In consultative meetings from September 19-20, 2022 held in Cagayan de Oro City, DA-SAAD 10 discussed the objectives and plans for the six-year extension with the involved local government units (LGUs) from the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin.

“The ultimate goal of SAAD, even with Phase 1, is to establish community-based enterprises,” said SAAD Focal Person Ms. Lana May S. Racines during the meeting.

“The registered farmer associations (FAs) are part of a barangay. After the provision of livelihood interventions to the FAs, and they proceed with enterprise establishment, the community will develop. The barangays will also be able to benefit, which increases economic opportunities not just to the beneficiaries, but also to the community as a whole,” Ms. Racines added.

Economic opportunities include additional income through entrepreneurship. The FAs can become suppliers or distributors, and once the business succeeds, they can expand their business to include other persons in their community.

For Phase 2, selected municipalities from Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin will be covered, with the last two as the new provinces of SAAD 10.

Project proposal creation for Phase 2

Regional Technical Director for Operations Ms. Carlota S. Madriaga encouraged the LGUs to consult with the beneficiaries before they submit their project proposals to SAAD.

“Your proposals should be based on consultations. It should not be coming from the perspective of the technical staff, but from the grassroots organizations so that our efforts and our projects to the community will not go to waste; so that when it reaches the implementation stage, the needs of the beneficiaries will be addressed,” said Dir. Madriaga.

These LGUs will be involved in livelihood projects through social preparation activities and food production and livelihood activities. Social preparation activities include community needs assessment and farmers and fisherfolk capacity building, while food production and livelihood activities include rice, corn, high-value crops (HVC), livestock, poultry, and fishery-related livelihood assistance.

Provision of corn seeds, supplemental agri inputs such as fertilizers, vegetable seeds, HVC seeds, poultry animals, farm tools and equipment, planting materials, series of specialized training concerning the interventions, technical assistance, and marketing-related support and linkages for community-based enterprise development are among the proposed assistance from the LGUs soon to be accessed by new and in need SAAD beneficiaries. ###

Writer: Andrea Dawn E. Boycillo, SAAD 10 Information Officer