DAVAO DE ORO, December 13, 2022 – To cap off its final year of implementation, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO) 11 conducted a year-end assessment cum meeting for terminal phase, reporting 96% in obligation and 92% in disbursement of the program’s financial allocation.

From 2018 to 2022, SAAD RPMSO 11 has poured a total budget of Php 209 million for social preparation, livelihood programs, and program management activities throughout its five (5) years of implementation benefitting a total of 13,503 Dabawenyo farmers in the 11 covered municipalities.

As of November 30, the region had obligated 96% (Php 200,648.81) and disbursed 92% (Php 185,063.48) of the obligated funds. Overall, SAAD Region 11 finished strong for its Phase 1 implementation, evidenced by the fact that the RPMSO clinched the third spot in both physical and financial performance for 3rd Quarter 2022 across all SAAD regions.Table 1. Overall Physical and Financial Performance (2018 – 2022)

Ninety (90) farmers’ associations (FAs) and approximately 11,700 individual farmers benefited from the SAAD livelihood projects. The RPMSO continues to implement pipelined activities for 2022 across the province.

“Daghan kaayong salamat sa atoang mga LGU counterparts, and the PLGU as well, kamo jud ang naay legwork sa atoang programa sa inyohang respective areas. The peacekeepers – dili ma-accomplish ni SAAD ang iyahang deliverables kung wala mo,” SAAD RPMSO 11 Focal Person Naomi Lamata, said.

(We are thankful for our LGU and PLGU counterparts, you did the legwork for our program in your respective areas. The peacekeepers – SAAD won’t accomplish its deliverables without your help).

She added that, “Though muhawa na ang SAAD Phase 1, amoa gihapon nang i-endorse atong mga existing livelihood projects sa atoang mga banner programs” (Although SAAD Phase 1 now comes to a close, we will still endorse our existing livelihood projects to our banner programs).

Existing crop- and animal-based interventions were handed over to their respective municipalities, and will be escalated to the agency’s banner programs. Banana (lakatan and cardava), OPV corn, and various vegetables comprise the crop-based livelihood projects, while mallard ducks, native chicken, and upgraded goats were distributed under animal-based interventions.

SAAD’s impact to Davao de Oro Communities

Davao de Oro, the sole province identified to receive the interventions, recorded continuous drops in poverty incidence rates among families in 2018 (18.5%) and 2021 (17.7%), compared to the baseline 2015 PSA Poverty Incidence (20.8%) report.

Both crop- and animal-based interventions were identified for the province, including upland rice, peanuts, OPV corn, banana (lakatan and cardava), upgraded goats, native chicken, and mallard ducks. The livelihood programs were packaged with apt implements like feed, veterinary drugs, and incubators for poultry, and agri-tools and fertilizers for crops.

These livelihood assistance served as platforms for both individual beneficiaries and farmers associations (FAs) to develop community-based enterprises (CBEs). As of writing, 12 CBEs are partially established through the program’s interventions.

“Sa amoa sa Nabunturan, daghan jud ug natabang ang SAAD sa munisipyo. Nadugangan ang mga mag-uuma nga among natabangan…hinaot nga dili mi makalimtan sa DA sa mga umaabot pang mga proyekto,” said Margarito Libres, Municipal Agriculturist from the municipality of Nabunturan, the province’s capital.

(To us in Nabunturan, SAAD has been a big help in our municipality. We have increased the number of farmers who benefited…we hope that the DA will continue to keep us in mind in other programs).

The sentiment was echoed by Ms. Nelma Aranton, Municipal Agriculturist of Montevista, saying, “Mapasalamaton ta sa SAAD. Karon nga naa na mo sa inyohang next phase, kami na sad ang maningkamot para atong mga FAs ma-sustain.”

(We are thankful to SAAD. Now that you are moving on to your next phase, it’s our turn to sustain the FAs you’ve established).

The two-day event saw the RPMSO and Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) 11 reporting not just on physical and financial accomplishments, but with focus on the state of each municipalities’ projects as reported by assigned area coordinators. All 11 municipalities of Davao de Oro have received interventions from the program.

“Manghinaut ko sa malungtarong pakigtimbayayongay nato, from the barangay to the munisipyo, to the province, hangtod sa region. Magkita-kita ra ta,” Ms. Lamata concluded.

(May we sustain this collaborative effort [we’ve built], from the barangay to the municipal, to the provincial, up to regional [levels]. We’ll see each other soon.)

For its second phase of implementation, SAAD RPMSO 11 will cover four new provinces in the region for 2023-2028 – Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental. ###

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