LANAO DEL NORTE, March 21, 2023 – To establish clear policy and guidelines understanding for Phase 2 implementation in Lanao del Norte, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Special Area for Agricultural Development (BFAR-SAAD) 10 convened with its partners and stakeholders to communicate the totality of the next phase implementation, mechanics and flow of service improvements from Phase 1.

On March 14, 70 counterpart representatives from the eight (8) Local Government Units (LGUs), Municipal Agriculture Offices (MAOs), Fisheries Extension Workers (FEWs), and BFAR’s partner agencies from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), Mindanao State University-Lanao del Norte Agricultural College (MSU-LNAC), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Mindanaw Tripartite Youth Core (MTYC), Lanao Aquatic and Fisheries Center for Community Development (LAFCCOD), Department of Education-Alternative Learning System (DEPED-ALS), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and Provincial Agriculture Office (PLGU-PAO) gathered for SAAD Phase 2’s ceremonial launching, marking the beginning of 6-year development activities and partnerships for the Lanao del Norte implementation.Table 1. BFAR-SAAD coverage for Phase 2 in Lanao del Norte

Dr. Noel M. Saldajeno, Provincial Fishery Officer and SAAD Provincial Focal Person highlighted in his welcome remarks the importance of inter-agency collaboration and the whole-of-nation approach in project implementation to ensure projects sustainability and success. He also challenged the Municipal Agricultural Officers (MAOs) to implement the livelihood projects guided by the Program’s ultimate goal of contributing to poverty reduction among the marginalized fisherfolks in Lanao del Norte.

“The purpose of the collaboration with other stakeholders is to encourage the partners to assist in the conduct of monitoring and evaluation of the projects,” he said.

Mr. Marlou N. Fernandez, SAAD Alternate Regional Focal Person, and BFAR-10 Chief Aquaculturist underscored that the program implementation should be done passionately and faithfully for the welfare of fisherfolk beneficiaries; and consistently monitor their project to assess if progress is made in achieving expected results.

Mr. Ibrahim R. Sanggoyod, SAAD Assistant Alternate Regional Focal Person, presented the implementing guidelines of SAAD Phase 2 for FY 2023-2028 through Department Order No. 6, issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 2023. The purpose of the said guidelines is to provide direction to the program implementers and highlight the significance and correlation of the Program’s four (4) core components.

“The SAAD Program Phase 2 aims to contribute to the reduction of poverty through the provision of agricultural and fishery interventions to the poor fishing sector by improving food production, household consumption, and commercial purposes in areas of operation and assisting the beneficiaries in establishing community-based fishery enterprises,” he said.

Mindanao State University – Lanao del Norte Agricultural College (MSU-LNAC) researchers, represented by Assistant Professor Lessie Mae Mata and Mr. Albert Cabolbol, discussed the findings of their evaluation of how SAAD conducted its social preparation activities and its relation in the establishment of community-based enterprises in Phase 1. Tightening up connections between partners, the SUC laid out how diverse skills and areas of expertise contributed to the realization of set goals: beneficiaries’ and communities’ food sustenance, and food security which indicated a successful Phase 1 program implementation in Lanao del Norte. MSU-LNAC is the counterpart State University and College (SUC) of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in LDN, SAAD’s partner in impact assessment and evaluation studies.

In his message, Lanao del Norte Provincial Board Member and Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture and Cooperative, Mr. Reinario B. Bihag challenged the officials and government employees, especially the MAO to ensure that the projects are suited to the community and can meaningfully help in the socio-economic conditions of the fisherfolk.

As part of the collaborative efforts approach to program implementation, Mr.  Bopp Benjack Dacup, SAAD Regional Support Staff,  presented the proposed delineation of functions and project collaborations among BFAR, LGU, beneficiaries, and partner agencies such as  DOLE, DTI, TESDA, NFRDI, MSU-LNAC, DepEd-ALS, AFP, MTYC, LAFCCOD, and CDA to foster wider linkages during the program roll-out in the province.

Mr. Al Jun B. Magamano, Alternate SAAD Provincial Focal Person, presented the pipelined activities for FY 2023 to the partner agencies. Out of the eight (8) municipalities covered by SAAD, seven are classified as Focus Area A or both Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and conflict-affected and vulnerable areas, with poverty prevalence of more than 30%.

Gaining a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Program’s Phase 2 implementation, at the end of the activity, the partners and stakeholders were encouraged to do a cross-functional collaboration – fostering inclusivity and building a shared sense of purpose aligned with SAAD’s perspective to navigate challenging projects more effectively. 

Involving partners in developing plans, implementing strategies, and executing the livelihood project to completion, the BFAR-SAAD Lanao del Norte team is now set to conduct its Beneficiary Needs Assessment for target beneficiaries, profiling, and geotagging of aquaculture farms, with a wider scope of implementation in 8 priority municipalities in the province. ###

Writer: Al Jun B. Magamano, Alternate SAAD Provincial Focal Person

Sources:
BFAR-SAAD LDN
BFAR-10