BOHOL, March 30, 2023 – Strengthening the social preparation efforts in the region, Department of Agriculture-Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Central Visayas implementers underwent Beneficiary Needs Assessment (BNA) workshop in Tagbilaran City.
The weeklong training, held on March 13 to 17, 2023 was led by SAAD’s National Program Management Office (NPMO) Program Deputy Director Dr. Pedro Dumaraos, Jr., a social development scholar, and seasoned community organizer.
Essence of BNA in program implementation
BNA is a social research method that aims to improve project planning and seeks to provide the most suited projects to the target communities; it also opens the planning stage to carefully consider community resources, experiences, priorities, and goals.
The training was attended by the Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Siquijor and Bohol and 14 Area Coordinators (AC) of all the municipalities covered by the SAAD Program in Central Visayas. ACs are on the frontline of the program implementation in their respective municipalities.
During the workshop, SAAD NPMO Region 7 NPMO Focal, Gio Renzo Caballero, led the orientation of the participants on the BNA tools such as (a) document review; (b) BNA interview and observation; and (c) site validation and the approach incorporated to each tool.
All mentioned tools will be triangulated to effectively validate collected information, to arrive at the most objective project design for the beneficiaries. These strides of the program and in the implementers are an attempt to lay the foundation of sustainable livelihood interventions.
Further, Mr. Caballero added that the BNA must be done not just to meet the physical and financial goals, but also to serve and help the farmers with their needs by giving them a chance to share their socioeconomic perspectives.
As part of the BNA activity, participants conducted a simulation on potential scenarios and difficulties that implementers might face in the field. They were divided into five (5) groups and given the opportunity to rehearse the guide questions using the pre-identified projects assigned to them.
Deputy Director Dumaraos, in his message, lauded the implementers for their effort and heart that they put into doing their work. “Focus not just on the present but also on the future. Isapuso ang ating ginagawa (Take what we do by heart). Put people first, always. More than being paid, be committed,” Dr. Dumaraos shared.
The OIC-APCO of Siquijor, Julius Galvan, DVM, appreciates the learnings he got from the training, which he can utilize to fulfill the goals of the program – to economically empower the farmers and help them establish their community-based enterprises (CBEs).
“I appreciate everyone’s effort and the shared realizations, ideas, and tips from Doc Dumaraos. I am excited to apply the methods I learn here when we go back to our respective offices and areas to fulfill the purpose of the project. Justify why we are here, empower farmers, and help them develop CBEs,” Dr. Galvan said.
“I am very much thankful po, in my three years experience as a coordinator, dito po sa BNA ko po na open kung ano po talaga ang tunay na essence ng development worker. Dahil sa maraming factors sa sistema, may mga bagay na ginagawa for compliance, dito, narealize ko po na dapat slowly but surely sinusunod at dinadaan sa tamang proseso ang pag implement ng project para makamit ang hangad ng programa,” shared Maria Reigelyn Malarijes, Provincial Program Management Support Office, Bohol Provincial Coordinator.
(I am very much thankful, in my three years experience as a coordinator, here in my BNA, I was able to open what the true essence of a development worker really is. Due to the many factors in the system, some things are done for compliance; here, I realized that the implementation of the project must be followed slowly but surely and go through the correct process to achieve the program’s goal.)
As of writing, the SAAD Central Visayas have conducted series of BNA activities from March 15 to 24 which covers 495 farmer-beneficiaries from a total of 28 barangays in the municipalities of Alburquerque, Sikatuna, Loay, Lila, Cortes, Dagohoy, San Isidro, Anda, Sevilla, and Clarin.
Municipalities of Batuan, San Jose, Maria, San Juan, and Larena are set to participate in the BNA from April to May 2023.###
Writer: Jolina T. Daño, SAAD Region 7 Information Officer
