DAVAO CITY, March 1, 2023 – In a bid to streamline project implementation, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Davao Region successfully enrolled and profiled its farmers’ associations (FAs), gathering the necessary information for identified project recipients before possible assistance rollout in the 2nd-3rd quarter of 2023.

SAAD expanded its scope of implementation in Davao Region for Phase 2, with four (4) provinces and 14 municipalities as priorities. Each FA consists of 25 farmers. In comparison, the program’s previous phase was focused on 1 province and 11 municipalities.

Aligned with the nation’s strategy to build a strong information registry for different sectors, beneficiary profiling was conducted by SAAD area coordinators and involved gathering of the socio-economic status of farmers encoded in the SAAD registry system. Done by an information technology staff, profiling is carried-out as a prerequisite for efficient program planning and implementation.

“Tumong ug tinguha sa SAAD tung una pa nga madugangan ang panginabuhian sa mga mag-uuma sa hilagyong dapit. Mao ang atoang pundasyon, pero karon kinahanglan nga ang kaning mga asosasyon, mamahimo nang community-based enterprises” (The goal and purpose of SAAD even before has been to provide sources of livelihood for our farmers and fishers in far-flung areas. That was our foundation, but now we’ll need our associations to eventually become community-based entrepreneurs), SAAD Davao Region Focal Person Naomi Lamata said.

For 2023, SAAD allocated Php 32 million for Davao Region. Covered municipalities belonged to top the ⅓ poorest and 5th-6th class municipalities.

Provinces and Municipalities Covered

Fourteen (14) municipalities were previously identified by the program, belonging to four provinces (del Norte, del Sur, Oriental, and Occidental) in Davao Region. 

In Davao del Norte, two FAs from San Roque and Talaingod were profiled and could be possible recipients of corn and layer chicken projects. 

In the province of Davao del Sur, only the municipality of Kiblawan qualified with the program’s eligibility requirements with only one FA as the beneficiary. Twenty-five (25) B’laan farmers from Bulol-Salo were profiled, with corn and layer chicken identified as possible projects. Barangay Bulol-Salo, is one of the most geographically isolated barangays in the province, one hour away from Kiblawan proper, with a population representing 3.44% of the municipality.

Seven (7) FAs with 175 members representing 7 municipalities were profiled in the province of Davao Oriental. These municipalities are Caraga, Tarragona, Manay, Baganga, Cateel, and Boston. Corn and layer chicken projects are the possible livelihoods to be provided by SAAD Phase 2. 

Identified in the province of Davao Occidental were four FAs with 100 farmers profiled. From Jose Abad Santos, Sarangani, Malita, and Don Marcelino, these farmers are possible recipients of banana, corn, and chicken layer projects. These areas are Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) areas; with the municipality of Sarangani, requiring sea travel of up to 11 hours back and forth via General Santos City.

SAAD Davao Region

“Ang amo lang diri…ang fulfillment nga ang program mugana siya. Makit-an namo nga mudugay siya, naay resulta, ug unta mausab, mu-improve ang kinabuhi sa farmer” (The joy and fulfillment we will get out of this is when the program works. We’ll see that it will sustain, produce results, and hopefully change, improve the life of the farmer), Regional Executive Director Abel James Monteagudo said in the program’s commencement activities last week.

The program will run from 2023 to 2028, with a focus on establishing more community-based enterprises for the beneficiaries. ###

Writer: James Brian R. Flaga, SAAD RPMSO 11 Information Officer