DAVAO DE ORO, May 3, 2023 – Department of Agriculture –  Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) National Program Management Office (NPMO) together with DA-Region 11 validated Dabawenyo farmers associations (FAs) turned community-based enterprises (CBEs) for the program’s upcoming coffee table book, a statement of the SAAD’s success in carrying out results from its goal to usher farmer-groups towards community enterprising from SAAD’s Phase 1 run.

SAAD Davao Region reported seven (7) progressive FAs situated across 7 municipalities from the province of Davao de Oro. Sangab Energetic FA (SEFA) in Maco, Brgy. Anitapan Improvement Community and FA (BASIFA) in Mabini, Nuevo Iloco FA in Mawab, N. K. Pamana SLP Association in Maragusan, Bantacan Cardava FA in New Bataan, DNAS ARB Banana Farmers Association in Montevista, and Brgy. San Isidro FA (BASIFA)in Monkayo were all visited and monitored by the team. 

Presenting the purpose for the monitoring, validation, and evaluation activities to the FAs, Jemiema Arro, SAAD NPMO’s Special Concerns Officer, said, “Ang end goal po natin ay maipublish tayo sa gagawing Unlad Lokal na libro para makita po tayo ng ibang stakeholders ng programa. Ito po yung ibang mga ahensiya pa ng gobyerno katulad ng DSWD, DOLE, at iba pa.”

(Our end goal is to be published in Unlad Lokal coffee table so that the FAs will be seen by other stakeholders of the program. These are different agencies of the government such as DSWD, DOLE, and many others.)

These FAs received both animal- and crop-based interventions, including banana (lakatan) production, upgraded native chicken production, mallard duck production, and goat production.

Unlad Lokal Coffee Table Book

In a bid to commemorate significant victories among SAAD beneficiaries nationwide, SAAD’s Public Relations and Development Communications (PRDC) Unit will publish a coffee table book entitled Unlad Lokal this year, which aims to feature the stories of Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) farmers and farmers associations championed by the program.

“Kaning Unlad Lokal mao ang gamiton sa atoang programa para mapakita ang atoang nahimo, ang atong tinguha,” Jennifer Valcobero, Associate Project Officer I from the PRDC Unit, echoed. 

(Unlad Lokal will be used by the program to showcase its thrust, its purpose.)

DA-SAAD hopes Unlad Lokal will be one of many publications to inspire local farmers to make the most out of agri-related interventions and encourage other programs to champion GIDA and ELCAC farmers for production and value-added marketing. As a reference book containing information on the farmers’ exemplary performance during project implementation, the book aims to introduce them and their associations to other parallel programs and projects of the national and local development agencies in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, including private companies and non-governmental organizations. 

SAAD’s PRDC plans Unlad Lokal to be released in two volumes. ###

Writer: James Brian R. Flaga, DA-SAAD Region 11 Information Officer
Photos: Ronnell B. Tangonan, DA-SAAD Region 11 Information Officer 
Source: SAAD Davao Region