DAVAO OCCIDENTAL, February 21, 2024 – In a bid to widen its scope of implementation, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD)  Davao Region commenced profiling activities in the municipality of Sarangani for livelihood assistance projects later this year.

The initial profiling has enlisted twenty-five (25) farmers from Sarangani Empowered Women’s Association and will continue throughout the month, with the goal of finishing it by the second week of March. 

SAAD then added fourteen (14) new farmers associations (FAs) from 14 municipalities across Davao Region to its list of beneficiaries. All of these are classified as 4th or 5th class municipalities with high-poverty incidence.

“Importante na ma-profile nato ang mga maguuma kay para opisyal nga malista sila sa atoang talaan. Kini atong baseline para masuta nato nga naay kabaguhan sa ilahang panginabuhian.Makatabang pud kini aron sa sunod, mas dali na silang makakuha sa mga proyekto sa DA kay na-RSBSA na sila,” said SAAD Davao Region’s Information Systems Analyst II Jake Darren Colina.

[Profiling is an important activity so that our farmers will be officially enrolled with our systems. This is our baseline information so that we can determine the changes in their livelihood (before and after SAAD). It also helps our farmers to receive subsequent projects from DA since they’ve now been enrolled with RSBSA.]

Doubling the number to 28 FAs for 2024, SAAD Davao Region allocated Php 38.9M for the bulk of its production projects this year. 

“Ang SAAD, gibuhat jud kini para makatabang sa mga atong mga maguuma nga naa sa mga dapit nga di na maabtan sa mga regular nga programa sa DA. Pinasahi kini, kay atoang mga proyekto, kumpleto. Malipay kita nga karong 2024, mas nidaghan atong matabangan nga mga maguuma,” Naomi Lamata, Alternate Assistant Focal Person for SAAD Davao Region, emphasized.

[SAAD was created to reach out to our farmers in far-flung areas otherwise unreached by DA’s regular programs. Our projects are special because they’re holistic. We’re ecstatic that this year, we have expanded our reach, and we’ll be able to cater to more farmers.]

Sarangani Empowered Women’s Association

Sarangani Empowered Women’s Association is a woman-led and women-exclusive FA in Balut, Sarangani, Davao Occidental. Led by Ma. Augustina Inez de Arce, the FA focuses on the mobilization of housewives in the island through various means including agriculture, commerce, etc.+

“Mapasalamaton kami nga napili mi sa SAAD. Badly needed kaayo kani nga mga proyekto, para malihok ang mga kababaihan diri,” de Arce remarked. “Unta sunod-sunod pa, kay kinahanglanon jud siya.”

[We’re grateful that we’ve been chosen. These projects are badly needed to encourage the women here. Hopefully more projects will come.]

Targeted production projects for the Sarangani Empowered Women’s Association include vegetable production project, which will include hybrid bitter gourd and eggplant, among others. ###

Writer: James Brian Flaga, SAAD Davao Region PRDC
Photographer: Ronell Tangonan, SAAD Davao Region PRDC
Source: DA-SAAD Davao Region