BAGUIO CITY, March 11, 2024 – Being on the frontline of developing farmers groups and beneficiaries throughout their program journey, Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2 implementers in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) underwent Training of Trainers (TOT) on Enterprise Development and Technical Writing to effectively facilitate initiatives related to enterprise development and effective communication among farmers in their assigned areas. 

Enterprise Development Training 

Sixteen (16) SAAD Community Development Officers (CDOs), three Associate Project Officers and one Information Officer attended the training at the DA-CAR Conference Hall, Guisad, Baguio City on February 15-16, 2024.  

Senior Agriculturist Jocelyn Beray of the DA-CAR Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) led a training session where she discussed the business model canvas (BMC). This tool helps to articulate business ideas and concepts quickly and efficiently. Beray also taught participants how to devise work and financial plans, calculate costs and returns, and manage cash flow, all of which can be adapted for local farmers.

Beray additionally outlined the operational and implementation guidelines of SAAD Program as well as the role of the Farmers’ Cooperative and Association (FCA) in receiving and distributing interventions from the DA. She also discussed sustainability plans and guidelines for communal enterprises.

The TOT attendees were divided into four groups and each developed a BMC for a specific farmers’ group in their area. These were then critiqued by the DA-CAR AMAD team.

In March, SAAD coordinators are set to introduce the BMC approach to 82 farmers’ groups across 41 municipalities in the six provinces of the Cordilleras. These groups, totaling 2,460 beneficiaries, have projects lined up for launch this year. As part of the process, the farmers’ organizations are expected to submit their BMCs, which will serve as a roadmap for their goal to establish agriculture-based CBEs.

Technical Writing Training

Continuing on enhancing their skills, a Technical Writing Training was also held  from November 14 to 17 last year, to effectively communicate through internal and external channels, as well as to craft reports and updates in a clear and understandable manner.

Led by Mr. Ronan M. Soriano, SAAD Assistant Operations Officer, the three-day training seminar focused on technical writing skills for 16 CDOs and 11 representatives from local government units. Participants included CDOs from Mountain Province, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, and Ifugao.

The training covered various aspects of technical writing, including defining the purpose of writing, identifying the target audience, gathering relevant information, ensuring proper grammar and vocabulary usage, and seeking feedback for improvement. The participants also learned about the technical writing process, such as using clear and concise language, mastering grammar and punctuation, structuring reports logically, creating summaries, properly crediting sources, and summarizing key information.

The seminar equipped SAAD staff and local government representatives with the necessary skills to effectively report and document field activities. This training is part of a series of capacity-building initiatives with sessions on project proposal making, geotagging, and photo and video documentation.

Overall, the training aimed to empower SAAD staff and local government representatives to communicate more effectively and confidently in their roles. 

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Writer:  Maria Elena G. Catajan, SAAD CAR Information Officer