DAVAO REGION, July 19, 2024 – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Davao Region has launched its capacity development training to two (2) farmers associations (FAs), training fifty (50) farmers to develop and foster community organization skills among its beneficiaries on June 19 to 20, 2024.

These two FAs who were trained on basic organizational management, bookkeeping for small organizations, and leadership were Tacul Farmers Association which is a locally-organized farmers group in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur with mostly B’laan Indigenous Peoples (IP) members, and Alayao Sustainable Farmers Association (ASFA) in Kibalatong, Davao Occidental with mostly Tagakaolo IP farmers. Both FAs are new additions to SAAD Davao Region’s list of beneficiaries this year.

“Kinahanglan jud nga kita nga naa sa asosasyon, naay tay pagbati para sa atoang grupo. Dili ta musugot nga kani atong project nga naa diri, pasagdaan lang nato. Paglaban nato ni. Nagapasalamat ta sa SAAD kay sila ang nag-guide sa atoa,” Evangeline Obenza, Chairperson for Tacul Farmers Association, said. 

(We need to feel for our organization. We don’t want this project to fizzle out. We need to fight for it. Thankful for SAAD because they’re guiding us through it.) 

“Manghinaot ta nga nasabtan nila ang tumong ug tinguha sa atoang training. Ang SAAD program dili lang sa pangpanghatag ug mga livelihood programs, ang SAAD mulig-on pud sa katakus sa atoang mga benepisyaryo. Sa isa ka kapunungan, naay papel nga ginadala para mulambo ang grupo,” SAAD Davao Region’s Alternate Assistant Focal Naomi Lamata emphasized.

(We hope that they’ve truly understood the goal and purpose of our training. The SAAD program is not just about doling out livelihood programs, it’s also about strengthening our beneficiaries’ skills so they’re worthy of the programs they’re given. In a group, everyone has a role to play in order for the group to prosper.)

Tacul Farmers Association will receive banana of the lakatan variety and layer chicken projects this year, while Alayao Sustainable Farmers Association will receive corn and layer chicken projects.

For this year, SAAD Davao Region also added fourteen (14) new FAs from the fourteen (14) existing municipalities benefitted by the program. These FAs are set to be trained with the same capacitation development training in the next two months. ###

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Writer: James Brian Flaga, SAAD Davao Region PRDC

Photographer: Ronell Tangonan, James Brian Flaga, SAAD Davao Region PRDC

Source: DA-SAAD Davao Region