DIPOLOG, ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE—Forty-four (44) Department of Agriculture (DA) – Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program farmer-beneficiaries in Diwan, Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte are now certificate holders of National Certificate (NC) II Training on Organic Farming from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in a graduation ceremony held in Barangay Diwan, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte on April 19, 2018.

Other fifty-six (56) certificate holders are household members, including the earlier mentioned number of DA-SAAD ZaNorte beneficiaries, comprising a total of a hundred (100) graduates from Diwan.

Not wasting the day away to deliver interventions to its target beneficiaries, DA-SAAD ZaNorte team also held a distribution of SAAD Program interventions particularly assorted vegetable seeds and fruit tree seedlings to a total of 500 individual recipients. Meanwhile, farm equipment including six (6) units of water pump open source (with engine), three (3) each for blue and green drums, three (3) steel stands (with 100m distribution hose) were turned over to two (2) Farmer Associations (FA) namely, Diwan FA, and Diwan Vegetable Association.

The event, also dubbed as “SAAD sa Diwan,” was a community event jointly organized by the Local Government Units (LGUs) in Dipolog City, including Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), TESDA, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and DA-SAAD Regional Satellite Office (RSO) IX  – represented in full force by the Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (APCO) Officer, Ms. Ana Aying, SAAD-ZaNorte Provincial Coordinator (PC) Mr. Ronillo Dusaban, its Area Coordinators (AC) Ms. Cecille La Plana, Ms. Shelain Apolinario, and Ms. Abegail Malcampo, together with Ms. Jemaima Estillore (Engineering), Ms. Rheva Sawayan (Crops), and Mr. Jeffrey A. Nigos (IT).

Assisted by Diwan Barangay Officials, along with City Agriculture Officer Kerr Porlas, and other LGU-Dipolog City officials, a ceremonial tree planting (lanzones tree) was headed by Dipolog City Mayor Dexter Darell Uy.

Writer: Ela Arciaga, PR & Communications Officer