SULU, August 9, 2021- The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program in Region 9 included Omar to its target areas of implementation in 2021.

“Through the support of the local government unit under the Leadership of Mayor Ajibon, DA-SAAD managed to extend its support to the beneficiaries in Omar,” said SAAD coordinator Alkhartemar Sangkula.

Omar is a distant municipality as it is 52.3 kilometers away from the town proper. It had a 53.6% poverty incidence among families in 2015 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

However, its remoteness doesn’t stop the aim of SAAD to help the marginalized farmers to have a sustainable source of food through the livelihood projects and in developing community enterprise.

Lacking support in the agriculture sector, 36 farmers from barangays Lahing-lahing, Angilan, and Tangkuan were selected as beneficiaries of the SAAD Program.

Together with Sangkula, Area Coordinator Farhan Abdulla conducted geotagging and profiling of the new beneficiaries as well as the distribution of livelihood interventions for Cassava Production Project.

SAAD Sulu delivered 370 bundles of cassava stalks worth Php 36,630 and 240 rolls of hog wires worth Php 475,200 on August 2 to cover an estimated production area of 21 hectares.

Since 2018, the Program has supported Talipao, Panamao, Maimbung, and Parang then expanded to Indanan and Luuk in 2019. ###

Writer: Shara Malaica Ussam, Information Officer- DA SAAD Sulu