ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA, July 12, 2023 – 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 area coordinators in Zamboanga Peninsula underwent a Training of Trainers (TOT) to effectively facilitate social preparation activities related to financial management among farmers in their assigned areas.

Area coordinators from Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces, and development workers from the Social Preparation and Program Management (SPPM) and Food and Production and Livelihood (FPL) sub-units of the Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO) attended the two-day activity in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay on June 15-16, 2023.

Philippine Rural Development Project – Business Development Officer (PRDP-BDO), Ms. Jezza Gae Pilar,  served as the resource speaker during the training. She discussed topics on bookkeeping, accounting, and common financial terms, and expounded on financial analysis to walk the learners through the financial practices that they will encounter on the ground as front runners leading the day-to-day operations of the Program and as primary development workers of SAAD in their respective areas.

SAAD recognizes the importance of equipping the beneficiaries with the required skills in financial management as they develop community-based enterprises (CBEs) in the long run. ACs and regional implementers are the local movers responsible to lead in the development of the farmer groups.

As an output, participants were required to make a mock journal entry, general ledger, and trial balance to come up with a more simplified template and word terms that the farmers can follow, to ensure that the knowledge is transferred, and the objective of the training is attained.

After the training, the trainers will conduct a series of financial management training for 20 groups of beneficiaries of the program this year. 

The simultaneous activities are set to be conducted on July 11 to August 3 this year. The main goal of the training is to capacitate the farmers to utilize and control their financial resources, safeguard their assets, as well as provide a mechanism for financial accountability effectively and efficiently. ###

Writer: Aimee Lou D. Madjus, DA-SAAD Region 9 Information Officer
Source: Alejandre Cordova, SAAD 9 SPPM staff, RPMSO