BUTUAN CITY, October 5, 2023 – Aiming to enhance implementers’ technical skills for improved training conduct, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Caraga hosted a Training of Trainers on Financial Literacy on September 28-29, 2023, in Butuan City. 

Participated by 12 technical staff from SAAD regional and provincial offices, the training brushed up their knowledge in financial literacy and management with Mr. Clarence Malbasias, Agriculturist II of the DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, as resource person. 

The training covered the basics of financial borrowing, saving, generating income, and securing microinsurance with a complementary simulation game developed by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas and DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) titled KITA Mo Na! It allowed the staff to decide how to allocate baseline play money for financial services encountered by farmers in their everyday lives. It aimed to reinforce the lessons and improve financial decision-making.  

SAAD Phase 2 covers 14 municipalities in Agusan del Norte (1), Surigao del Norte (10), and Dinagat Islands (3), providing agricultural projects from poultry and livestock production (goat and egg) and crop production (abaca, cacao, banana, pineapple, and vegetable). With the  projects established this year, some groups are already selling and marketing their produce, hence the importance of supplementing their knowledge and skills regarding financial management. 

Following the lecture and workshop, the staff outlined a training design for a farmer-oriented financial literacy training for 2024 among the 28 assisted associations of the Program with 727 farmer members. The outline patterns the same topics and workshop learned in the training. The same regional and provincial staff will lead as facilitators and resource persons for the said training.  

The training is among the preparatory activities of the Program for FY 2024, aiming to effectively mobilize and improve the capacity of its staff as community organizers. ###

Writer: Mark Angelo C. Pineda, DA-SAAD Caraga Information Officer