Twenty-five (25) members of the Aliwagwag IP Farmers and Aquaculture Development Association participated in the specialized training conducted by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Davao Region last July 17, 2025, in Barangay Aliwagwag, Cateel, Davao Oriental.
The training was conducted to promote best practices in goat production and management, which enhanced the knowledge and skills of the Aliwagwag farmers, building their capacity for sustainable livestock development.
SAAD Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO), in collaboration with Municipal Agriculture Office (MAGRO) SAAD Focal Person Roy Rendon and the Revitalized Pulis Sa Barangay (RPSB) facilitated the training. Further, resource speakers from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVET), Rio Janice Galiman and Honey Kim Comihod shared practical techniques and expert insights on goat care, breeding, and management.
“Maswerte gayod ang munisipyo sa Cateel nga usa sa mga nakadawat og tabang gikan sa DA-SAAD Program. Pinaagi niini nga training, nakadawat og bililhon nga kaalam ang mga partisipante nga makapadako sa ilang kapasidad sa pag-atiman sa mga kanding, ilabina sa pagkaon ug nutrisyon,” said Roy Rendon, SAAD-MAGRO Focal Person.
(The municipality of Cateel is truly fortunate to be among the recipients of assistance from the DA-SAAD Program. Through this training, participants have gained valuable knowledge that will greatly enhance their capacity to care for goats, especially in terms of feeding and nutrition.)
In addition to the training, PVET provided planting materials such as Napier grass, Pakchong Super Napier grass, and Trichanthera as forage crops for the goats as part of the preparations for the delivery of upgraded stocks.
“Interesado gyud mi sa goat farming, dili tungod kay mahatagan mi og kanding, kundi aron madungagan ang among kaalam og kahibalo ug ideya kung unsaon pagpatuman sa best practices, labi na sa tugnaw nga lugar sama sa amoa. Ang gi-training nga gitudlo sa amoa nakapokus sa giya ug hapsay nga pagdumala. Mapasalamaton gyud mi sa SAAD tungod kay daghan mi natun-an nga maayong impormasyon kabahin sa pagpangandam ug pag-atiman sa kanding,” said Renato Tan, association member.
(I’m truly interested in goat farming—not just because we’ve been given goats, but because we want to deepen our knowledge and understanding of how to apply best practices, especially in cold areas like ours. The training provided focused on proper guidance and organized management. We’re very grateful to the SAAD Program because we learned a lot of valuable information about preparing for and caring for goats.).
To further support their development, the Program has also delivered 25 bags of corn seeds and 146 sacks of fertilizer.
This year, the farmer associations under the SAAD Davao will also receive an additional 45 upgraded goats composed of five bucks and 40 does. ###
