To gain direct insights into the experiences of its beneficiaries, National Director Ullysses Lustria Jr. of the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program embarked on a comprehensive field visit to Tublay, Benguet, yesterday, June 6.
Dir. Lustria immersed himself in the operations of SAAD beneficiaries under both the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
This engagement was fundamentally driven by his stated purpose: “Ang pangunahing layunin ko sa pagpunta rito ay para makinig sa inyong mga istorya. Siguro one percent lang ako magsasalita; ang natitirang 99 percent ay para sa inyo na ibahagi ang inyong paglalakbay sa SAAD, at kami ay makikinig. Ang tangi naming hiling ay ang inyong mga istorya.”
The SAAD chief was accompanied by a team of SAAD National Project Management Office (NPMO) staff including Executive Assistant Saturn Palahang Jr., Social Preparation Sub-unit Staff Meljun Florece, Food Production and Livelihood Sub-unit Staff Ronalen Gonzales, and Public Relations and Development Communication Unit staff Christ John Gamarcha.
Also joining the team were officials and staff from the Regional Project Management Support Office (RPMSO) of DA-SAAD Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), led by Assistant Operations Officer Ronan M. Soriano and Social Preparation Sub-Unit and Public Relations and Development Communication Lead Dr. Aida Y. Pagtan.
Representing BFAR-SAAD CAR RPMSO were Assistant Regional Focal Person Michelle Peralta and Aquacultural Technologist and RPMSO staff lead Leo Angeliko Jon Casing. Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer Lito D. Mocati and representatives from the Municipal Agriculture Office also participated in the engagements.
The morning commenced with a visit to the Ambongdolan Fisherfolk Association in Barangay Ambongdolan. This group, comprising 25 members predominantly from the Ibaloi Tribe, initiated their involvement with SAAD in 2023 through a Tilapia Production Project from BFAR-SAAD CAR.
Dir. Lustria led a focused group discussion, characterized by a “kwentuhan” or storytelling session, where he personally engaged with the farmers, inquiring about their well-being and experiences. Following the discussion, the team proceeded to inspect a beneficiary’s fishpond, allowing the director to personally assess the operations.
Beneficiaries reported commendable yields, successfully marketing their produce within neighboring barangays. Despite the upland setting of their fishpond, the association has demonstrated significant progress. To further their aquaculture endeavors, the group expressed plans to establish an agri-fishery stall and venture into smoked tilapia production.
Subsequently, the team visited two communities assisted by DA-SAAD CAR: the Tublay Central Aduyon Farmers Association (TCAFA) in Barangay Tublay Central and the Basil Aduyon Multipurpose Cooperative (BAMPC) in Barangay Basil. Both associations comprise high-value crop cultivators, with a notable representation of women farmers. These groups received agricultural inputs from SAAD, which have contributed to enhancing their farming practices and productivity.
While both associations acknowledged the inherent complexities of project management, they affirmed their commitment to continuous improvement following candid discussions. The DA-SAAD CAR RPMSO also reaffirmed its dedication to providing sustained assistance to these associations.
The final engagement of the day was with the Fisherfolk Organization of Daclan in Barangay Daclan, another group managing a Tilapia Production Project. Members, also belonging to the Ibaloi Tribe, shared their positive achievements, including successful harvests and marketing efforts that have generated income. Similar to the Abongdolan Fisherfolk Association, this group expressed aspirations to establish a wet market stall and develop smoked fish as a value-added product.
Director Lustria’s visit to Tublay directly supported the SAAD Program’s aim to gather firsthand insights from its beneficiaries. The discussions provided essential information, which will be utilized to inform future program strategies and resource allocation for agricultural and aquacultural development. ###
