From planting crops to planning businesses, farmers in Northern Samar are now learning how to take the next big step in their agri-livelihood: becoming community-based entrepreneurs.
Through a series of marketing trainings this June, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2, through its Marketing and Enterprise Development (MAED) sub-unit, equipped farmer-beneficiaries across the province with basic entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy tools to better manage and grow their enterprises.
Participants from the Sabang II RIC Association of Allen and Capul Poblacion Integrated Farmers Association were trained on Basic Business Recording and Understanding Financial Statements. These topics helped them track income, assess expenses, and make sound financial decisions.
“Nakaaram kami paghimo financial statements ngan tax returns ngan madali maimod an mga data para sa decision-making kun papano pa mapaasenso an amo negosyo sa maabot na panahon,” said Gary Dadia, member of Sabang II RIC Association.
[We learned how to create financial statements and tax returns, and how to organize data for better decision-making to grow our enterprise in the future.]
Meanwhile, members of the Dao Farmers Association of San Jose, Samahan ng OFW para sa Agrikultura ng Allen (SOPAA), and the Aguin Integrated Farmers Association of Capul underwent a session on Entrepreneurial Mind Setting and Values Formation — a module designed to shift perspectives from survival farming to sustainable agribusiness.
“An training nakabulig gud pag-abre san sa amun na asosasyon panhunahuna, disiplina, determinasyon, ngan tamang pagplano sa pagpahamtang san amon proyekto. Diri la kami basta parag-uma, pwede liwat kami maging negosyante,” said Michael Gobrin, President of Dao Farmers Association.
[The training helped open our minds to discipline, determination, and strategic planning. We now realize we’re not just farmers — we can be entrepreneurs too.]
Encouraged by the positive response, the SAAD Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) in Northern Samar reaffirmed its support to the province’s farmer associations.
“The PPMSO Northern Samar will continue its dedication to help our farmers today and in the years to come,” said Area Coordinator Dionito S. Lucban, Jr. “Aligned with the program’s initiatives, we’ve lined up strategic interventions such as capacity-building, enterprise development, and market linkages to ensure the progress and sustainability of these groups.”
The training series reflects SAAD’s broader goal of empowering marginalized farming communities not just to grow food, but to build sustainable livelihoods. By enhancing their business knowledge and instilling confidence, the program aims to transform these associations into thriving community-based enterprises (CBEs) — rooted in food security and growing toward long-term economic self-sufficiency. ###
