Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program in partnership with the Provincial Community Affairs Office (PCAO) of the Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) conducted a series of Organizational Development and Governance Training among its Farmers’ Associations (FA) from April 20 to 28, 2026.
The training aims to promote cohesion, clarity, and reinforcement of the policies and by-laws of the organizations for them to be able to revisit its sections to assess if its implementation still reflects the current practices of their organizations.
The SAAD provincial team of PDI and PCAO trained around 150 farmers from Pangie Farmers’ Association (PFA) and Justiniana Edera Livestock Grower Association (JELGA) of Dinagat, PDI; Doña Helen Sewing Women’s Association (DOHSWA) and Bayanihan Makugihong Mag-uuma ug Mangingisda Asosasyon (BMMMA) of Libjo, PDI; and Malinao Poultry Raisers Association (MaPoRA) and Mabini Livestock Raisers Association (MaLRAs) of Tubajon, PDI.
“It is important for your organization to revisit your policies and by-laws every now and then to remind everyone about their roles and responsibilities and how the organization is built to operate,” explained Ludevico B. Emfimo, Provincial Community Affairs Officer IV.
Emfimo also noted that in crafting and implementing policies, separate meetings among the officers shall be conducted for them to come up with a consensus and formulate a collective voice when making a stance about certain topics. Those steps are foundational to encourage open communication and healthy dialogues when consultations with the general assembly are organized.
During the activity, sessions on basic financial recording were headed by Marian O. Santillan, PCAO Community Coordinator where she expressed that, “Accurate record keeping is crucial in an organization to keep track of your income and expenses. Cash inflow and outflows should be recorded in real-time by the assigned officer to properly reconcile the funds of the organization.”
She added that, “accurate inputting of cash flows will help the business manager, treasurer, and auditor to maintain an honest, updated, and transparent financial reports to the general assembly for regular monitoring.” She emphasized that timeliness in journaling upholds integrity and transparency, the reason why it should be duly practiced by the FAs.
While in a practical workshop, Santillan guided the group’s financial officers on how to integrate the simple accounting format they provided to streamline their financial records for faster tracking.
When asked to share his impression of the training, JELGA’s Chairman, Felimon C. Cape shared that the training was beneficial to their group especially that most of them are senior citizens. “This training will work to our advantage as it doesn’t fully rely on computers. A pen and a notebook could already suffice – together with the dedication and patience of our officers,” he said.
“This activity is necessary for the farmers to be continuously reminded that to be able to sustain an agricultural enterprise, its administrative aspect shall not be overlooked and policies shall be strictly put in place in cohesion of their production and marketing initiatives,” said Potamio I. Valdehueza II, SAAD Assistant Provincial Coordinator (APC), who further explained the importance of the training now that the majority of the FAs in PDI are about to level up their status to Fully Established Community-Based Enterprise (CBE).
As the Program implementation in Dinagat Islands is nearing its conclusion, SAAD Caraga will continue to empower its FAs to take on full autonomy of their enterprises to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the FAs’ Community-Based Enterprises (CBEs).
