With expanded assistance planned for farmers’ organizations this year, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program in Davao Region is aligning its project management processes in preparation for the 2026 implementation cycle.
DA-SAAD Davao is set to support 36 farmers’ associations across the region in 2026, up from 28 assisted last year—a scale-up that places greater demand on procurement, documentation and contract management to ensure projects move forward without delays that could affect farmer-beneficiaries.
As part of these preparations, the Program convened its personnel last February 2 for a program management orientation focused on procedures tied to project implementation, including contract management, procurement processes and required documentation.
Jeopar C. Escario, Agricultural Center Chief III of the Davao Region Central Experiment Station, led the discussion, emphasizing that gaps in documentation and process often translate into delays once projects reach the field.
“Importante nga masabtan gyud nato ang mga dokumento ug proseso nga atong gina-handle,” Escario said. “Kini maoy giya sa husto ug responsableng pagpatuman sa mga proyekto.”
(It is important that we fully understand the documents and processes we handle, because these serve as our guide in implementing projects correctly and responsibly.)
Monday J. Aretaño, Head of the SAAD Regional Operational Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, said aligning staff on procedures helps ensure continuity from planning through monitoring as projects move into communities.
She said the session also provided an opportunity for staff to raise recurring issues encountered during implementation and clarify procedures ahead of the year’s project rollout.
Rather than introducing new interventions, the focus for 2026 is on execution—ensuring that approved projects are implemented as scheduled and reach farmers’ organizations as intended. ###
