To strengthen data accuracy and improve field validation processes, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) National Program Management Office (NPMO) conducted profiling observations in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte on May 4 – 5, 2026.
Executive Assistant to the Program Director Saturnino R. Palahang Jr., together with OPBME Unit Staff Arvel D. Gerona, met with the Information Technology Database Development (ITDD) Unit headed by Mel Albert Agra and Community Development Officers assigned in Surigao del Norte.
The meeting highlighted the importance of accurate and reliable data in measuring the program’s impact on farmers through the updated profiling forms. Discussions focused on enhancements made to the forms, particularly the inclusion of additional data fields separating farmers’ agricultural income from earnings generated through SAAD-supported projects. These improvements allow for a clearer assessment of the program’s direct contribution to beneficiaries’ livelihoods.
The updated forms also introduced a refined method of income computation, enabling more accurate tracking of earnings derived from SAAD interventions. This provides a stronger basis for evaluating program effectiveness and supports evidence-based reporting for SAAD summary reports.
“As the SAAD Program approaches the completion of its Phase 2 implementation in 2028, the newly added data fields will allow us to generate more specific and evidence-based information that reflects the program’s impact on the lives of our farmer beneficiaries. This is how critical the data that could navigate the future of the program in the years to come,” Palahang said.
The profiling observation was conducted among farmers’ associations in the municipalities of Santa Monica, home of the Abad Santos Farmers Association (ASFA), and General Luna, where the Active Farmers Association in Magsaysay (AFAM) is situated.
For Laurence Bandola, Area Coordinator assigned in Siargao, the recent profiling using the updated forms allowed Area Coordinators to better appreciate the impact of their day-to-day efforts in assisting farmers’ associations in the area.
“I was assigned here during the early days of Phase 2, and I witnessed the humble beginnings of our farmers’ associations and the challenges they faced that led them to become program beneficiaries. Today, economic progress can already be seen and truly felt. They may still be far from achieving full agricultural success, but they are now far from where they once were – and for me, that is already a progress worth being proud of as AC,” Bandola proudly shared.
Since January 2026, the revised profiling tool has been rolled out nationwide, including in the Caraga Region, and is currently being used in profiling SAAD beneficiary associations to ensure that program accomplishments are backed by reliable and verifiable data.
“The ITDD Unit of SAAD Caraga adheres to the mandates cascaded by the Central Office to further improve the accuracy of our data collection. Moreover, we express our full willingness to assist Central Office personnel during their on-site visits and profiling observations, considering these activities as our opportunity to showcase and further strengthen the region’s implementation of the standardized profiling system,” Agra said.
Moving forward, SAAD Caraga will continue strengthening data-driven implementation by ensuring that program results are not only reflected in success stories but are also supported by accurate and verifiable data that clearly demonstrate the program’s impact on farmers’ livelihoods.
