At the forefront of the Department of Agriculture’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program is a firm commitment to inclusivity – ensuring that no one is left behind in the journey toward rural development. Guided by the principle of sama-sama, SAAD empowers marginalized communities, embracing diversity to build sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth.
A testament to this cause is Patricio Rosal, a resident of Catarman, Camiguin. Fondly called Pat, he is more than just the treasurer of the Tangaro Young Farmers Association (TYFA) – he is a symbol of perseverance, leadership, and hope.
Apart from his candid and friendly bearing, Pat is looked up to by the TYFA members for his admirable dedication and commitment to their shared goals for improved livelihood.
Pat was born with a walking disability. But he is no less than a catalytic member of the TYFA.
Early life in a family of farmers
Born to a family of farmers, Pat imbibed the knack for farming from his parents. He and four other siblings were raised by his parents mainly by planting coconut, banana and vegetables.
“There were five of us siblings and all of us are PWD. With our condition my parents struggled to provide for us. I am just lucky because my condition is somewhat better than my other siblings” he said.
As he was orphaned at a young age, Pat was left to fend for himself early in his life after his older siblings also kicked the bucket.
Despite his rough past, now at 34, Pat remained steadfast. Pat is a farmer who makes a living out of a parcel of land he inherited from his parents.
“I am slow at some tasks, but it is not undoable. Although I may need assistance with other chores, I can still manage to get the work done” he professed.
On being SAAD beneficiary
“I am glad to be part of SAAD because I have no family, I have less to do with my time. I reckoned I would contribute to our association whatever it is in my capacity,” Pat bared.
As a bonafide SAAD-assisted association, the TYFA is a recipient of Integrated Poultry and High Value Crops Production Project.
“As treasurer to our SAAD project, I am in-charge of monitoring the poultry – the chicken, feeds, egg production, as well as our sales and income. Sometimes I would be the one to deliver the eggs to a nearby location,” he added.
In September 2023, Pat and 24 other members of the TYFA received a package of ready-to-lay chicken project after undergoing Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Beneficiary Needs Assessment (BNA) conducted by SAAD.
With the continued support from SAAD in cooperation with the Local Government Unit of Catarman, and SAAD’s partner NGO, the Greenminds Inc., the TFYA was able to expand their egg production enterprise and engage in the production of free-range chicken, vegetables, organic fertilizer, peanut and peanut value-added products, longganisa, and stingless bee honey.
To date, the TYFA has amassed over Php 479k in revenue from the SAAD-granted livelihood project.
“With SAAD, I truly see how beneficial it is to be a part of a group. I can see unity and harmony among the members. In my experience, so far we are doing good,” Pat enthused.
Development for all in SAAD
As a developmental and transformative program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), SAAD’s primary goal is to capacitate underprivileged farmers to be an active player of the country’s agricultural economy.
“Our goal is to reach out to the marginal and vulnerable sectors to extend the services and assistance of the DA. In SAAD we believe development is for everyone. So, it is our mission to capacitate our small farmers and transform them as able contributors to economic development in their communities,” said Mark Anthony Lagamon, SAAD-Northern Mindanao Operational Planning, Budget, Monitoring an Evaluation (OPBME) Lead.
To bolster Northern Mindanao’s agricultural development, the SAAD program seeks to include the youth, women, persons with disability, indigenous people, senior citizens and solo parents in the implementation of its community-based livelihood projects in 26 towns across 4 provinces of the region with high recorded poverty incidence.
