TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas (DA-8) recently hosted an orientation and briefing session for new personnel under the Special Areas for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program. Held on May 5, 2023, at the DA-RFO 8 Conference Room in Kanhuraw Hill, Tacloban City, the event marked the initiation of Phase II of the SAAD Program Implementation.
Focusing on 60 municipalities in the region classified in the 5th and 6th income brackets, Phase II is driven by four core components: Social Preparation, Food Production and Livelihood, Marketing Assistance and Enterprise Development, and Program Management.
The program seeks to alleviate poverty among farmers and fisherfolk by offering livelihood packages.
Phase I interventions from 2017 to 2022 will continue to be monitored and endorsed as banner programs for additional support. The orientation emphasized the examination of SAAD guidelines, plans, directives, and the Human Resource (HR) Manual, as well as establishing targets and deliverables for each operating unit.
Regional Executive Director Dr. Andrew Rodolfo T. Orais led the meeting, with Regional Technical Director Larry U. Sultan and Lead APCO Francisco C. Rosaroso was also in attendance. In his address, Director Orais urged the SAAD team to concentrate on personal growth, maintain effective practices, and cultivate robust relationships with partners, stakeholders, and colleagues.
In a separate initiative, approximately 450 farmers from Mayorga, Leyte, were provided with hybrid rice seeds as part of the initial distribution phase for the current cropping season.
The recipients hailed from various barangays, including Brgy. Wilson, Brgy. Union, Brgy. Poblacion Zone 2, Brgy. Bonifacio, Brgy. Kalipayan, and Brgy. Mabini. Representatives from the Rice Program and Longpin and Seedworks seed companies also conducted a brief workshop on cultural management practices. —iTacloban