DA-SAAD trains Siargao farmers on agribusiness
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program is enhancing the livelihood of the local farmers by conducting a series of Business Model Canvas (BMC) training-workshops in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte.
Held on October 14–17, this initiative cultivated an ‘agripreneurial’ mindset among group beneficiaries, facilitating the establishment of successful Community-Based Enterprises (CBEs).
Through the training, the participants were guided to better understand the business side of their production projects as part of the program’s sustainability efforts to link food production and enterprise development.
Twelve farmers’ associations (FAs) across Siargao Island participated in the program, with 10 representatives from each association attending such as the Farmers Association of Magsaysay (AFAM) and the United Farmers Association of Sta. Cruz (UFASAC) of General Luna; Makugihong Mag-uuma sa Katipunan (MMK) and Malipayon ug Mauswagong Mag-uuma sa Mahayahay (M4) of Del Carmen; Caridad Vegetable Association (CAVEA) and Consolacion Goat Raisers Association (COGORA); Bongdo SAAD Farmers Organization (BOSAFO) and Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Mananagat sa Maribojoc, Inc. (NAGAMAMA) of San Benito; United Del Pilar Farmers Association (UDePFAss) and San Miguel United and Resilient Farmers (SMURF) of San Isidro; and Abad Santos Farmers Association (ASFA); and Bailan Farmer Entrepreneurs Association (BAFEA) of Sta. Monica.
Rex G. Parro, a faculty member from the College of Agriculture and Agri-Industries of Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City, introduced and emphasised the foundational truth that a long-term business is built on more than just the product. “Farmers, when thinking of a long-term business venture, should take into account the capacity of their production, the viability of the market they want to engage in, and the building of good relationships and strong networks to ensure the stability of the business.”
He emphasized that if the mere goal of the business revolves around earning money, it is poorly established and will struggle to develop a customer base in its community.
“Employing good customer service to your clients is a great way of making a mark on them,” Parro said. “On-time delivery catering for the volume of their orders, and replacement policies to ensure client satisfaction are some of the ways to establish a good business venture.”
Marvilyn Estaloza, secretary of Makugihong Mag-uuma sa Katipunan, shared her insight of the activity. “We are grateful for this training because we can apply our learning to our SAAD project and to our own businesses. We also appreciate our speaker as he made the sessions engaging and we learned valuable ways on how to deal with customers to build trust and sustain loyalty.”
The DA-SAAD initiative challenged them to go beyond the physical yield and see the enterprise opportunity hidden within their collective effort, serving as the program’s deliberate strategy—to embed sustainability by linking their hard-won harvest directly to viable market success.
SAAD Caraga is committed to supporting this evolution, continuing to provide focused training that reinforces the newly acquired entrepreneurial spirit and forging a more prosperous and self-reliant future for Siargao Island. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte with a report from DA-SAAD)