18/08/2026
#๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง: Bicol farmers, fisherfolk takes NPMO through their journey for SAADventures
A livelihood project may begin with a government intervention. But behind it are people who decide how to make it work, how to respond when challenges arise, and how to turn an opportunity into something that can benefit their families and even communities.
For its 9th regional field leg, the Department of Agriculture โ Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) National Program Management Office (NPMO), through Public Relations and Development Communications (PRDC) Unit, traveled across the Bicol Region from August 10 to 14, 2026 to document the experiences of farmer and fisherfolk associations assisted by the Program.
The fieldwork brought the DA and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) teams to communities in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Albay, and Sorsogon where they met organizations engaged in diverse agricultural and fisheries enterprises.
Rather than looking at project accomplishments through figures alone, the documentation focused on the experiences behind them. Through focus group discussions, individual interviews, and photo and video documentation, the teams listened to farmers and fisherfolk describe how their organizations began, how they managed their interventions, what difficulties they encountered, and what they hope to build next.
In Masbate, the DA team met the Banco Farmers Association in Palanas, which manages a High Value Crops Production project, and the Tunga Integrated Farmers Association in Esperanza, which manages a Poultry Production project. Their stories offered a glimpse into how community organizations manage agricultural enterprises while finding ways to make their projects responsive to the needs of their members.
The journey continued to Sorsogon, where the Samahang Magsasaka ng Poropandan in Matnog and the Tinampo Farmers Association in Bulusan shared experiences from their High Value Crops Production projects. Beyond vegetable production, the organizations have explored additional livelihood activities, including aquaculture, product processing, and other income-generating ventures, showing how farmer groups can build on their existing resources and skills.
The BFAR-assisted organizations brought another dimension to the field documentation.
In Capalonga, Camarines Norte, the Pamalakayang Asosasyon ng Capalonga (PAACAP) shared its experience in managing a Milkfish Culture in Fishpen in Support to Fishing Gear and Paraphernalia project. In Goa, Camarines Sur, the Goa Fisherfolk and Farmers Association (GoFFA) provided insights into its Tilapia Culture in Pond project.
The BFAR team also documented the experiences of the Cagbatano Fisherfolk Para sa Pagbabago Association (CFPPA) in Pio Duran, Albay, which manages a Capture Fisheries Livelihood project, and the Sta. Magdalena Fisherfolk Association in Sorsogon, which implements a Techno-Demo Project for Bangus Culture.
Across these communities, the teams encountered different forms of livelihood: crops grown on farms, poultry raised for production, fish cultivated in ponds and pens, and fisheries activities sustained by coastal communities. Yet beneath these differences were stories of groups learning to manage resources, work collectively, explore new opportunities, and make decisions based on the realities of their communities.
The interviews also brought forward the personal side of these interventions. Farmers and fisherfolk spoke not only about what they produce, but about what the projects have allowed them to learn, the responsibilities they have taken on within their organizations, and the changes they have experienced as members of community-based enterprises.
These firsthand accounts are what the PRDC Unit seeks to bring to the pages of SAADventuresโstories that go beyond project descriptions and production figures to show the people and aspirations behind the Program's interventions.
The Bicol field visit therefore served not only as a validation and documentation activity, but also as an opportunity to listen. Each conversation added another perspective to the evolving narrative of the SAAD Program: that development takes different forms in every community, and its impact is best understood through the voices of the people who experience it.
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ: Divine V. Paguntalan, DA-SAAD NPMO PRDC Unit
