As one of the SAAD Phase II Program’s implementing offices, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Caraga region is dedicated to ensuring the successful implementation of the said program in the region.
The Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Phase II is a six-year, locally funded program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that is primarily focused on providing appropriate interventions and initiatives. It covers 619 municipalities (in 66 provinces) in the country, that belongs to 5th and 6th income class and top 1/3 poorest municipalities based on the PSA poverty incidence 2018 full report.
To maintain and maximize beneficiary progress throughout the duration of the program, SAAD Phase II deliver results that fulfill its four primary components, namely: (1) Social Preparation, (2) Food Production and Livelihood, (3) Marketing Assistance and Enterprise Development, and (4) Program Management.
Said program plays a significant role in addressing prevailing socio-economic, environmental, and food security issues by implementing sustainable rural development strategies with its core livelihood programs and projects, such as the Aquaculture Production Program, the Capture Fisheries Development Program, and the Post-Harvest Development Program.
It is developmental and transformative in nature as it seeks to bring its beneficiaries beyond the poverty line by giving them access to economic opportunities, strengthening their fishing activities, and further transforming them from producers into community-based enterprises (CBE).
To recall, only two (2) out of the five (5) provinces of Caraga region were covered under the implementation of SAAD Program Phase I in 2017–2022, which consisted of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. In its second phase, all five (5) provinces in the region are included, covering thirty-six (36) municipalities as program beneficiaries.
The implementation of SAAD Program Phase II by the Department of Agriculture has started this year (2023) and will last until 2028.
In photos are the SAAD Phase II Program covered municipalities of Caraga Region
