THE Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Special Area for Agricultural Development (Saad) program, has conducted a three-day Training-of-Trainers (TOT) for community-based financial management and simple book keeping for Saad area coordinators in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Rad Donn Cedeño, DA regional executive director, said Monday, August 2, that the training-workshop gathered 14 local area coordinators covering 25 municipalities and two cities in Zamboanga del Norte, while five area coordinators in the province of Sulu attended virtually.

The three-day TOT training was held from July 28 to 30 in Dipolog City, the capital of Zamboanga del Norte.

Cedeño said the training is aimed to capacitate and enhance the capabilities of the program field implementers for better knowledge learning and be able to train basic financial management to farmer-beneficiaries of Zamboanga del Norte and Sulu provinces.

Zamboanga del Norte Saad Coordinator Roger Dave Gramatica said Monday, August 2, that at the end of the training-workshop, the area coordinators are expected to pursue innovative ideas for economic growth in their respective project areas.

"The Saad staff, especially the area coordinators, must challenge the individual economic responsibilities of our farmer-beneficiaries in the pursuit of setting goals, setting financial priorities and protecting the organization from financial threats and other possible risks," Gramatica said.

Manukan Municipal Accountant Vicente Ortiga Jr. served as the resource person of the activity.

Gramatica said the topics of the lecture include basic book keeping system, cash flow management, and the management of the associations' financial control. (SunStar Zamboanga)