SAFADECO inspires other ARB Organizations

The SAFADECO Core Management Team with NATCCO Area Manager

Upper Photo: Leonardo Banga, NATCCO Area Manager; Jessica Samantha D. Acleta, SAFADECO General Manager;  Salvacion Nicolas, Operation and Supervision Unit Head for Southern Luzon; Gerwyn Pura, NATCCO Area Manager; and Tita Desquitado,  BOD Chairperson

SORSOGON CITY – Salvacion Farmers’ Development Cooperative or SAFADECO in Sorsogon City successfully finished their strategic planning for the coming three years.

Facilitated by NATCCO, officers of SAFADECO reviewed their vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Everybody is satisfied because throughout the year the cooperative has done what are stated in its VMGO. Apart from that, they are happy upon knowing that SAFADECO can already buy-out from NATCCO this coming 2016. However, they still like to continue their partnership, thus, for the next years, NATCCO will be the SAFADECO’s consultant.

Aside from credit and savings, SAFADECO is also engaged in Consumer Store and Copra Trading, their original business which they used to call “other business”. This cooperative which was built in piso-piso member-contribution way back in 1992 has inspired other ARB organizations. Just recently, the Belen Bonot Manguiring Village Level Production Association (BBMVLPA) in Calabanga, Camarines Sur visited SAFADECO because according to them they like to know the cooperative’s best practices.

“One of our best practices is the application of three Ps which was taught to us by the Social Entrepreneurship Development Partnership, Incorporated. This is in business, we should not just be concerned on profit alone, but we should consider the welfare of the society or the people and the environment or the planet,” Agnes Bellen, Manager for SAFADECO’s other business said.

Two batches of BARC Officers provided with Leadership Training

The first batch of BARC on a leadership-related activity during the training.

Upper Photo: Participants of Leadership Training with DAR employees and Resource Speaker

The Officers of Barangay Agrarian Reform Council (BARC) in Bacon District and Sorsogon City are very fortunate because unlike other municipalities in the province of Sorsogon, they were the only BARC Officers which DAR provided with BARC Strengthening Program in partnership with the LGU of Sorsogon City under the Grassroot Participatory Budgeting.

The program was initiated by Norberto Laguna and Lucy Bailon, Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers (MARPOs). One of the activities in this program is the Leadership Training that lasts for two days in each batch. Participated by twenty six (26) barangays in Sorsogon City and twenty seven (27) barangays in Bacon District, the 106 BARC Officials learned self-awareness; qualities, kinds of leaders, and leadership styles; roles and responsibilities of a leader in an organization; and how to handle communication. Other important topics such as conflict management, facilitation, Filipino leadership values, and goal setting planning were also discussed to them.

“Since the organization of BARC, the officers were not provided with any training that could improve their performance. Because BARC is sectoral, they were just placed on that position. They are handling a very critical role in the barangay so they should be equipped with knowledge especially in leadership,” MARPO Laguna said.

Sooner, this group of BARCs is going to form a federation so that their importance in the community will be recognized.

Conflict Management Training successfully participated by ARB Organizations

Role playing on handling a mediation and conciliation.

Upper Photo: Officers of 16 ARBOs during their graduation with the facilitators and Resource Speaker.

A 2-day training on Conflict Management for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs) was conducted recently by DAR Sorsogon headed by Leonito M. Gaveria, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II in partnership with South-Luzon Federation of Cooperatives (SIDECO).

Under this training they were taught by Jenell P. Paghubasan, Chairman of SIDECO who was the resource speaker, how to formulate or develop a mediation and conciliation program; and how to implement the approved program. He also presented the mediation and conciliation program management including roles and responsibilities, processes and tools; and the rules on disposition of mediation cases.

“I got three wealth from this training which I can bring home. These are the happiness in my heart for meeting other ARBOs, the knowledge which nobody can snatch from me but I can share to others, and the savings because of DAR’s assistance in the provision of this free training. This is already a big thing for our cooperative,” Floribe D. Macapagal, BOD of SAADECO said.

DAR was expecting thirty (30) participants but there were forty-four (44) ARBO Officers arrived who came from ABCC, ANNIC, BAMUCO, BHARBEDECO, BIGKIS Cooperative, CABAMUCO, CADECO, CARFADECO, GASANAMUDECO, JUMUCO, MADECO, SAADECO, SAFADECO, SCCPC, SCDECO, and SRBCC.