The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – Special Area for Agricultural Development (BFAR-SAAD) program in MIMAROPA initiated the introduction of the Market Assistance and Enterprise Development (MAED) component on February 12 to 16, 2024 to better support Fisherfolk Associations (FAs) in the province of Romblon.
MAED is a key element of SAAD Phase 2 which focuses on facilitating market-related activities related to the livelihood projects offered by the program.
Prior to the conduct of market-related activities in Romblon and Palawan, BFAR-SAAD MIMAROPA’s MAED Officer Ananias O. Cuasay reviewed the existing market-related plans and activities by the Department of Agriculture (DA) MIMAROPA and the Provincial Agriculture Office of the respective provincial gov't. This includes Value Chain Analysis (VCA) and Mapping, Expanded Vulnerability and Suitability Analysis (eVSA), and Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP).
This information shall provide, mainstream, and standardize the functions, activities, and indicators, including the necessary tools, in aligning the MAED component with the BFAR-SAAD beneficiaries, ensuring the establishment of a viable and sustainable Community-Based Enterprise (CBE).
Cuasay began aligning the MAED component in Romblon by meeting with association presidents of three municipalities to discuss market-related plans including identifying appropriate market outlets and addressing possible gaps.
Some concerns in the municipality of Sta. Fe were also addressed, such as seaweed planting, water quality for cleaning, and seaweed grading which he consulted with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Romblon.
Meanwhile, suggestions for fish and seaweed traders in Romblon province and beyond were also discussed with the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPAG).
To ensure the success of the enterprises, partnerships with the stakeholders were also established to assist during and after the program’s implementation.
In addition to this initiative, the rollout of new profiling forms to beneficiaries has commenced in the municipalities of Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, San Andres, and Banton. The new profiling form aims to maintain consistency, improve the overall efficiency of the data collection process, and gather standardized and comprehensive information for better planning and implementation of the program. (Elaine Keith G. Familaran)
