DA-10 strengthens agribiz support to returning OFWs in NorMin

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Aiming to provide a comprehensive introduction to agribusiness for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Northern Mindanao, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10), through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), staged a two-day training on Empowering OFWs: Micro-Agrikabuhayan Para sa Balikbayan on December 3 to 4, here.

The said initiative is designed to address the unique needs of the trainees by providing them with specialized training and agribusiness support to start small-scale agricultural ventures.

As a career in agribusiness offers diverse opportunities across various sectors, including food manufacturing, processing, and retail marketing, DA-10 AMAD Assistant Division chief Ferdinand F. Carabella, stressed the importance of developing competitive business strategies that leverage advances in bioengineering, mechanization, and modern farming practices to thrive in the market.

Meanwhile, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan expressed his support for the capbuild, as it will allow the agency to contribute to the reintegration and livelihood of the returning OFWs.

“I hope that by the end of this training, you [participants] will know the kind of agricultural investment that you plan to set out so that we [DA-10] will be able to reconfigure the interventions we offer based on your needs,”Pacamalan added.

DA-10 AMAD partnered with resource speakers from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council and the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program of the agency, and Bukidnon-based company, Mushroom City to highlight sessions on resource provisions, hydroponics lettuce production, and oyster mushroom production as part of the event’s component.

Training discussions not only centered to enhance agri-production skills, but also business planning and financial literacy, equipping attendees with the essential knowledge to effectively run agricultural enterprises and manage their finances.

Further, the capbuild also staged a sharing of the returning OFWs’ major takeaways, recommendations, and action plans through the conduct of workshop and presentation of outputs.

In her message, Overseas Workers Welfare Officer ll Shellany V. Nava of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-10 (OWWA-10), expressed her appreciation to the agency for extending its services to the returning OFWs in the region.

“We’re very happy to have connected with DA-10 because our aim for the OFWs is to have a better life when they return to their homes. What we want is to secure their reintegration into the local community so the services extended by the agency offer an opportunity for the Balikbayans to progress in ways of agribusiness,” Nava said.# (EJLG)