The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Enterprise Development Component (I-REAP) Bicol conducted an Enterprise Development Activity and Strategic Planning for the proponent groups (PGs) of Sorsogon Pili Enterprise and the Sorsogon Abaca Fiber Trading Enterprise. 

Recently, the I-REAP team steered an Enterprise Assessment of all the ongoing subprojects to determine the readiness of the PGs in the enterprise operation. An on-site interview or a focused group discussion (FGD) was done to know the status of the business aspects such as organization and administration, enterprise operation, financial management, marketing, sustainability, and inclusivity. Based on the result of the assessment, it was found that there are some trainings that need to be conducted in order to have business continuity.

Thus, the Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Enterprise Development and Marketing Specialist Gay Bañez and the Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO)  Bicol Organizational Development Officer Angelica Peñano assisted the PGs. A detailed discussion was done to help the participants identify the constraints and possible solutions. 

According to Rebecca Espenida, Agri-head of the Gubat Saint Anthony Cooperative, they are very satisfied with the conduct of Enterprise Development Activity and Strategic Planning because it was well explained and they are better informed about what needs to be done to further improve their strategies based on their targets.

“Maganda po ang kinalabasan ng assessment dahil nareview po lahat ng processes na ginagawa namin.  Natulungan nila kami na mas ma-improve pa ang ginagawa namin at kung ano pa ang dapat pa naming gawin, (The result of the assessment is good because we were able to review all the process. They helped us to improve on what we were doing and what else we had to do)” Espenida said.

The Enterprise Assessment is a tool to determine the readiness of the PGs to implement an enterprise and formulate a three-year capacity development plan. The implementation of this tool will follow the capacity-building process framework from planning, capacity assessment, visioning, capacity gaps identification, capacity-building strategy, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. (Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

RPCO – Bicol Organizational Development Officer Angelica Peñano checked all the prepared documents of the Sorsogon Abaca Fiber Trading Enterprise to assist them in complying with the lacking data on their report. (Photo by: Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Enterprise Development and Marketing Specialist Gay Bañez discusses the forms that need to be accomplished by the PGss for easy data generation and submission to the RPCO and PSO. (Photo by: Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

The proponent group of the Sorsogon Pili Enterprise posing for a photo after the Enterprise Development Activity and Strategic Planning. (Photo by: Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)