As enterprises in Dinagat continue to recover from the persistent effects of Super Typhoon Odette, Regional Project Coordination Office XIII’s (RPCO 13) I-REAP Component, along with Dinagat’s Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) conducted an Enterprise Assessment and training on the Formulation of the Capacity Development Plan for Lead Proponent Groups (LPGs) and their cluster members on January 25 – 27, 2023 at San Jose, Province of Dinagat Islands.

Enterprises focused on cassava, banana, and seaweed production converged for three days to assess their operations using the new I-REAP Enterprise Assessment Tool. The results from this assessment were then used to identify weaknesses and threats to their organizations to be addressed in the formulation of their Capacity Development Plan.

A year after Odette made landfall in the Philippines, its destructive aftermath can still be felt by enterprises in Dinagat. Despite this, Lead Proponent Groups such as the New Mabuhay Seaweed Farmer and Fisherfolks Association (NMSFFA), General Aguinaldo Farmers Association (GAFA), and A&M Multi-Purpose Cooperative were determined to develop their enterprises through participation in the training.

“We have learned a lot from this training and I feel like we have done so much work for our association. We will strive to really follow the plans we have developed here as this framework will be our bible for the year ahead,” says Alicia Quillo Ocay, Chair of the Board of Directors of NMSFFA.

RPCO 13’s I-REAP Component Head Ms. Lynn A. Pareñas also emphasized the training as an avenue for enterprises to assess and strengthen their businesses in pursuit of longevity and sustainability.

LPGs and cluster members were trained on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Formulation and the formulation of a Capacity Development Plan. The results of the Enterprise Assessment were also discussed and incorporated into the formulation of their enterprise’s Capacity Development Plan. #(Nichole L. Talatala)