The second run of the Business Counselors Course for the Department of Agriculture – Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS) was conducted in Davao City last 12-16 September 2016. Opening the course was Usec. Evelyn Laviña, who gave a strong statement that served as both inspiration and challenge to the participants: “DA is a working department!”
A total of 26 participants attended the training, and as part of their requirements they were made to assess two enterprises in Panabo City: Frux Foods and Rehoboth Association. The participants were also made to give their practical recommendations based on their findings.
The participants’ outputs were evaluated by Leny G. Pecson, supervising agriculturist at DA-AMAS and alternate component head of I-REAP; Patrick B. Belisario, Philippine Rural Development Project consultant; and Engr. Richard P. Manapol, director of the Innovation Technology Support Office of Ateneo de Davao University.
One of the participants, Myra Grace C. Peñaflor of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Region 9, said: “We are very happy to be part of this short course. There were many acronyms and formulas that we thought we wouldn’t be able to absorb, and we had a lot to read from the supplementary materials provided, and while we thought that we were not able to process everything, but now we have seen that we have become business counselors as we presented the action plans for the two business enterprises.”
For his part, Edwin D. dela Rosa of DTI – Region II remarked, “I learned a lot from this training. Even as I graduate from this course, I realize that there are more to learn, and I believe that this is just the beginning of our journey in becoming effective business counselors.”