Representatives from the 5 agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) attended the Bookkeeping and Record-keeping Training facilitated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This initiative is spearheaded by the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) in partnership with Peace and Equity Foundation, Inc. (PEF).
The 5 ARBOs were pre-selected to establish and manage vegetable garden enterprises. Bookkeeping and record-keeping were included in the technical support and capacity building activities of the program. This training aimed to enhance the participants’ knowledge and practical skills in proper bookkeeping and record-keeping, particularly in monitoring the expenses, production costs, sales, income, and other financial transactions associated with their vegetable garden activities.
The training was facilitated by Ms. Maybel Obcena and Ms. Katherine Bianca Laguna, Junior Business Counselor of the DTI. During the training, the participants were introduced to the importance of maintaining complete and updated records of farm inputs, labor expenses, production activities, sales, and income. This enables the ARBOs to monitor the movement and utilization of financial and farm resources, determine actual production costs, calculate income and profitability, and make informed decisions regarding the management of their vegetable garden projects.
The training also highlighted that bookkeeping and record-keeping should not be viewed merely as administrative requirements but as important management tools for the successful operation of an enterprise. It was recommended that a follow-up session of the training be conducted to reinforce lessons and review accomplished records in each of the ARBOs’ systems.
