NAFC-2nd Quarterly News letter2011 Final - National Agricultural ...

BAS, NAFC launch
2KR-assisted
farm info project
The Bureau of the Agricultural
Statistics and the NAFC jointly launched
an innovative project that would engage
small farmers in the collection and
utilization of statistical information.
The project, dubbed “Enhancing Farmers’
Capacity to Access, Analyze and Utilize
Statistical Information” was launched in a
ceremony held on June 23 at the Sunrise
Holiday Mansion in Alfonso, Cavite.
The three-year project was funded
under the NAFC-managed Japan Grant
Assistance for the Food Security of
Underprivileged Farmers or 2KR Program
to the tune of some PhP25.68 Million.
The event was attended by around 150
people, including BAS regional and provincial
statistics officers led by BAS Director
Romeo S. Recide; representatives from
the Government of Japan (GOJ) led by
Embassy First Secretary Takehiko Sakata,
Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) representative Ms. Etsuko Taneda,
and DA-JICA Expert Mr. Hiroshi Kodama
(DA-JICA Expert); and representatives
from NAFC led by its OIC-Director, Engr.
Noel A. Juliano, and NAFC-Special Projects
Division Chief Ms. Elgie L. Namia.
It featured a ceremonial signing of
the partnership agreement among the
AKBay embraces
poor households in
Catanduanes
2
April to June 2011
FARM INFO PROJECT. OIC-Director Noel Juliano turns over to BAS Dir. Romeo Recide check representing
first tranche of project funds for the partnership project of the 2KR Program. Witnessing the event is
Mr. Takehiko Sakata, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy.
parties, as well as the turnover of the
check representing the first tranche of
the project funds from the NAFC to BAS.
The project is designed to further develop
the capability of the BAS staff and its target
clientele in data processing, analysis and
utilization of agri-based information.
It shall provide IT infrastructure, train
and assist the clients, specifically the
small farmers and fisherfolk, to record
farm data and use the same for farm
planning and decision making.
In his speech, Dir. Recide expressed
gratitude to the GOJ for pushing through
with the project inspite of the extremely
devastating calamity that struck their
country recently.
“Every centavo allotted for this project
will be a centavo well spent to improve
the lives of our small farmers and
Poor families in Catanduanes, the islandprovince
of Bicol in the Pacific Ocean, have
been embraced by the AKBay Program,
NAFC’s program for the poorest of the poor.
On June 15, 76 household heads received
financial assistance from the program
worth around PhP750,000, or about
PhP10,000 per household.
In his remarks, Agriculture Undersecretary
for Field Operations Joel Rudinas
indicated that the AKBay Program
embodies the pro-poor philosophy that
guides the operations of the Department
of Agriculture (DA).
Rudinas described growth and progress as
“something built from the ground, as this
would enable the smallest stakeholders –
the farmers – to actually participate and
benefit in the process.”
fisherfolk who deserve so much more of
our care and attention,” he assured the
Japanese partners.
NAFC OIC-Dir. Juliano said that the
project will support NAFC advisory role
to the Department of Agriculture (DA)
especially in providing evidence-based
policy and program recommendations
through its various consultative bodies.
He also took the opportunity to thank
the GOJ for its continued support to
the county’s agricultural development
endeavors and wished BAS good luck
for the successful implementation of the
project.
The GOJ, through Mr. Sakata, expressed
its confidence that the DA programs
will be implemented successfully to
attain security. He also emphasized the
importance of continuing the efforts to
improve the lives of the small farmers.
He noted that AKBay’s name itself connotes
the meaning of true development, one
that is accommodating and partial to
the smallest, yet the most important
stakeholder in the agricultural sector.
With the funds, the recipient households
are expected to start livelihood projects
that will hone their entrepreneurial skills
and augment their family incomes.
The households came from some 43
barangays scattered across the province’s
seven towns.
AKBay program records show that Catanduanes’
beneficiaries favor eight types
of projects, namely: swine fattening, the
most popular, ampalaya production, eggplant
production, mudcrab fattening, softbroom
making, fish-corral project, fishing
net project and watermelon production.