NAF Council endorses agri-fisheries modernization plan - National ...

NAF Council...
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interventions by core functions
of the DA, namely infrastructure
support; research, development
and extension; regulation;
and policy and planning, as
well as “transition functions”
which include risk reduction
and climate change adaptation,
supporting directly one or more
of the Department’s commodity
programs to achieve its targets.
Commodity program targets
will be specified in the updated
AFMP, to include rice selfsufficiency,
and productivity in
rice, corn, livestock and poultry,
high-value commodities and
fisheries.
Inputs of the council
members and other stakeholders
will be consolidated and
integrated in the finalization of
the document for the approval
of the Agriculture Secretary
and before it is published and
disseminated.
“As early as the first quarter
of the incoming year, we will
start updating the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP). Sector
plans, essentially, are expected
right after the issuance of the
PDP because the sector plans
would provide the necessary
details to go about achieving
the national plan. Hopefully,
we will have an updated PDP
around mid-year next year, so it
will be a good thing if you issue
a sector plan now and subject
this plan that you are going to
issue right after the PDP chapter
is approved next year then we
could already review,” NEDA
OIC Assistant Director Jose
Dominador Gomez, Jr. said.
Following the NAF Council
meeting, consultations will also
be conducted with NAFC’s
National Sectoral Committees
with regard to specific details of
the plan.
Apart from approving the
AFMP 2011-2017, the body
also recommended that the NAF
Council Budget Committee
convene in January 2013 to
discuss monitoring efforts and
other related concerns.
Agriculture Secretary
Proceso Alcala added that the
Department will also start working
on the 2014 budget proposal as
early as January next year.
2
October to December 2012
On some issues that cropped
up during the meeting, such as
the modernization of fish ports,
the Agriculture Chief assured
Arsenio Tanchuling, Chairperson
of the NAFC Committee on
Fisheries and Aquaculture, that
the rehabilitation efforts of the
Navotas fish port will push
through.
With regard to government
initiatives to address poverty
especially in the agriculture and
fisheries sector, Department of
Agrarian Reform Undersecretary
Jerry Pacturan disclosed that the
agency is looking into devising
a mechanism for agricultural
conditional cash transfers for
farmers and hoped for further
coordination with the DA and the
DSWD in this regard.
Meanwhile, RAFC III
Chairperson Jesus Simon
asked about the status of the
P400M funds released for the
Cooperative Bank Agri-Lending
Program of the Agricultural
Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
He shared that upon monitoring
this program, they found out that
some banks have returned the
funds to the ACPC since they
will not be able to sustain this
program.
ACPC Monitoring and
Evaluation Dir. Cristina Lopez,
however, clarified that the funds
were not returned and have in
fact been fully disbursed by
the agency. She also disclosed
that the P1B funds they have
requested for 2013 to meet the
demands of the banks have
already been approved and that
there are ongoing negotiations
with rural banks for lower
interest rates.
Usec. Pacturan added that a
new scheme of the program now
allows cooperatives that have
only been in existence for one or
two years to avail loans.
Sec. Alcala, who serves
as Chairperson of the NAF
Council, and Undersecretary for
Policy, Planning, Research &
Development and Regulations
Segfredo Serrano, who is the
NAF Council Vice Chairperson,
facilitated the meeting, together
with NAFC Executive Director
Ariel Cayanan.
NAFC reports 2012
accomplishments
In the year end agency performance review held from
December 17 to 20, NAFC reported an overall performance
rate of 105% for 2012. This covers consultations conducted
and the coordination of agricultural and fishery activities
(103%), monitoring and evaluation of agricultural production
activities (101%), selection and awarding of agriculture and
fishery achievers (100%), conduct of support activities for
enterprise development (125%), information packaging and
dissemination (100%) and website maintenance/updating (100%).
For 2012, the agency has facilitated the conduct of
150 sectoral committee meetings, 107 AFC meetings at
the regional level, 1,459 AFC meetings at the provincial,
city and municipal levels, and two NAF Council meetings.
There were also 21 consultations held with foreign donors.
Meanwhile, a total of 797 resolutions and position papers have
also been passed by the different sectoral committees and local AFCs in
the said year which include an endorsement of Alyansa Agrikultura’s
recommendations to fight smuggling to President Benigno S.
Aquino III and for SEAFDEC, BFAR, NIA and the academe to
conduct marine resource assessment to determine the extent of
damages caused by mining activities in the coastal areas in Caraga.
The AFCs were also able to address or resolve a total of 333
policy issues and have forged eight commitments and agreements.
Some these agreements are with the First Isabela Cooperative
Rural Bank to implement and finance regionwide rice program in
Region 3 and the local government of Sultan Kudarat to provide
fund support worth P250,000 to the province’s AFC for CY 2012.
Meanwhile, 743 Monitoring and Evaluation reports have
been disseminated which include AFMA monitoring and the
external monitoring by the AFCs such as the assessment and
validation of the Support System of Tipid Abono Program in CAR.
There were also six projects and programs approved, which
include, among others, the “Upgrading of the Pesticide Residue
Laboratories” under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Food Security
Project for Underprivileged Farmers (formerly RP-Japan Increased
Food Production Program of 2KR); Phase II of Agrikultura:
Kaagapay ng Bayang Pinoy (AKBay) Program; Establishment
of Technical Advisory and Assistance Mechanism for Enhanced
Agricultural and Fishery Program and Policy Formulation; and,
Enhancing Capacities for Policy Analysis in NAFC; Mobilizing
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Promoting Good Governance.
The agency’s performance is measured
under Major Final Output 3 - Plans and Policies
Developed, Implemented, Monitored and Evaluated.
Organizational issues and concerns of the agency’s
employees were also discussed. The body also reached
an agreement to further study the scheduling of activities
and the allocation of budget for the agency’s activities.