Participants hold a planning workshop.

PILI, Camarines Sur- The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center V (ATI Bicol), through the National Livestock Program, conducted a two-day consultation activity titled “In Focus: Bicol Livestock and Poultry Situations (Regional Livestock Program Consultation)” on February 26-27, 2025, at Isarog Hall, ATI RTC V, San Agustin, Pili, Camarines Sur. The event gathered key officials from Provincial Local Government Units (PLGUs) across the Bicol Region, representatives from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office V (DA RFO 5), DA-attached agencies, and stakeholders from the private sector to discuss the current and future directions of the region's livestock and poultry programs.

During the opening program, ATI Bicol Center Director Elsa A. Parot delivered an inspiring message, expressing her gratitude to all stakeholders for their continuous support of ATI Bicol's training programs. She emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable and inclusive development in the livestock sector. The activity served as a platform to review the accomplishments of the livestock program in 2024 and align targets for 2025, while also validating proposals for 2026 and generating initial submissions for 2027.

Roberto B. Santos, Jr., the National Livestock Program (NLP) Point Person, presented the accomplishments of the livestock program for 2024. Updates from LGUs implementing the Farmer Livestock School on Goat Enterprise Management (FLS-GEM) and ATI Bicol INSPIRE beneficiaries were also shared, highlighting the progress and challenges faced by these programs. Participants engaged in collaborative discussions to generate proposals for 2027, which will undergo further review by the ATI Bicol livestock program team.

Several agreements were reached during the consultation. These included a request for post-training support for FLS-GEM graduates from DA-RFO 5’s Livestock Division, operational monitoring of ongoing livestock projects, and the submission of proposals for FY 2027 by March 7, 2025. Additionally, participants agreed that all training participants must be endorsed by the Provincial, Municipal, or City Agriculture/Veterinary Office, and DA-RFO 5 committed to providing ATI Bicol with a list of project beneficiaries for capacity-building initiatives.