TABUK CITY, KALINGA. The province of Kalinga reached another milestone in its adoption and implementation of the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Services (PAFES) with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Kalinga, the Kalinga State University (KSU), and the Rural Based Organizations (RBO) of the province on March 22, 2022 at Tabuk City, Kalinga. The MOA is one of the mechanisms in institutionalizing the PAFES at the local level with respect to the relationship of the National Government to local government units.
The PAFES is a formal inter-agency network that aims to enhance rural livelihoods by sharing science-based knowledge with farming and fishing, families, rural communities, and agriculture enterprises. It also aims to integrate various programs and related support services to strengthen capability of local government units in implementing multiple agriculture and fisheries programs with the province as the center for operations. It was institutionalized at the national level through DA Administrative Order No. 25 Series of 2021 or the Integration of the “OneDA Agenda” Key Strategies Toward Transformative Agriculture and Fishery Sector.
Through the MOA, the DA will take backstage in the implementation of extension services in the province giving way for the PLGU of Kalinga to lead in the developing and executing agriculture and fisheries extension programs. Specifically, the DA, with its Regional Field Office in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO-CAR) as lead and with the support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-CAR (BFAR-CAR) and the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center-CAR (ATI-RTC-CAR), shall jumpstart the implementation of the PAFES in Kalinga. It will also sustain the provision of subject matter specialists to assist the Agricultural Extension Workers (AEW) upon request of the PLGU. Moreover, the DA shall continue conducting capacity trainings for AEW and members of Farmers Cooperatives and Associations on package of technologies to develop the priority commodities of the province. Finally, the DA will go on in providing other support services, programs, projects and activities to promote the production and marketing of the priority commodities of Kalinga.
Taking the center stage in the delivery of agricultural extension services, the MOA recognized the Kalinga PLGU as lead in the establishment, planning and implementation of the PAFES in the province under the guidance of locally-based agricultural development plans such as the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan and other related plans. Consequently, the PLGU will also be responsible in integrating the ensuing Collaborative Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Plan (CPAFEP) to its Comprehensive Provincial Development Plan. Further, the PLGU of Kalinga will also make the necessary administrative arrangements for the implementation of the PAFES such as the creation of the Program Management Committee and the Program Management Group. Subsequent to this, the Kalinga PLGU will also have to allocate the corresponding funds for its agricultural extension programs with the MLGU of Kalinga also following through. Thus, the PLGU and MLGU may enter into a fund sharing agreement through a project Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) stipulating a workable and acceptable counterparting arrangements. Beneficiaries of major projects, such as FCA and Rural Based Organizations (RBO) with the corresponding capabilities and resources, may also join the PLGU and MLGU under the said IMA.
Being one of the pillars of extension services, the Kalinga State University entered on the said MOA sustaining its mandates in the development and delivery of extension services. These include the spearheading of the conduct of research, testing, adaptation and packaging of site-specific and climate-resilient technologies for the priority commodities of the province. It shall also conduct trainings of farmers, AEW, and subject matter specialist. Finally, KSU will also promote the use of electronic media and web-based platforms in disseminating information and package of technologies to the farmers and fisherfolks of Kalinga.
The RBO, as representatives of the farmers and fisherfolks group, for their part agreed in the MOA to participate in the implementation of programs to promote the priority commodities of the province. They will also recommend their representatives to the provincial, municipal, and barangay management groups for the PAFES implementation. The RBO are also encouraged to provide counterparts or equity for big-ticket projects as may be granted under the PAFES through an IMA. Finally, they will ensure the reactivation or strengthening of RBO in compliance to the requirements of National Government Agencies and LGU in project implementation.
Prior to the signing of the MOA, the DA-RFO-CAR, in partnership with the Office for Provincial Agricultural Services (OPAS) of Kalinga facilitated a series of meetings, orientations, and consultation with various stakeholders regarding PAFES. These stakeholders include departments from the Kalinga PLGU such as the OPAS, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), and the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO). The municipal agriculture and the municipal planning and development offices of the municipal LGU of Kalinga and the City Agriculture and the City Veterinary offices of Tabuk City also joined the said activities. Representatives from KSU, NIA, BFAR-CAR, RBO and other stakeholders were also part of the PAFES consultative activities. These efforts eventually led the Sanguniang Panlalawigan of Kalinga to pass a resolution authorizing the Provincial Governor to enter into a memorandum of agreement for the PAFES implementation.
Kalinga Governor Ferdinand B. Tubban, KSU President Eduardo T. Bagtang, and Engr. Teodoro G. Kub-ao Jr representing the RBO of Kalinga, graced the activity and took the lead in signing the MOA. There were also four Local Chief Executives of Kalinga present during the MOA signing namely Mayor L. Eric Gonayon of Balbalan, Jaedick Rhoss P. Dagadag of Tanudan, Charisma Anne O. Dickpus of Lubuagan; and Darwin C. Estranero of Tabuk City as the mayors of the all the municipalities of Kalinga including Tabuk City are witnesses to the MOA. Provincial departments heads from the OPAS, PVO, and PPDO are also witnesses to the MOA, thus Provincial Agriculturist Engr. Domingo A. Bakilan, and Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Leonardo D. Damian were also in attendance during the activity. Also joining the activity are Ms. Jenelyn C. Massagan, President of the League of Municipal Agricultural Officers, Municipal and City Agriculturist of the Philippines (LeMMCAP)- Kalinga Chapter and Municipal Agriculturist of the municipality of Pasil, and Mr. Michael W. Lumas-i, Chair of the Kalinga Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council as they are also witnesses to the MOA. Other signatories of the MOA include DA-RFO-CAR Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey who was represented during the MOA signing by Regional Technical Director Danilo P. Daguio, BFAR-CAR Regional Director Lilibeth L. Signey, and ATI-RTC-CAR OIC-Center Director Charlie c. Sagudan. Other stakeholders and representatives also joined the activity namely Mr. Adolfo Bravo of NIA-UCRIS, Mr. Dominic Jude Sugguiyao who is the Kalinga Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, and Ms. Elyn Domondon the Municipal Administrator of the municipality of Rizal.
Aside from the MOA, Governor Tubban also issued an Executive Order creating the Kalinga PAFES team and also identifying the members of the provincial, municipal and barangay management group for the PAFES implementation. PAFES is one of the government’s response, through the DA’s initiative, to the mandates of Republic Act No. 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997, Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 as espoused and reemphasized through the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling (G.R. No. 199802/G.R. No. 208488. April 10, 2019) and consequently Executive Order (EO) No. 138 or the Full Devolution of Certain Functions of the Executive Branch to Local Governments, Creation of a Committee on Devolution, and for other Purposes issued on June 1, 2021. (With reports from JSSagpa-ey)
