CALANASAN, APAYAO. The Department of Agriculture released 1.5 million pesos to the Provincial Local Government of Apayao for the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES) on May 18, 2023 during the Provincial Founders Day Celebration of Apayao. Particularly, the fund will support the proposed capacitation of AEWs in the province in preparation to the full devolution of agriculture and fisheries extension functions from the National Government Agencies to the LGUs. DA-RFO-CAR Regional Technical Director for Operations Engr. Danilo P. Daguio, ATI-RTC-CAR Center Director Charlie C. Sagudan, and BFAR-CAR ARD Lois June B. Fermin of BFAR-CAR led the CAR PAFES Regional Program Management Office (RPMO). Mr. Maximino R. Aromin Jr of ATI-RTC-CAR, Mae D. Kio-isen of DA-RFO-CAR, DA-RFO-CAR APCO for Apayao Raponcel Saguilot, and NIA-Apayao head Samuel Bahiwag also joined the event at Calanasan, Apayao. DA-RFO-CAR RTD Daguio, ATI-RTC-CAR Center Director Sagudan, and BFAR-CAR ARD Fermin handed the check to Governor Elias C. Bulut, Jr. together with Vice Governor Remy N. Albano, Congresswoman Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang, PLGU Apayao department heads, and representatives of provincial line agencies in Apayao.
PAFES is one of the DA’s responses to the devolution mandate of the local government code as furthered in the Madanas ruling and the ensuing Executive Order No. 138. Hence, PAFES will be the institutional arrangement in integrating the implementation of various DA programs and related support services with that of the local government units. It aims to further strengthen the capability of LGUs to implement and integrate multiple agriculture and fisheries programs with the provinces as the center for operations given the devolution of agricultural personnel and services at the local government level. Moreover, PAFES will strengthen the collaboration between DA, local government units, academe, and the private sector in the delivery of extension services. The System will be institutionalized to bring extension services to the grassroots level amid the challenges of devolution. With PAFES, the province serves as an extension hub that synchronizes agricultural plans and programs and orchestrates the various stakeholders' activities. DA will co-plan, co-invest, co-implement, and co-monitor priority projects in the provinces, particularly as they embark on commodity specializations to maximize comparative advantage.
Under the PAFES, the PLGU and MLGUs of Apayao, in partnership with the RPMO, farmer groups, and other PAFES stakeholders, crafted the Collaborative Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Extension Program (CPAFEP). The CPAFEP contains the extension projects which the province will undertake for the development of the agriculture sector in the province following the value chain. Apayao listed six priority commodities (3 for crops, 2 for livestock and poultry, and 1 for fishery) in its CPAFEP. Apayao is the fourth province in CAR to receive its PAFES funding with Kalinga as the first on May 5, 2023, followed by Mountain Province on May 11, 2023, and Benguet on May 15, 2023.
