Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William D. Dar visited the province of Oriental Mindoro to lead the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the creation of Oriental Mindoro Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (OrMAFES) and handing over of P279M worth of interventions to the agri and fishery sector of the said province on September 24.
OrMAFES is under the DA’s Province-Led Agriculture and Fishery Extension Systems (PAFES) that is created to ensure that DA’s strategy in reforming the agri-fishery sector is sustained even when the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling is fully implemented.
Under the said law, funds for basic services will be devolved from the national agencies to local government units including the budget for the agri-fishery extension services. As such, DA created PAFES that guarantees the collective action and prioritization of extension services that will help to achieve DA’s twin goals which is the “Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita”.
“With the (upcoming implementation of) Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, we anticipated this two years ago (noong) pag-upo ko, that DA need to prepare for the devolution (under the) local government act. We are now slowly but surely making it possible that the extension systems ay nasa liderato ng provincial and municipal local govern units,” explained by the Secretary during his message at the event.
The OrMAFES will strengthen and synergize the different stakeholders in the sector. It will be led by its provincial local government unit (PLGU), along with national agencies, municipal local government units (MCLGU), government line agencies, the academe, the private sectors, and farmers and fisherfolk associations.
“Minabuti po natin na ang province ang pinaka-anchor. Although the municipal LGUs are autonomous under the local government act, you belong to the same ecosystem, you belong to the province as well. It will be necessary to joined forces and partner together para iisa ang agenda and priorities natin for the province. But this will be anchored to the OneDA Reform agenda that sets the direction for Philippine Agriculture,” he further explained.
The signing of OrMAFES is composed of Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Oriental Mindoro lead by Governor Humerlito Dolor, Department of Agriculture lead by Sec. William Dar, and League of Municipalities of the Philippines in Oriental Mindoro lead by its President Hon. Elegio Malaluan. Along with them are the representatives from the League of the Municipal Agriculturists of the Philippines in Oriental Mindoro, Mindoro State University (MinSU), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Food Authority (NFA), Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council (PAFC), Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (FARMC) and the Federation of National Irrigators Association (FNIA).
Governor Dolor openly welcomed the said agreement and announced that he have already mandated their provincial agriculture office for an additional budget.
“Ngayong po 2022 simula na pong i-implement ang full devolution,ibig sabihin ang agricultural extension functions ng DA ay ililipat na po sa mga lokal na pamahalaan. Dahil po dito nagbaba rin ang national government ng karagdagang pondo para dito. Gusto ko lang po ibalita sa inyo, binilin ko sa Provincial Agriculture Office, na bukod sa kanilang existing na pera, pinadagdagan po natin sila ng pondo na hindi baba sa P50 million para sa magsasakang Mindoreno. Ibig sabihin po direkta niyo na pong mapapakinabang ang pondong ito sa lalawigan,” announced by the Governor during the event.
Congressman Alfonso Umali, Jr of 2nd District was also present in the event to show his support for the OrMAFES.
“Ito po ay sana magtuloy-tuloy na ito. Sana po ay kalimutan muna natin ang mga hidwaan at talagang ituon natin ang panahon sa pakikiisa at pagtutulungan ng sanggano’n ang makikinabang ay yung mga farmers na katulad niyo. Dito po ang panalo ay ang taong bayan. At panatilihin nating panalo ang taong bayan sa ating pagkakaisa, “ expressed by the Congressman in his message.
Turnover of agri-fishery interventions
After the signing of MOA, Sec. Dar also spearheaded the turnover of agri-machinery and other agricultural interventions from the DA-MIMAROPA and its attached agencies. More than P279M worth of interventions were given to different farmers associations and local government units (LGU) in the province.
DA-MIMAROPA turned over more than P37M worth of machineries and goods to 17 farmers associations and two (2) LGU (Municipal Local Government of Naujan and Provincial Local Government of Oriental Mindoro). Agricultural Credit Policy Council released more than P43M worth of loan to 162 farmers and fisherfolk, 20 young agripreneurs and 50 women in agriculture.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) turned over more than P2.4M worth of fishing paraphernalia, fishing boats, and seaweed nursery materials. They also inaugurated the first ever shrimp hatchery in the country worth P17M, and he was also able to visit their highly-intensive tilapia hatchery in Naujan.
“This is a historic occasion for Oriental Mindoro kasi this is the first ever shrimp hatchery in the country and the province will be the home for shrimp industry. Makakaasa kayo na ito ay tutulong for the improvement and development of vannamei fry shrimp in the province,” Sec. Dar exclaimed during the inauguration of the shrimp hatchery.
While Bureau of Soils and Water Management turned over composting facilities for biodegradable wastes and small-scale composting facility worth P6.1M to three (3) LGUs, three (3) farmers’ cooperative and associations and one (1) organic farm. National Dairy Authority provided dairy cattle, milk collection vehicle and milk processing plant worth P4.4M to two (2) cooperatives. Philippine Coconut Authority provided fertilizers worth P3.4M to different coconut farmers in Oriental Mindoro.
The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) turned over farm machinery worth more than P151M to 62 farmer cooperatives and associations in the province. Meanwhile, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation enrolled 12,980 registered farmers and fisherfolk to free insurance worth P16M and handed over P63,000 worth of indemnity checks to four (4) farmers from Bongabong.
Moreover, ATI also awarded the newly accredited learning sites in the province during the event and granted P150,000 financial assistance to one of the farmer operators and others were qualified for technical assistance.
Aside from the MOA signing and turnover, Sec. Dar also visited different training and learning sites under DA and ATI. The sites he visited were the Gabutero Organic Farm and Learning Site in Brgy. Labonan in Bongabong and the techno demo farm for Hydrophonically Produced Green Barley in Naujan. His last destination was the inauguration of the Philippine Rural Development Project’s Oriental Mindoro Calamansi Trading Center in Brgy. Bayanan II in Calapan City.
