| DA
to tap farm technicians of LGUs for rice sufficiency plan
|
League president
Gov. Ocampos signs the memorandum of agreement detailing
provincial agriculture workers to the DA to assist in
the national rice sufficiency program. Looking on are
league chairman Gov. Villafuerte, Sec. Yap, secretary-general
Gov. Evardone and other governors. |
The
League of Provinces of the Philippines, represented by its
national president, Misamis Occidental Gov. Loreto Leo S.
Ocampos, recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the
Department of Agriculture seconding LGU-paid agricultural
extension workers to the DA.
The agreement will allow the DA to tap agricultural workers
and technicians now working for the LGUs to help implement
the Philippines’ Rice Self-Sufficiency Plan for 2008-2010
in the country’s 49 palay-producing provinces.
Under this arrangement, devolved agricultural officers under
the supervision of LGUs, will be detailed to the DA to help
in monitoring the implementation of the rice self-sufficiency
plan and providing extension work or technical support to
palay farmers in their respective localities.
While the local government will continue to pay for the salaries
and other mandated benefits of these agricultural workers,
the DA, on the other hand, will provide for their travel allowances
and per diems.
Albay
Gov. Joey S. Salceda, who initiated this partnership in his
province by detailing the personnel of the Office of Provincial
Agriculturist to the DA for 18 months, explained that the
measure was aimed at tightening the link between research,
extension, planning, budget and output for the benefit of
the provincial government.
He explained that presently, the LGUs have the available personnel,
while the resources and the programs are lodged in the DA.
Gov.
Daisy Fuentes of South Cotabato pointed out, however, that
the MOA on the detail of agriculture workers to the DA should
be treated on a case to case basis given the differing realities
in the provinces. This proposal got the support of Occidental
Mindoro Gov. Josephine Sato.
Gov. Ocampos, however, pointed out that the provisions of
the MOA were stated in general form, subject to the approval
of the concerned provinces.
|
Gov.
DV Savellano |
|
Gov.
Max Dalog |
As
to the query of Ilocos Sur Gov. DV Savellano on the concrete
actions which the LGUs should take in support of the national
rice sufficiency program, Sec. Yao said that the DA regional
directors will provide for the implementation measures while
the provincial governments will be responsible for the control
and supervision of the program.
Mountain Province Gov. Maximo Dalog proposed for the
league to adopt the proposed agreement, subject to the amendments,
since the arrangement would be of benefit to both the national
government and the LGUs in the implementation of the National
Rice Sufficiency Program.
The plan covers five harvest seasons because it will include
the wet cropping seasons this year and 2009, the dry cropping
seasons in 2009 and 2010, and one more quick turn-around (QTA)
program next year.
Given that this self-sufficiency blueprint for 2008-2010 adopts
the “clustering approach” in lieu of being carried
out on a large yet unfocused scale, Yap said “the support
of governors and mayors behind this grand plan will be indispensable
to the DA’s goal of making the country 98% sufficient
by 2010.”
Yap said that under the present set-up, agriculture officials
are like generals going to battle without troops or foot soldiers
because the devolved agricultural workers and technicians
in the field are under the supervision of LGUs and not the
DA.
Agriculture
officials have started meeting with LGU executives to harness
their support for the self-sufficiency blueprint and craft
action programs in their respective provinces supportive of
government plans to make the Philippines self-sufficient in
the staple over the medium term.
“The clustering technique, which has been tried and
tested under the GMA (Ginintuang Masaganang Ani) Rice
Program, will require the active involvement of LGUs, most
especially in extension and monitoring work,” Yap said,
“hence the need for the DA to harness the agricultural
workers and technicians working for local executives in palay-growing
provinces.” (AJSanchez with Department of Agriculture)
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