Friday, June 19, 2015

PCAF partners with DAP for AFMA Rapid Assessment

PCAF officers, members of the DAP project team and stakeholders from Region 7 pose for a group photo in the conclusion of the stakeholders’ consultation workshop for the AFMA Rapid Assessment project in Cebu.
To pave the way for a more effective implementation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (AFMA), or Republic Act (RA) No. 8435, the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) has partnered with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) for the conduct a rapid assessment of the implementation of the said law.

AFMA was signed into law in December 1997 to modernize Philippine agriculture and fisheries to make it more competitive in the global market. It focuses on five major concerns, namely, poverty alleviation and social equity, food security, global competitiveness, sustainable development, and income profitability especially for farmers and fisherfolk.

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law mandate the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAF Council) to assist the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the broad-based monitoring and coordination of the agricultural and fisheries modernization process.

Headed by the Agriculture Secretary as Chairperson-Coordinator, the NAF Council is also tasked to serve as the integrative and consultative structure for inter-agency and inter-sectoral collaboration in the activities arising from RA 8435.

Through its secretariat, the then National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC), the NAF Council has been monitoring the pre-implementation activities specified in the IRR in the absence of a sectoral plan that would serve as basis for progress and results monitoring of the law. Due to the government rationalization program, the secretariat function of NAFC has been transferred to PCAF.

In aid of the country’s agriculture and fisheries development, PCAF now aims to determine the status of the implementation of the AFMA through the rapid assessment and yield recommendations for its improvement.

This is also in line with the mandated independent review of the law every five years.

In its inception report for the project, DAP noted that there have been few assessments done to determine the gains and impact of the law since its enactment 18 years ago.

“By 2015, most of the targets in the IRR of AFMA will lapse. It is thus timely and important that an assessment of AFMA in the last five years be conducted to contribute to the possible revision and/or extension that may be done regarding the law,” the DAP project team said in the inception report.

Through the project, PCAF would be able to determine the status of AFMA implementation in terms of the level of contribution of the DA, other involved government departments and agencies, the private sector, local government units and other AFMA support programs implemented by other institutions.

The assessment would be made in terms of budget support and investments at the national and local governments from 2009 to 2013 and of investments from private, international programs, and other financing institutions from 2009 to 2013.

The project will focus on the plans and accomplishments of the five components of the AFMA, including its 13 chapters, which are production and marketing support services; human resource development; research, development and extension; rural non-farm employment; and, trade and fiscal incentives.

The DAP project team will also identify existing implementation strengths, opportunities, problems, and challenges and propose adjustments for a more effective implementation and monitoring of the AFMA.

“The results of the assessment may serve as baseline information that can be used by PCAF in their continuous function of monitoring and evaluating programs and projects related to AFMA implementation and subsequently, determining the status of the Philippine agriculture sector,” the DAP project team furthered in the report.

According to the report, the “AFMA Rapid Assessment Report” could provide inputs in the crafting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Sectoral Plan as the findings and information gathered in the study could satisfy the need to establish baseline data for each relevant chapter or component of the AFMA.

In line with the project, a series of area-wide stakeholders’ consultation workshops was held for selected officers and personnel from regional DA offices, local government units and other concerned agencies; provincial, municipal agricultural officers; private sector representatives; members of civil society organizations; and, farmers and fisherfolk in Regions 3, 7 and 11 in April and May.

Through the consultation, the DAP project team was able to validate the secondary data they have gathered, determine the perception of the selected stakeholders on the implementation of AFMA-related programs and projects, and generate possible recommendations on identified issues and concerns related to development, implementation and monitoring of AFMA-related programs and projects.

Prior to this, focus group discussions were conducted with concerned national government agencies to gather data regarding the implementation of AFMA. The project team is expected to complete the first draft of the report in July.

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