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Archives
May 1-15, 2000
Interregional RDE project underway
by Mary Charlotte O. Fresco
A consultative meeting on Interregional
Strengthening Program on Agriculture and Fisheries R&D
for Muslim Mindanao was held on 25 April 2000 at the
BAR-CERDAF Conference Room in Quezon City.
The project concept was formulated barely
four months after the inception meeting of the top officials
of Region 9, 12, ARMM, BPI and BAR.
As agreed by the participants, a Project
Formulation Team (PFT) composed of A&F experts is
formed to facilitate and lead the conduct of visitations,
interviews, consultations, and collection of data from
the identified project sites of Marawi, Sulu and Maguindanao.
The team is tasked to formulate the mechanism on how
the involved agencies will operate and how projects
will be carried out. Dr. Eusebio Mariano, an economist
and currently the Dean of CEM, heads the team. He will
be assisted by Dr. Florentino Monsalud of FSSRI, a soils
expert. Other members of the team are: Dr.Esmail Disoma,
a sociologist and Vice-Chancellor of MSU-Marawi; Prof.
Pedro Escudero, a fisheries expert also from MSU; and
Dr. Anastacia Gochangco of BPI, the team's crop expert.
BAR Director Eliseo Ponce stressed the importance of
the PFT members' individual roles as well as their responsibilities
as a team.
The proposed projects agreed upon by the
heads of the concerned regions during the consultation
meetings include genetic conservation and germplasm
collection. These projects are expected to directly
benefit the farmers and fisherfolk in the identified
target areas.
According to Dr. Ponce, the implementation
of the genetic conservation and germplasm project is
urgent. He cited as an example the case of Sulu where
economically important plant and fruit trees endemic
to the region remain underutilized. On the other hand,
a "renaturation" project should be implemented
in Lanao Lake to counter the declining population of
endemic fish species that command a high price.
Dr. Eusebio Mariano expressed advocacy
for the livelihood programs for farmers and fisherfolk.
A one-week field visit for each identified
project site will be conducted to further ensure the
adaptability of the proposed projects.
Dr. Ponce pointed out that during the
initial year of implementation, the project should promote:
- Institutional reorientation/reforms-
a "mutual relationship" should be established
between the Department of Agriculture, local government
units and the local people; and
- Institutional partnerships/relationships- linkage
between the national R&D centers and the farmers
should be established to facilitate information and
technology transfer.
On the other hand, the group agreed that the project
should also include human resource development that
will provide researchers the opportunity to become experts
in their fields through further studies abroad. The
group also suggested that technical training be implemented
among LGUs and farmer leaders, thereby making them efficient
partners in the project implementation.
According to Dr. Ponce, minimum amount
of P10 million will be allocated to target regions 9,
12 and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
for this year. 
May 1-15 2000 Articles: ::
CPAR Mindanao-Visayas projects evaluated
::
BAR-WINROCK opens new opportunities for smallholders
::
CSSP 30th annual scientific conference-paving the way for new discoveries and advances in crop research
::
Interregional RDE project underway
::
Corn-based farming systems project conducts farmers' field day
::
BAR unifies national and regional RDE networks
::
The CPAR: an approach to rural development
::: More May 2000 articles :::
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