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Archives
Aug 1-31, 2003
DA, DOST converge
for agri-fisheries dev't
Bringing opportunities closer to farmers thru ICT
by Ma. Lizbeth J.
Baroña
 Being
major stakeholders in agriculture and fisheries development,
the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau
of Agricultural Research (BAR) and the Agricultural
Training Institute (ATI), and the Department of Science
and Technology (DOST) through the Philippine Council
for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research
and Development (PCARRD), and the Philippine Council
for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCMARD)
held, a consultative convergence workshop to enhance
R&D services to farmers and fisherfolk, at the Oasis
Hotel in Angeles, Pampanga, August 20 - 21.
The workshop had four working committees,
namely: Research, Development, and Extension (RDE),
Capability Building, Tech Utilization, and Information
Communication Technology (ICT). These committees have
been conducting a series of meetings before the workshop,
which were aimed at identifying the convergence areas
of DA and DOST in their RDE efforts. The workshop was
the venue to finalize the convergence and for the committees
to jointly formulate strategies in the implementation
of the committee outputs.
'Blood
compact' for R&D
BAR Director William C. Medrano, in a message delivered
during the opening ceremony, expressed optimism that
the convergence will forge a relationship among the
concerned institutions that is "tantamount to a
blood compact". He also mentioned the urgent need
to address the needs of the countryside.
"We have been individualistic with
the tendency to protect our turf and compete for resources,
prestige, and power. Today, I ask that all these be
buried and become things of the past," Medrano
added.
In his message, Executive Director Patricio
Faylon of PCARRD supported the call of Medrano to unite,
adding, "let the four organizations (BAR, ATI,
PCARRD, & PCMARD) be part of the solution, not the
problem." Faylon also called for loyalty to the
mandates of the four institutions.
Director Rafael Guerrero reiterated PCMARD's
commitment to the objectives of the convergence also
called for the four institutions to 'combine strengths'.
ATI Director Alberto Maninding expressed satisfaction
that despite the budget issues dogging the department,
efforts like the convergence workshop were not hampered.
Workshop
Output
The four committees presented their respective outputs
after the workshop.
In the establishment of a unified RDE
Knowledge Bank, the ICT Committee placed fund sourcing
as the priority convergence area. It planned to accomplish
this by the last quarter of this year. After this, they
will concentrate on other convergence areas they identified
and prioritized. This include forming and maintaining
the ICT infrastructure and facilities; putting up the
knowledge component of the Bank; forming ICT policies
on RDE; capability building of ICT experts and users;
content building; and performance output.
The RDE subcommittee on agriculture recommended
for a unified RDE agenda, and it suggested the R&D
network to prepare the unified agenda. The network will
compose of team members from various R&D institutions
in the country. The subcommittee on fisheries, however,
is aiming to unify the RDE agenda of 2005-2010 by the
first quarter of 2004. They also want an integrated
program planning, monitoring, and evaluation system
and a streamlined R&D network.
The technology utilization committee
will develop a convergence plan for priority commodities,
and come up with a manual of operation, which they plan
to accomplish by the last quarter of this year. Their
convergence plan involves: a) enhancement of convergence
centers; b) delivery and support services through info-tech
assessment; c) capability building for service providers
by converging with the HRD committee; d) content build-up
of knowledge products services through a convergence
with the ICT and RDE committees; and e) resource generation
by developing proposals for fund-sourcing.
The human resource development committee
or the capability building committee's action agenda
include the creation of an inter-agency HR committee
through a Technical Working Group on capability building
with PCMARD. It plans to conduct strategic planning
sessions; formulate an integrated HRD plan for the agriculture,
forestry, and natural resources (AFNR) sectors; draft
a uniform policy guideline and a uniform criteria for
accreditation of academic institutions offering graduate
study programs; and develop a monitoring and evaluation
scheme. All these are to be accomplished before the
fourth quarter of this year.
The event was attended by representatives
from BAR, ATI, PCARRD, and PCMARD, including Director
William Medrano (BAR), Director Alberto Maninding (ATI),
Executive Director Patricio Faylon of PCARRD; and Director
Rafael Guerrero of PCMARD. 
August 1-31 2003 Articles:
:: DA, DOST converge for agri-fisheries dev’t...
::
Coconut: More than just a thirst quencher
::
Medrano keynotes HARRDEC RDE symposium
::
Vitamin E in Bt corn?
::
Bt gains popularity in the Philippines
::
769 new agriculturists DA Sec Lorenzo graces oath taking
::
BAR receives 159 papers for the 15th NRS
::
ICRISAT DG presents successes vis-à-vis vision
::
Bringing in China’s super hybrid corn
::
Detecting chemical contaminants in canned tuna and rice
::
Bio-organic fertilizers: cheap soil relief
::: More August 2003 articles :::
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