News

Visayas Zonal Cluster refocuses and redefines AFRD programs
by Marlowe U. Aquino, PhD

The Visayas Zonal Cluster in Agriculture and Fisheries Research and Development (AFRD) held its first meeting at the Cebu Grand Hotel, Cebu City on 22 April 2008. The meeting, which was hosted by DA- Central Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (DA-CENVIARC), highlighted the refocused and redefined programs and capability for more zonal coordination, complementation, and collaborative management of the three regional research centers in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.

The meeting agreed that the zonal programs should support and intensify the Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) through the e-Pinoy FARMS monitoring and evaluation system; enhance and operationalize the integrated laboratory services in the Visayas to provide the needed support to crop, animal, and fishery production management system; enhance and strengthen the information and knowledge management of agriculture and fisheries program through the inventory of zonal researches; and use the geographic information system and support to the agriculture and fisheries research and development information system. Also, the inclusion of the fishery R&D network in the Visayas Zonal Cluster was formalized during the meeting.

Although, these are still in the pipeline, each region will start the implementation of their respective regional R&D activities in the coming months.

An increase in zonal R&D networking funds was suggested to oversee the coordination and management of these activities for the zone to reap the gains of agriculture and fisheries R&D.

In a related activity, the Central Visayas-Fishery Integrated Research and Development Network (CV-FIRDN) met on 29-30 April 2008 in Siquijor State College, Siquijor to integrate the social dimension in their undertakings through relevant and attuned fishery social science researches.

This was done through a seminar-workshop conducted by BAR to set the tone of quality fishery social researches, increase awareness of fishery technical staff on the social aspects of fishery programs and projects, and the responsibility and accountability of social researchers to the people and community they are working with.

The meeting discussed issues related to fishery interaction, relationships, and transformation of fishery communities into more responsive and development-oriented. Also, complementation strategies were identified for the network to act on pressing issues on fishery trends affecting central Visayas and the zone as a whole. In so doing, the CV-FIRDN will start with CPAR fisheries on floating net cages, cultural management, and social researches focusing on people's reaction and participation in CPAR and fisheries technology demonstration activities.

It was envisioned that this initiative will be conducted in Western and Eastern Visayas since majority of the regional activities also involve fishery activities and most of the natural resources are found in marine and brackish waters.