Today is :

The national and regional R&D agencies convened to discuss the policy guidelines for R&D budget proposals. The activity was spearheaded and coordinated by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), the agency mandated to orchestrate all research activities in agriculture and fisheries of the country.

The meeting was in accordance with the recent National Budget Memorandum No. 95, issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that all R&D agencies in agriculture and fisheries are required to seek endorsement from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for their budget proposals. Likewise, it is in line with the pronouncement of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that, "all R&D programs in agriculture and fisheries must be vetted against the DA's research agenda and program."

BAR Director Eliseo R. Ponce presented the policy guidelines and procedures in the preparation, review and endorsement of the agency budget proposal in agriculture and fisheries. The R&D proposals for funding should be in accordance to the 'one system, one program' approach. There should be a common agenda and program in each sector for both national and regional levels.

At the national level, programs are either commodity or discipline-based. At the regional level, programs include priority commodities and areas identified by the regions.

Agencies with national R&D responsibilities include all staff bureaus, attached agencies and SCUs that are members of the National R&D System for Agriculture and Fisheries (NaRDSAF). Meanwhile, agencies with regional responsibilities include Regional Field Units (RFUs), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Offices, SCUs and regional agencies of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

At the agency level, RDE projects/activities are prioritized based on: 1) urgency of the problem, 2) magnitude of expected impact/benefit, 3) immediate utility of output, and 4) preparedness of the proponent to systematize planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

As for the funding allocation, Dr. Ponce made it clear in his presentation that: all R&D budget proposals should be within the indicative budget ceiling of the agency, allocations should be based on the economic importance of the commodity or sector, and that funding of R&D should delineate, which covers the indirect research funds (IRF) and the direct research costs (DRC). IRF includes regular operations of the research center or institute based on its mandate while DRC covers project-based expenses.

Every year, various R&D proposals are submitted to the Bureau for funding. But because of the tight budget and the amount of money alloted, not all of these proposals are granted. The guidelines are therefore useful to the Bureau in screening those that could respond to the needs of the clientele, the industry, and the small farmers.