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Almost 200 participants from the Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs), both from the national and local levels, and representatives from the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) attended the Joint 2021 First Semester Major Final Output (MFO) Validation Party on July 8, 2021.

The online assembly, spearheaded by the Planning, Monitoring and Knowledge Management Division-Planning and Programming Section, aimed to review PCAF’s 2021 thrusts and priorities and discuss the status of MFO with the AFC members. 

It also assessed how the agency efficiently delivered its commitments and targets, in accordance with PCAF’s Innovative Consultation for Agriculture and Fishery (A&F) Policy Reforms and Engagement (iCARE). 

With PCAF Policy Service Ambassadors System (PSAS) officially operationalized at the start of the year, the agency and its partner-private sector also evaluated how the new system contributed to the enhancement of the agency’s delivery of policy services and improved the overall performance in terms of its MFO. 

The assessment was categorized into three: development and coordination of A&F policies, planning, monitoring and knowledge management, and partnership development.

On the development and coordination of A&F policies, PCAF reported the following:

  • 213 consultations out of the 385 target had been facilitated
  • 116 policy recommendations out of the 240 target had been endorsed
  • 46 policy resolutions or 132% out of the 35 target were adopted by concerned agencies

With regards to the planning, monitoring and knowledge management:

  • 22 monitoring and evaluation reports out of the 32 target had been developed
  • 7 evaluative/policy proposals had been crafted
  • 2 proposals out of 4 had been submitted for funding
  • 1 proposal was being funded
  • 180,120 knowledge products or 208% out of 86,396 target were shared

On partnership development:

  • 29 agricultural and fishery stakeholders out of the 67 target were registered as members in PCAF’s consultative bodies
  • 145 civil society organizations (CSOs) out of its 10 target were accredited

PCAF also presented its 2021 first semester physical performance and second semester agency targets and commitments. 

Second semester action plans and strategies in line with the WeAdVoCATE, WeCoNSULT, WeTRACK, and WeINSPIRe service brands of PCAF iCARE were also discussed.

During the open forum, a suggestion was made to include updates on the progress of policy resolutions in council meetings’ agendas to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. This was noted by PCAF and agreed by the AFC members.

Other topics also tackled in the open forum were the: status of National Food Security Plan, effect of Mandanas-Garcia SC ruling implementation on PCAF and AFCs, and updates on the Sectoral Unification Capacity Development and Empowerment and Mobilization Cluster plan.

National Banner Program Committee (NBPC) Chairpersons also shared their insights and updates on commodity industry roadmaps.

PCAF conducts these joint validation activities to foster accountability and transparency towards its stakeholders and private-sector partners. | JCL