The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) has concluded the monitoring and validation for the operations of the accredited agricultural and fisheries (A&F) machinery and equipment suppliers in Central Luzon on September 24 to 27, 2024.

Under the National Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery Assemblers, Manufacturers, Importers, Distributors, and Dealers Accreditation and Classification (NAMDAC), A&F machinery and equipment suppliers from the provinces of Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija were included in the activity. 

The monitoring and validation aims to ensure that the suppliers adhere to the standards set by the NAMDAC Board to improve the industry’s capabilities and ensure that the end-users will benefit from high quality products and services.

Over the years, PCAF has been closely collaborating with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office III’s (DA RFO III) Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED) to regularly assess the performance of the accredited suppliers during the five-year validity period of their NAMDAC certification.

Aside from this, the activity also includes evaluating suppliers’ operations and the effectiveness of their after-sales services.

The effort is in line  with Section 22 of Republic Act 10601, also known as the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law, and follows the Department Circular No. 17, Series of 2018. These legislative documents outline the “Guidelines for Classification and Accreditation of Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery Assemblers, Manufacturers, Importers, Distributors, and Dealers.”

The guidelines aim to curb the proliferation of unreliable suppliers and serve as a reference for procuring agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment within the DA.

Through RA 10601, PCAF is mandated to formulate a results-based monitoring and evaluation system for the implementation of the AFMech Law, including the National Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Program. The agency also served as an external monitoring body to the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering. With reports from PCAF-AFMISS Engr. Mara Segreid Bustos and Engr. Pamela Joy Cruz  | Jezebel Campaniel