The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), together with the chairpersons of the National Sectoral Committees (NSCs) and the Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs), conducted its FY 2025 Joint Midyear Performance Review and Planning Workshop held on July 7–9, 2025 in Quezon City. The three-day workshop focused on collaborative planning, performance reflection, and commitment-building toward a stronger, more inclusive agri-fishery policy environment for the second semester of the year.
A total of 68 participants — from both government and private sectors — took part in the activity, which highlighted PCAF’s ongoing transition to co-creation, an adaptive, stakeholder-driven governance under the “Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas” initiative. Guided by Appreciative Inquiry principles, the sessions centered on success reflection, addressing implementation gaps, and aligning goals toward PCAF’s evolving strategic directions and FY 2025 deliverables.
Among the workshop’s notable outcomes were the performance highlights presented by PCAF. The agency exceeded its first-semester targets for policy resolutions, consultations, and membership expansion of consultative bodies. In particular, 303 policy resolutions were endorsed, surpassing the target of 216, with 294 processed within the 30-day benchmark. Likewise, the NSCs and the AFCs reported gains in grassroots consultations, policy advocacy, stakeholder partnerships, and the promotion of climate-resilient and inclusive practices.
During the planning segment, participants tackled major bottlenecks such as delayed fund releases, uneven LGU engagement, and capacity challenges. Recommendations were put forward, including the provision of additional travel and operating budgets, calendar-based fund scheduling, and stronger coordination mechanisms between local AFCs and Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Offices.
Stakeholders also proposed structural reforms to improve responsiveness and efficiency, including orienting newly elected LGU officials on the Department of the Interior and Local Government-DA Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, Series of 2025, which outlines operational guidelines for institutionalizing AFC participation in local planning, policy development, and coordination. It was recommended that JMC orientations be included in regional stakeholder conferences, AFC recognition events, and Lakbay Panayam activities.
In her opening message, PCAF Executive Director Bernadette De Los Santos highlighted the importance of the workshop in shaping the agency’s direction and sustaining meaningful engagement with its stakeholders.
“Let us use this opportunity to look back, review, and truly value our performance over the past six months. With your help, this will allow us in PCAF to assess our targets and accomplishments, and more importantly, to prepare diligently for the remaining months of 2025,” she said.
“When we perform well, we’re not just hitting numbers, we’re actively helping to shape a more robust and sustainable future for our stakeholders,” De Los Santos added.
To signify their shared resolve, stakeholders crafted and pledged team commitment cards.
The NSC Commitment Card declares:
“We pledge full support, in partnership with PCAF, in advancing inclusive growth and governance in the agriculture and fisheries sector during the 2nd semester of 2025.”
Meanwhile, the AFC Commitment Card reads:
“We commit to strengthening inclusive and responsive agri-fishery policies by empowering the AFCs at all levels, ensuring full implementation of planned activities, fostering partnerships with LGUs and stakeholders, and sustaining timely consultations and capability-building efforts by the end of the year because we believe that meaningful collaboration, community engagement, and strong leadership are vital to achieving food security, inclusive growth, and sustainable agriculture and fishery development.”
Also present during the activity were PCAF Chief Executive Officer Philip Young, who engaged with private sector representatives, and Deputy Executive Director Julieta Opulencia, who joined the sessions and conveyed her support to the council members and stakeholders.
The workshop concluded with the presentation of recommendations, agreements reached, and next steps—signaling a renewed sense of vigor and unity, and reaffirming the importance of consultative governance and stakeholder participation in shaping policies for a sustainable and food-secure Philippines. | Joy Camille Luza
