Secretary Dar leads the awarding of the plaque and cheque to the Outstanding AFC Chairpersons, Secretariat-Coordinators, and ASB Women Leader winners. With him are PCAF OIC Executive Director Liza Battad and Usec. for Operations Ariel Cayanan.
TANZA, Cavite – Private-sector volunteers from agriculture and fishery industries received government recognition for their immeasurable contributions to help improve their respective sectors.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar led the celebration feting partner-volunteers at the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries’ (PCAF) 5th National Agriculture and Fisheries Volunteers’ Day on January 9, 2020.
“Your active participation in serving as the voice of the farmers, fisherfolk and other stakeholders is acknowledged. Hindi biro ang sakripisyo ng mga bumubuo ng mga konsehong ito na pawang mga kinatawan ng pribadong sector, mga samahan ng magsasaka at mangingisda, at iba pang kaagapay sa pag-unlad ng sector ng sakahan at pangisdaan,” said Dar.
PCAF’s Advisory Special Body (ASB) is a mechanism developed to allow private sector participation in the agriculture and fisheries development processes at the national, regional, provincial, and municipal level. The ASBs are composed of the National Sectoral and Strategic Concerns Committees and the Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFC).
With the theme “Boluntaryong Pagsasama-sama Tungo sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita,” the Agriculture chief told to more than 400 participants about the preparedness of the ASBs to participate in the process of agricultural growth and development, based on the “New Thinking for Agriculture” and its accompanying eight paradigms.
He also shared that within the framework of development, the ASBs—along with PCAF—will help the Department of Agriculture carry out specific tasks, including the undertaking of farm consolidation and clustering initiatives that involve the conduct of research and pilot activities on various strategies and configurations of farm consolidation, collectivization and clustering.
Dar also asked to the ASBs and PCAF to strongly assist in the formation and empowerment of farmers’ and fisherfolk’s cooperatives and other rural-based organizations that will be the key players in big brother-small brother partnerships, as well as agribusiness value chain and export development initiatives.
For the first time, the event awarded the Outstanding ASB Women Leader, Emelinda Dela Cruz from Western Visayas, for her exemplary performance in the council and in the male-dominated environment.
Other volunteer-winners feted during the event are:
- Francisco Hernandez (Central Luzon) – Outstanding Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council Chairperson
- Alfonso Esguerra, Jr. (Occidental Mindoro) – Outstanding Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council (PAFC) Chairperson
- Elena Porol (Sultan Kudarat) – Outstanding PAFC Secretariat-Coordinator
- Demosthenes Hernandez (Atimonan, Quezon) – Outstanding Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council (MAFC) Chairperson
- Susana Rufino (Balbakan, Kalinga) – Outstanding MAFC Secretariat-Coordinator
- Charito Muñez (SOCCSKSARGEN) – Special Citation
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