The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed on August 23, 2021 that the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) “complied with the Fiscal Year 2019 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) requirements and qualified for the grant of the bonus”.

In a letter signed by DBM’s OIC Undersecretary and Chairperson of Administrative Order 25 Inter-Agency Task Force (AO25 IATF) and AO25 Technical Working Group Kim Robert De Leon, he highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge challenge to deliver the goods and services to the public. 

“Despite the situation, we encouraged agencies to continue efforts in maximizing the agency’s digital capabilities, develop online systems, and/or transform its critical services from manual to contactless transactions for faster and more efficient public service delivery. We commend PCAF management and staff,” Usec. De Leon said in the letter.

Along with the letter, the final AO25 assessment result was also attached in the letter. In the assessment, AO25 IATF said that PCAF “assumes strengthened functions related to the coordination and monitoring of agricultural and fisheries modernization process, and the development of public-private partnerships as consultative to the Department of Agriculture”.

The agency is compliant to the streamlining and process improvement, support to operations (International Organization for Standardization 9001:2015 Certificate of QMS), and Good Governance Conditions (Transparency Seal and PhilGeps Posting).

Aside from these, PCAF complied with the Public Financial Management Reporting Requirements to the Commission (COA) and DBM (COA Financial Reports and Sustained Compliance to prior years’ Annual Audit Report), other Cross-Cutting Requirements (SALN Review and Compliance Procedure, Compliance with FOI Program, and Agency’s System of Rating and Ranking), and Procurement Requirements (FY 2019 APP-Non CSE, Indicative FY 2020 APP Non-CSE, FY 2020 APP-CSE, FY 2018 APCPI Results, and Undertaking of Early Procurement).

The Budget Utilization Rate (BUR) of PCAF got 100% on the Obligations BUR and 93% for the Disbursement BUR.

The AO25 IATF is the task force that evaluates government agencies, with the goal of promoting accessibility of information on programs, targets, and performance of all bureaus and offices in the public sector. | JC