The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), 1 Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines Life and General Insurance (1CISP), and the Rotary Club of Malingap signed a partnership agreement for the Agri-Fishery Sector’s CSO Bootcamp on May 17, 2022, in Quezon City. 

The Bootcamp is a three-part training program that is open for PCAF-accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and non-accredited CSOs within the agri-fishery value chain. The one-year agreement states the obligations and commitments from PCAF, 1CISP, and Rotary Club for the Bootcamp.

Non-accredited CSOs are invited to join to be familiar with the process of CSO accreditation and eventually can also become co-implementers or beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture’s programs, activities and projects through CSO accreditation.

As part of the agreement, 1CISP will provide the venue for the Bootcamp and possible funding support to project proposals that will fall under their Corporate Social Responsibility program and the Rotary Club of Malingap will provide staffing to complement selected projects that are aligned with the international organization’s areas of focus.

On the other hand, PCAF will then enter into a business partnership agreement with three CSOs with the best proposals or concept papers from the Bootcamp. PCAF will also provide food for the participants and trainers and will grant honoraria to the trainers and lecturers.  

The Agri-Fishery Sector’s CSO Bootcamp seeks to build the capabilities of CSOs, generate partnership agreements from project proposals prepared by the participating CSOs, and maintain and recruit CSOs for PCAF’s networks. 

The Bootcamp will train CSOs in Policy Management and Support System Development from May 31 to June 3, which would aid them in developing, communicating, and maintaining policies and procedures for better corporate compliance. 

Scheduled on June 13 to 17, the Bootcamp will feature the topic on Project Partnership Management that would help the CSO participants in collaborating with other organizations for more legitimacy and a broader scope of projects.

Lastly, the Bootcamp will equip the CSO participants with strategies for managing volunteers and establishing alliances through joint advocacy, through its Networking and Alliance Building for Volunteer Engagement module on July 4 to 8. 

Per topic, 30 to 40 CSO participants will be invited, encouraging non-accredited CSOs within the agri-fishery value chain to participate, in line with PCAF’s goal to promote multi-stakeholder engagement and to strengthen capacities in participatory and collaborative governance.

The partnership agreement was signed by 1CISP President Roy Miclat, Rotary Club of Malingap Charter President Emmanuel Santos, and PCAF OIC Executive Director Dr. Liza G. Battad, represented by PCAF OIC Deputy Executive Director Julieta E. Opulencia in the event. 

The Rotary Club of Malingap, a chartered club of Rotary International, is an organization that provides service to others through focusing on the environment, peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention, water sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development.

1CISP, which insures mostly the underprivileged farmers of the country, aims to promote and engage in life in life and non-life insurance services as a cooperative. | SMA