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Quezon City, Philippines – In a significant development for the Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector, the Philippine Council of Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) convened on October 13, 2023, to discuss agricultural policy resolutions arising from the Luzon Cluster’s AFC Congress earlier this year.

In June 2023, the Luzon Cluster, consisting of CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, Central Luzon Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol Region, conducted its AFC Congress in Tuguegarao City. The event resulted in the endorsement of 22 policy resolutions by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary to the relevant agencies and offices. 

Notably, six of these resolutions were earmarked for Local Government Units (LGUs) and were channelled through ULAP and its affiliated leagues for consideration and action.

“When we received the copy of the six resolutions from AFC Congress, we knew that we wanted to set time to discuss this with you because these resolutions are in the minds of LGUs,” said ULAP Executive Director Ailleen Leycano.

PCAF OIC-Executive Director Julieta Opulencia emphasized that the meeting signifies a promising step forward in advancing the interests of agriculture and fisheries in the Philippines, with both PCAF and ULAP working collaboratively to address the needs and challenges of the sector.

“LGUs are crucial for farmer leaders because they have the authority and resources to support agriculture, resolve local issues, and ensure that policies and programs benefit farmers and their communities at the grassroots level,” said Opulencia.

Conversely, ULAP Executive Director Ailleen Leycano expressed her support for the agriculture and fishery initiatives and their commitment to assist PCAF.

“We wanted to understand what they (resolutions) mean and how they can be implemented so that we can serve our LGUs better,” said Leycano.

Key agreements and measures were discussed and decided upon during the meeting, emphasizing the commitment of both PCAF and ULAP to facilitate the implementation of these resolutions:

  • PCAF will provide ULAP with insights into the existing plans and projects of the 

Department of Agriculture – Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (DA-AMIA) Program as a reference in implementing the resolutions. This includes scheduling a meeting with key personnel from the DA-AMIA Program and other DA-attached agencies to explore the practical implementation of these resolutions within LGUs.

 

  • PCAF will ensure the dissemination of resolutions down to the municipal and city levels and gather data regarding adopting and implementing these resolutions.

 

  • ULAP will potentially organize a series of webinars where PCAF can present the AFC Congress resolutions and other related initiatives to the Member-Leagues. Additionally, discussions are underway regarding a convergence series on agriculture for the coming year.

 

  • ULAP will issue a National Executive Board Notice within October 2023 to follow up on comments from League members and partner LGUs regarding the resolutions.

 

  • ULAP and PCAF will work together to advocate and lobby member leagues for their support of the policy resolutions originating from the AFCs in Luzon. Efforts will include disseminating information and organizing capacity-building activities to reinforce this partnership between AFCs and LGUs. A monitoring and evaluation process will also be established once the collaboration is firmly established.

 

  • ULAP will encourage the Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL) to issue ordinances aligned with the endorsed AFC Congress Resolutions.

 

  • PCAF will forward a copy of the draft DA-DILG Memorandum Circular to ULAP for further review and consideration.

 

ULAP’s delegation included Project Manager Lawrence Trinidad and Policy Manager Ralfhee Blake Barrios. 

At the same time, PCAF was represented by OIC-Deputy Executive Director Cyril Soliaban, Chief of the Partnership Development Division (PDD) Melinda Quiñones, Assistant Chief of PDD Conchita Del Rosario, and National Based Coordinators from the same division. 

“We hope that the partnership between PCAF and ULAP will ensure the effective implementation of vital policy resolutions, ultimately benefiting farmers and fisherfolk across the nation,” said PCAF OIC-Deputy Executive Director Cyril Soliaban. | Melinda T. Quiñones