The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) gathered around 80 Agricultural and Fishery Council (AFC) representatives, local government partners, and stakeholders from Luzon B Cluster, which covers the regions of CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol, for the FY 2025 Luzon B Participatory Performance Review and Planning Workshop held in Naga City, Bicol.
Held from October 7 to 10, 2025, the four-day workshop served as a venue for participants to assess ongoing programs, review accomplishments, and identify actions to improve policy coordination, fund utilization, and documentation processes across the AFC network.
In her opening message, PCAF Executive Director Bernadette B. De Los Santos, a native of Baao, Camarines Sur, and former Bicol RAFC Chairperson, spoke with pride and empathy for the stakeholders she once represented.
“This gathering has never been just another meeting in the calendar. Para ini sa satong hararuman na pag-urulay asin pagtiripon nin kusog (This is intended for our deeper discussion and uniting our strengths). It is where we speak with honesty, laugh a little, confront the hard truths, and dream up solutions that make sense for our communities,” she said.
“As a Bicolana, taga-Baao and a former RAFC Chair of the region, I stand here not only as Executive Director of PCAF, but as someone who has sat where you sit and carried what you carry,” she added.
De Los Santos underscored the importance of amplifying the voices of farmers, fisherfolk, and local leaders, noting that their experiences shape policies that directly impact agricultural and fisheries development across the country.
Welcoming the participants, Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) V Research Division Chief Maria Christina Campita, Ph.D., who represented Regional Executive Director Rodel Tornilla, emphasized the significance of the event to participatory governance.
“This is a gathering that symbolizes our shared commitment to participatory governance, accountability, and the continuing pursuit of excellence in agricultural development,” Dr. Campita said. “The Bicol Region, like the rest of Luzon B, thrives through the dedication of our Agricultural and Fishery Councils—our steadfast partners in ensuring that programs, projects, and policies truly respond to the needs of farmers, fisherfolk, and agripreneurs.”
Focus on accountability, coordination, and capacity building
The sessions covered updates on fund utilization, liquidation processes, and performance tracking, with PCAF emphasizing the need for stricter adherence to documentation timelines and improved coordination between regional and local AFCs. Participants were also reminded to integrate fund monitoring in their regular meetings to ensure timely reporting and data accuracy.
To sustain program efficiency, AFCs were encouraged to meet their remaining physical and financial targets within the last quarter of FY 2025 and to start preparing their FY 2026 Work and Financial Plans, aligned with both regional priorities and national frameworks.
Strengthening policy engagement and institutional alignment
As part of the workshop’s forward agenda, PCAF urged AFCs to strengthen coordination with external agencies and local governments to advance endorsed policy resolutions and ensure that documentation and follow-through are prioritized.
The workshop also underscored the role of PCAF and the AFCs in implementing the Sagip Saka Act, with discussions on enhancing their capacity as Local Councils for Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development and updating the Guidelines on Engagement of Consultative Bodies (GoECB) to reflect this expanded role.
Meanwhile, PCAF’s Capacity Development Section was tasked to identify training partners that could help AFCs fulfill their enterprise-development functions under the Sagip Saka framework. Participants likewise provided insights to further refine the PCAF Strategic Plan 2026–2031, aligning local initiatives with national priorities.
Continuing the series
The Luzon B Cluster workshop marks the third leg in PCAF’s nationwide series of participatory performance review and planning workshops for FY 2025. It concludes the workshops for Luzon, following the earlier runs for Visayas—the first conducted this year—and Luzon A.
Only two workshops remain under the 2025 series, both in Mindanao: Mindanao A, which includes Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and CARAGA, and Mindanao B, covering Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. These final legs will complete the nationwide cycle of participatory reviews aimed at reinforcing PCAF’s mandate to keep the voices of AFCs and grassroots stakeholders at the heart of agriculture and fisheries policy-making. | Joy Camille Luza
