Finding ways and means to mitigate the impacts and minimize threats brought by the ongoing pandemic while securing the region with sufficiency and accessibility of foods for the Ilocano farmers, members of the Task Group on Food Resiliency chaired by the Department of Agriculture in Ilocos Region convened for a virtual meeting today led by DA-RFO I’s Regional Executive Director, Nestor Domenden.
The first ever virtual meeting by the Regional Task Force Recovery Cluster initiated by the DA-RFO I’s Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division in partnership with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the meeting served as an avenue to brief the 13 member agencies out of the 16 identified agencies being mirrored by the agency-composition at the National Task Force of the agencies roles and obligations in the attainment of the Task Force’s objectives of guaranteeing national food accessibility, availability and mobility including food price stability during this pandemic.
In his message during the virtual meeting, RED Nestor Domenden encouraged all member-agencies to be more proactive and resilient in the implementation of holistic and doable food resiliency plan to ensure a functional food system in the region.
He also supported the recommendations of other DA-attached agencies, especially those involved in the food services and delivery systems like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), etc. as they have a crucial role in the implementation of the Region’s food resiliency programs and projects.
To encourage every member-agencies’ commitment in the Task Group, all agency representatives presented their food resiliency plan and accomplishment which shall form part the consolidated plans and programs in the region which will be submitted to the National Task Force-Recovery Cluster.
Ensuring alignment of plans implementation and execution, member-agencies were asked to provide monthly progress report to NEDA as the Cluster Lead.
