The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I ( DA-RFO I) through the Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PMED)concluded the workshop on the updating of the Collaborative Province-led Agriculture and Fishery Extension Program (CPAFEP) with the second batch of participants from the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union on August 20-21, 2024 held in Baguio City. Workshop for the first batch composed of participants from the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur was conducted last August 13-14,2024.

The workshop which is one of the deliverables under the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES) aimed to maximize available resources from different funding partners to successfully implement and achieve the goals of PAFES in the provinces. Through the crafted CPAFEP, stakeholders are able to leverage their resources efficiently and synergistically to improve agricultural and fishery productivity, sustainability, and profitability in the four provinces.

PMED Chief Ms. Doris Joy Garcia reiterated to the participants the importance of collaboration and co-planning among the stakeholders in successfully implementing the PAFES strategy. By working together and pooling their expertise and resources, the participants shall identify interventions supporting the identified commodity of each province based on their Provincial Commodity Investment Plan. This strategic approach ensures that interventions are tailor-fitted to the specific needs and priorities of each province, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

In the said workshop, the PLGU representatives under the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, in consultation with the DA Banner programs, spearheaded the identification of activities and projects that may be collaborated with the line agencies based on their available resources.

In Ilocos Region, all provinces have already crafted their CPAFEP, however, only the province of Ilocos Norte have finalized its co-financing agreement with the different line agencies and other stakeholders involved in the PAFES implementation. Hence, with the conduct of the workshop to update the CPAFEP of each province, different interventions from the different line agencies are identified with corresponding funding requirement.

Crafting the Collaborative Province-led Agriculture and Fishery Extension Program is vital for ensuring that the PAFES is responsive, efficient, and sustainable. It enhances the program’s impact by fostering local ownership, optimizing resource use, and strengthening inter-agency collaboration, ultimately leading to more resilient and prosperous agricultural and fishing communities.#