The Technical Working Group of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I thru the Agri-Pinoy Rice Program together with its counterparts at the Local Government Units is now all set for the dry planting season. This was made possible in a successive Rice Program Review and Planning Workshop held at Hotel Consuelo in Lingayen Pangasinan, Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives in Caoayan Ilocos Sur, Oasis Country Resort in San Fernando City La Union and Palazzo Hotel in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on March March 3-4, March 10-11, March 16-17 and March 20-21, respectively.

Starting with the seed component, extension and advocacy up to the Farm Mechanization Program, all project implementers has provided their counterparts in the provincial and municipal local government units vital information and updates necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of the Rice Program.

In her message during the event in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Dr. Paz L. Mones, Regional Technical Director for Operations underscored the importance of cooperation among the project implementers to carry out the goals and objectives of the Rice Program.

She made emphasis on better working relationship to among the project implementers so as to work cohesively and harmoniously for the benefit of the farmer-clienteles who are the very reason of their existence.

She appealed to the MAOs and the Rice Report Officers to fast track the implementation of the programs and projects especially the backlog projects of CY 2013 as required by the DA’s top management especially on accomplishing the structures such as CSB warehouses, farm to market roads, rice processing centers as well as harvest and post harvest facilities.

She reminded the municipalities of San Nicolas, Balungao, Umingan, San Jacinto, Dasol, Mangatarem, Asingan, Villasis and Infanta to fast track the implementation of their community seed banks, irrigation services, multi-purpose drying pavements, farm to market roads and the construction of their warehouses since these projects are due by April.

With regard to the issue of Binalonan Multi-purpose Cooperative Inc., where allegedly one of the member-beneficiary of the tractor granted by DA to the latter is not a bonafide resident in Binalonan, Dr. Mones emphasized that the cooperative shall be disqualified to any future interventions should the cooperative is found guilty of such misconduct. “We have limited resources, but there are unlimited recipients. So whoever found guilty of misconduct in availing the DA’s programs and projects shall be ground for disqualification of giving projects in the future,” Dr. Mones added.

In addition to this pronouncement, Dr. Mones reiterated his directives that DA has the right to pull out projects if the recipients could not comply with the requirements especially so with the non-completion of the Memorandum of Agreements that binds the arrangement of the proponents and the funding institutions as to how the project shall be implemented. She made emphasis that no distribution of projects shall be made until documents and other requirements especially the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been completed.

“Let us do things right now, make sure that the MOA is complete before distribution of projects,” Ms. Mones said.

Meanwhile, she appealed to the MAOs present during the assessment to ensure that all documents and other requirements are completed prior to the distribution and turn-over of a particular DA intervention to ensure smooth and efficient implementation of the DA’s programs and projects for the benefit of the farmers in the region.

She requested the MAOs to observe proper protocol and coordination to among the project leaders in the province and the region, to develop and sustain their partnership leading to an improved and organized extension delivery system.