Five years ago, the Institutionalization of District-wide Agro-industrialization, Innovation and Tourism or IDAIT, a proposed convergence initiative of the Province of Ilocos Sur, was initially presented to the National Convergence Initiative (NCI) purposely to bring together various agencies to help create entrepreneurial eco-system in the province of Ilocos Sur.

Anchored on a participatory development approach, IDAIT aims to tap interventions that can be provided in the targeted area of development in the province through the complementation of resources from the four rural development agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Agriculture (DA), the lead convener of the NCI.

After going through the preparatory phase and strategic planning, the IDAIT is now being readied to anticipate its full implementation hence, a Convergence Area Development Plan (CADP) workshop, a pre-requisite for the establishment of the convergence area, is being conducted in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur on May 17-20,2022 spearheaded by the NCI Secretariat in coordination with the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office I (DA-RFO I).

Participants in the workshop are representatives from DA, DENR, DAR, and DILG, together with LGU representatives from the different municipalities of District I in Ilocos Sur.

Each participating agency is tasked to present its plans and programs highlighting accomplishments in the current administration and other indicated programs that may be tapped for the interventions in the drafting of the CADP for the IDAIT convergence area.

The participants were also grouped to provide data and baseline information for the Convergence Area Profile and the CADP framework for proposed complementation and integration of services which is crucial in preparing the IDAIT as a sustainable convergence area.###

– RAFIS Ilocos Region FB Page