Tanggol Kalikasan played a key role in facilitating the Department of Agricultureโs (DA) National Agricultural Planning Summit held from November 25 to 27, 2024 at Central Luzon State University, Nueva Ecija. The summit gathered various stakeholders and personnel from the DA National Office and DA-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) such as the Undersecretary of Policy, Planning, and Regulations, Atty. Asis G. Perez, Assistant Secretary for Planning
and Development from the Office of the Secretary, Mr. Noel Padre, Regional Executive Directors of Regions 1-12, together with their representatives from the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division (PMED) as well as the Municipal Agriculture Officers (MAOs), Provincial Agriculturists, Agricultural Programs Coordination Officers (APCOs), and veterinarians from the provinces of CAR.
The summit aimed to (1) develop a consensus on the vision for the agricultural sector, (2) conduct and consolidate baseline information on the existing agricultural areas and programs in each locality, (3) understand and explain the DA strategic framework for 2025-2028, (4) validate and enhance the said DA strategic framework, (5) identify the activities to operationalize the strategic framework; and, (6) Identify the priority infrastructure intervention program.
In his opening message, Usec. Atty. Perez emphasized the importance of strategic planning, stakeholder collaboration and identififying the CARโs sthregnths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). โWe need to understand what is needed so that we can also identify sources not only from the national government but also from the local government and also from the private sector,โ he said. On the other hand, PMED Chief Ms. Susan D. Balanza provided a comprehensive discussion about the situational analysis of CARโs agriculture and fisheries sectors, highlighting both the regionโs contributions and challenges.
During the summit, TK facilitated a SWOT analysis using the interactive platform Mentimeter. In terms of its strength, the participants identified CARโs contribution to rice and high-value crops. However, challenges in marketing and financial support were noted as weaknesses. Opportunities for growth were seen in agritourism and access to loans, while threats include climate change and pests and diseases to agricultural crops. Following the SWOT analysis, the participants were divided into groups by province to gather baseline data on and map out their top agricultural commodities, production plans, costs, and challenges. These findings were presented to the plenary which included the Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. He acknowledged the importance of the data collected during the summit and emphasized the need for responsive plans that cater to the real needs of the farmers and fisherfolks. Thereafter, the summit concluded with the approval of the draft vision statement of the DAโs National Plan.