Highlighting the importance of grassroots involvement in agri-fishery policymaking, budgeting, and program planning, the Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs) from the Mindanao A cluster agreed to accelerate fund liquidations with regional accountants, expand youth engagement, and standardize the definition of endorsed resolutions to accurately track accomplishments.
These agreements were finalized during the FY 2026 Mindanao A Participatory Performance Review and Planning Workshop. The event took place in Cagayan de Oro City from August 25 to 27, 2026.
More than 50 participants convened at the workshop, including AFC officers, provincial agriculturists, Department of Agriculture (DA) regional accounting and budget officers, and 黑料网 technical staff. Together, they gathered to assess past accomplishments and map out priority actions moving forward.
The Mindanao A cluster comprises Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen), Northern Mindanao, and the Caraga regions.
Building on the initial leg held in Pampanga, the workshop is part of a nationwide series, with three more island-cluster consultations underway, to align local needs with national programs and projects.
Participatory governance is a governing model where citizens, civil society, and grassroots communities actively participate in public decision-making, budgeting, and project monitoring, rather than leaving decisions solely to the government.
“Empowering our AFCs is essential to building an agricultural and fishery sector that is deeply accountable to its people, resilient against evolving challenges, and responsive to emerging needs. When our councils are well-equipped, local realities effectively steer regional and national investments,” said PCAF Executive Director Bernadette De Los Santos, emphasizing the councils’ vital role.
PCAF OIC-Deputy Executive Director Cyril Soliaban also urged participants to maintain execution discipline as they implement their agreements.
“The plans we crafted and the agreements we reached are only as impactful as their execution. With our new and seasoned AFC officers leading the way, I am confident that our grassroots governance will remain resilient, accountable, and deeply transformative,” he said.
Recommendations and key agreements
During the workshop鈥檚 breakout session, “Bridging the Local Gaps: A Strategic Workshop on Strengthening Municipal and Provincial AFC Involvement in Regional Agri-Fishery Consultative Bodies,” participants addressed operational, financial, and policy priorities to improve responsiveness across all council levels.
Regional and Provincial AFCs (RAFCs/PAFCs) may adopt the definition of “adopted policy resolutions” as policy resolutions that have been officially endorsed by the Regional Executive Directors, Local Government Unit Executives, or Provincial/City/Municipal Agriculturists to concerned agencies for appropriate action.
RAFCs were advised to coordinate closely with regional accountants to resolve outstanding balances and accelerate the liquidation and disbursement of transferred funds.
Also, participants pushed to expand youth participation in policymaking, endorse the bill reconstituting PCAF into “PCAF Development,” mainstream Philippine Rural Development Project tools, and hold consultations with the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management regarding honoraria or incentives for AFCs, AFC Coordinators, and Agricultural Extension Workers.
PMT results and action plans
The 2026 Participatory Monitoring and Tracking (PMT) assessment evaluated 133 DA projects worth PhP178.24 million across ZamPen (76 projects, PhP97.93M) and Caraga (57 projects, PhP80.31M), finding that 67.7% were fully utilized. Northern Mindanao’s PMT is still scheduled for the last week of September.
PCAF also introduced the PMT Dashboard, a collaborative platform for tracking operational, environmental, and project progress. The dashboard is currently being refined based on participant feedback to improve its usability and interface design.
Issues identified were categorized by severity:
- Critical: Missing Memoranda of Agreement, non-existent or relocated projects, and biosecurity lapses
- High: Infrastructure and machinery defects or terrain mismatches
- Moderate: Off-season delivery timing
To resolve non-operational units and discrepancies, action plans mandate that DA Regional Field Offices tighten beneficiary validation, match equipment specifications to local soil conditions, and enforce contractor warranties and rectifications.
The PMT will also evaluate adopting the designation “Not on-site” rather than “Does not exist” for machinery temporarily deployed elsewhere. Meanwhile, complete revalidation schedules will continue through September and extend into the final quarter of 2026. | Jezebel Campaniel
