Wednesday, October 01, 2008 Speak Out: Is CAR Ready to Implement Government Programs By Robert L. Domoguen
THE article of Mr. Estanislao Albano of Tabuk, Kalinga, published in a local paper last week asserting this government and the Department of Agriculture (DA), in particular, does not care for the farmers was almost convincing.
On second thought, it was disturbing and to say it as it is, irresponsible and unfair to the DA as an agency primarily tasked to lead agricultural and rural development in the country.
Piecing together statements here and there to paint a picture of the DA as an inept government development agency is incomprehensible. He quotes statements generated outside of the region and mixes it with a local shortcoming and unnecessarily bring out an unfair impression, which he himself wants people to have. That is, "the implementation of the DA's programs and projects throughout the country are simply meant to line up the pockets of some people."
One cannot beat around the bush but to simply confront such rhetoric for what it is. It is only meant to degrade the agency. At best, its impact is demoralizing to the people who work for this agency and its partner agencies to include the local government units (LGUs) and other government and non-government agencies.
Moreover, many stakeholders who are working for and with the DA are more than dedicated and morally qualified to implement agricultural development programs and projects for the welfare of farmer beneficiaries in the region.
They deserve more respect than simply suffer indignities because of irresponsible statements that makes everyone in the government or the DA for that matter morally inept among a nation of "saints and Pharisees."
Mr. Albano's outlook about the DA, if I may so assume, deserves more respect from us sinners from this side of the fence, thus necessitating more explanation from us.
With the passage of the devolution law, the extension functions of the DA have been devolved to the LGUs. To carry out its mandate, the agency coordinates with the LGUs, which directly implements and supervises agricultural programs and projects on the ground. This reality, however, has yet to take shape in the minds of many, as the DA has been the usual "whipping boy" of everybody who needs to speak their minds out every time food crises occur.
It is not only the LGUs the DA works with. Where appropriate and as funds are available, it supports development programs and projects proposed by State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), other government agencies, farmers groups and other private organizations. Joint accountability in the implementation of agricultural development activities with these institutions must be viewed, held and reckoned as such.
There is one important aspect of the devolution law, which we have been trying to pursue all these years in the implementation of agricultural programs and projects here in the Cordillera. I think it is the main reason why this article asks the question: Is CAR ready to implement government agricultural development programs and projects?
The question is being asked on all stakeholders in the region because it is simply difficult for us to continue absorbing all the blame; with our integrity tattered on all fours, to effectively work with our partners and the beneficiaries of our activities.
With the devolution, government money for agricultural and rural development is accessed in response to needs, proposals and requests from the field. To maximize investment, it is most effective for LGUs to prioritize projects at their level in consultation with the farmers themselves.
It is not really in the best interest of everyone for the DA regional office to respond or attend to all requests and proposals from individual farmers, farmers associations and cooperatives, municipal mayors, vice mayors, councilors and municipal agricultural offices (77 in CAR), and the six provinces with separate requests coming from the governor, vice governor and members of the board, not mentioning all those who come to the office who would rather prefer to be treated as exceptional cases.
Ideally, the regional office should closely coordinate with the Provincial Government through the executive branch that ideally must integrate all municipal agricultural development plans to comprise the provincial plan.
The integrated provincial agricultural development plan reflects those, which the municipalities are supporting with their own funds and other priority activities that need counterpart support from the provincial LGU.
All programs and projects of the DA undertake regular (quarterly, mid-year and end-year) consultations with their counterparts from the provinces. Inputs to these programs and projects cuts both ways vertically and horizontally and therefore, more or less is participatory, where proper consultations were done in the preparation of the municipal and provincial agricultural development plans.
This scenario explains why many proposals, which were directly forwarded to the DA central office are sometimes returned to the DA regional office for validation. Here, the expected action must reflect whether it is a priority activity within the current municipal, provincial and regional program/project undertaking or simply something "very special," that the office must act on.
In all fairness, we are all doing our best to move in this direction with the appeal that proper channeling be done in order to maximize and prioritize available resources.
Focusing this discussion finally to Mr. Albano's allegations the DA does not care about, the farmers' must compel him to also ask the agricultural technicians, the provincial and municipal agriculturist if they have been doing their work all these years simply to line up the pockets of some people.
And who are these people? To truly establish his allegations and to be fair to those in the DA who innocently suffer because of such allegations, he needs to talk to the barangay officials, the mayor of Tabuk and the governor of Kalinga because they are involved in the planning and implementation of these agricultural development programs.
Kalinga being one of the highest beneficiaries of DA funds in the region deserves to know the real score. Would he state the truth once more to say that all or some of the funds lined somebody else pocket? Will the farmer beneficiaries of the DA's programs keep mum about the truth?
In a democracy, development is helped through sincere dialogue of issues and recommendations in all the appropriate forums available for this purpose and in recognition of our limitations as decent human beings and Cordillerans who sincerely desire to do what is best for our people.
