The Regional Agri-Fishery Council (RAFC) of Davao Region reported positive outcomes from its latest monitoring of agriculture projects across the area, highlighting strong implementation and generally satisfied farmer-beneficiaries.
Monitoring Results
RAFC Davao chairperson Epifanio Loyola Jr., who also serves as president of the Beekeepers Network Philippines Foundation Inc., stated that the council recently assessed 88 agriculture-related projects throughout the region. Only two projects were found to be underutilized due to minor machinery problems.
"Last week, we completed our monitoring across the region. We assessed 88 projects, and only about two were not fully utilized because of minor machinery issues," Loyola said during a press briefing.
Loyola emphasized that the assessment was not intended to find faults but to ensure government interventions reach intended beneficiaries and that local concerns are properly addressed. He added that most beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with the support provided by the Department of Agriculture.
Nationwide Evaluation
The monitoring was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries as part of a nationwide evaluation covering 17 regions. Loyola noted that Davao Region posted one of the strongest results during the review period.
In addition to project inspections, the council held consultations with farmers and fisherfolk to identify additional needs that could be endorsed to the Department of Agriculture for funding or policy support.
Grassroots Challenges
However, Loyola pointed out that concerns from remote communities do not always reach national offices due to multiple layers of coordination at the municipal and provincial levels. He stressed the need to strengthen direct consultations at the grassroots level.
"During our consultations, we found that some concerns do not reach the Department of Agriculture because issues raised at the municipal level are not always forwarded to the regional office," Loyola said.
He called for stronger communication channels between local stakeholders and government agencies to ensure that concerns from farming and fishing communities are properly addressed.
Ongoing Recommendations
The council continues to submit recommendations to regional and national agencies, particularly for projects requiring larger funding support. Agri-fishery councils nationwide also regularly meet with the agriculture secretary to discuss sector-wide concerns and improve program implementation.
"These consultations allow the government to hear the needs of communities on the ground," Loyola added.
