GOOD

MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES AND

INNOVATIONS

THAT MADE THE

“DIFFERENCE” IN

DA RFO XII

Fostering Transparency Via Ulat Sa Bayan/ Presentation of DA‟s

Programs To Sangguniang Panlalawigan

In its unrelenting efforts to ensure public accountability and total

transparency, DA-RFO 12 has been conducting series of information caravans to

report to the public the Department‟s activities, projects and programs. Through

„Ulat sa Bayan‟, quarterly accomplishments are particularly conveyed by the

regional office to its clienteles – farmers and fishers region-wide. In 2014, the

regional office conducted sixteen (16) mini and Grand Ulat sa Bayan which were

highlighted by the mass distribution of farm equipment and other agri-based

projects.

More than a thousand farmers, fishers, and other agri industry stakeholders join

DA 12 Regional Executive Director Amalia Datukan, Koronadal City Mayor Peter

Miguel, South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes, and other officials

during the mass turn-over of farm machines and other projects in May 2014

(Photo A) and nearly 800 farmers and fisherfolks of Glan, Sarangani took their

share during the Mini-Ulat sa Bayan (Photo B).

In the same year, DA-RFO 12 added a unique management strategy

which is the presentation of its programs and projects before local chief

executives, congressional representatives, and members of the Sangguniang

Panlalawigan (SPs) of the four provinces of Region 12.

This initiative is part of the agency‟s ways of encouraging local

government units through their respective local chief executives, members of the

SP to support the various agricultural endeavours of the Department.

Sarangani

South Cotabato Sultan Kudarat

First photo shows DA12 Dir. Datukan leads the presentation of DA programs and

projects before hundreds of farmers and members of the SP of North Cotabato led

by Governor Emmylou T. Mendoza.

Reviving DA 12 TV Program With „Agri Tayo SOCCSKSARGEN‟

With the goal of reaching more farming a nd fishing families, DA

RFO-12 has been intensifying its information dissemination approaches

with the revival of its TV program with a new working title „Agri Tayo

SOCCSKSARGEN.‟

„Agri Tayo SOCCSKSARGEN‟ is a weekly one-hour program

which is comprised of various segments aired via cable TV providers

and TeleRadyo stations all over the region from 9:00 to 10:00 in the

morning every Saturday.

Agri Tayo Soccsksargen host Neilma Ambolodto interviewing Senator Cynthia Villar and Agriculture

Secretary Procy Alcala as part of a special episode of the DA 12‟s TV program.

Through this TV program, advertisements are aired to

remind and to instill to the minds of the public that the government

is doing and working which was recognized internationally.

RED Bing Datukan prepping-up for her regular segment on

Agri Tayo SOCCSKSARGEN TV Program.

Encouraging Youths To Choose and Love Agriculture

Through the first-ever agriculture-based quiz bowl dubbed as “Agri-

Talino,” DA RFO-12 aspires to boost enrollment turn-out of agriculture-

related courses among tertiary education institutions (TEIs) and to expedite

the promotions of the agency‟s programs and projects not only to the

farming and fishing communities but also to different academic institutions

of Region 12.

DA12 RED Amalia Datukan with the finalists and coaches of the first-ever Agri Talino Championship

Round staged in Koronadal City on March 12, 2015. Agri Talino aims to reach out to and to inculcate to

the minds of the younger generations of the importance of agri-fishery sectors in attaining holistic

national development.

If at all, the school youth may not chose to enroll in Agriculture, they at

least will love and appreciate the big contribution of this sector to the economy.

Thus, DA RFO XII implemented the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” project and the

Organic Agriculture Program where these programs established several vermi-

organic fertilizer projects and provided them organic seeds, gardening

tools/equipments to transform these vegetable gardens into organic vegetable

garden to produce chemical free, healthy food.

Rockwall Rice Terraces Continuously Rising In Region 12

In 2013, DA RFO-12 had begun the building of rockwall rice terraces

in Arakan town of North Cotabato with the ultimate goal of utilizing

mountainous areas which are potential for rice production.

Rockwall rice terraces in Barangay Datu Ladayon, of said town,

serve as a training ground to those farmers and rock wall builders who want

to start similar project at their respective communities.

Using their knowledge that they got from rockwall building training in Datu Ladayon,

farmers of Barangay Ganatan in Arakan, North Cotabao, had started forming their own

rockwall rice terraces as potential rice production areas.

Efficient Project Implementation With The Aid Of Geo-tagging Technology

Tested and proven to be a very effective tool, DA-RFO 12 has consistently

been applying the geo-tagging technology in safeguarding that every

agricultural project is put in proper place and to avoid duplication.

During monitoring and evaluation, the DA-RFO 12 team

geo-tagged the projects to be posted in their respective

Program and DA RFO XII website for easy accessibility.

Vegetable/Edible Landscaping Plus Agricultural Mural Painting

DA-RFO 12 has been sustaining the edible landscapes put up

among its research stations.

Presently, these research stations serve as a role model to the

communities to start-up an organic vegetable garden. Passers-by can

pick, weigh and pay the veggies that they want.

Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, along with the DA 12

officials, leads the ceremonial planting of various vegetable seedlings at DA

12‟s Edible Landscape located beside the thoroughfare of Koronadal City.

Re-strengthening Partnership With Press Through Regular Media

Interfacing

To reach its clients, DA-RFO 12 has been tapping the help of mediamen

especially in disseminating agricultural messages to farmers and

fishers. Media has also been helping the regional field office in

generating feedbacks from the public especially those which can help

the Department in its projects implementation.

DA 12 RED Amalia Datukan thanking the members of the Press in SOCCSKSARGEN Region for

their unconditional support in spreading the good news about the DA especially to those far-

flung farming and fishing communities.

The media interfacing proves in this part of the Country that where

regular dialogue is done, issues and concerns are promptly

responded and implementation strategies and policies are

transparent. MEDIA can be of great help to efficient, effective and

successful project implementation.

Mediamen interviewing Mr. Arturo Damasco, Gawad Saka 2014,

national awardee for organic farmer category, during their farm visit in

Surallah, South Cotabato as part of the Media Interfacing.

Improving Livestock Through Roving Bull

Agri-Pinoy Livestock Program has been delivering its services nearer to

the communities. Recently, it has mobilized it bulls for their Roving Bull

project to directly serve the community and help them improve the

genetics of their local stocks.

Utilization Of Idle Lands Into Productive Agricultural Area

One of the most reliable strategy to increase production of any

major crop is the expansion of the production base. Since Region

XII has still vast lands that are idle, DA RFO XII initiated the

conversion of these idle lands to areas planted to cassava, white

corn. Moreover, prioritized beneficiaries are farmers who have not

availed of any assistance from the Department of Agriculture thus,

promoting indusive growth. To date 500 hectares of Cassava and

Corn already productive.

Farmers of President Roxas, North Cotabato show-off their vibrant smiles while

holding their newly-harvested white corn from their idle-turned productive area.

Strict Compliance To R.A. 9184 Or Otherwise Known As “The Philippine

Procurement Act”

Since the start of the management in CY 2011, one of the major initiatives undertaken was

the revitalization of its Bids and Awards Committee, its members and that of the

Technical Committee were trained at in-house trainings sponsored by the management.

Procurement experts from DBM and COA were invited as resource speakers. Moreover,

they also attended numerous trainings on procurement and related courses.

The learnings imbibed in these trainings equipped the members of the BAC and its TWG

of the knowledge and tools for the office to be fully compliant to the provisions of RA

9184. Moreover, since the prospective bidders were convinced that biddings are now

open and competitive more were enticed to join.

Members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and Technical Working Group (TWG) of

DA 12 deliberately discussing during an opening of bids held at the office‟s conference

room.

Augmentation Of Agricultural Extension Workers (Aew‟s) By Training And Hiring

Local Field Technicians (Lfts)

The present AEW‟s who are composed mainly of the devolved DA technicians are

aging and dwindling because of natural attrition. To augment this technical force

in the field DA RFO XII initiated the hiring of Local Field Technicians, who are

resident of the locality. They have the distinct advantage of being the most

accessible source of technology and the same time more credible as they can

use their own farms as techno-demos to showcase the latest technology.

As an incentive to their great performances, DA 12 sent least

20 local farmer-technicians to an education tour among top

rice producing provinces in Mindanao.

Local farmer-technicians brainstorm during the series of seminars

and trainings initiated by DA RFO XII before they will be deployed

to their respective communities.

Continuous Exportation Of Premium Products

Export winner Don Bosco Multi-purpose Cooperative based in

North Cotabato has continuously been penetrating the

international markets by offering its elite organic colored rice.

In 2014, Don Bosco MPC exported almost 70 metric tons of

organic rice to various countries such as Germany, United Arab

Emirates and Hong Kong.

Sample of a two-kilo black rice parceled in a specialed package exported

by Don Bosco MPC to US.

Improving Stations And Laboratories

In its efforts of making efficient the delivery of its services, DA

RFO XI has started improving its facilities such as its

laboratories and research stations to cater to the growing

demands of its clients.

Ms. Marcela Necesito explains to Sec. Alcala the purpose of

the rapid potato seed multiplication facility in Tupi Seed

Farm.

Sec. Alcala and RED Datukan check BIO-N sachets

from the Mobile Laboratory of DA-12

The newly-completed covered court and

soon to be finished pathway in Tupi Seed

Farm in Bololmala, Tupi, South Cotabato.

This move also prompts these research stations to magnify its

function in determining and testing new farm technologies which

could be adopted by farmers most particularly in helping the

government in achieving food sufficiency.

Giving rewards to highest rice yielders

As incentives to highest yielding rice farmers, DA RFO-12 is rewarding these farmers with

farm machines such as power tiller, among others just like Ludovico Cortado, a 76 year-

old farmer in Barangay Sangat, M‟lang North Cotabato who was awarded with a floating

tiller after achieving a 9.2-metric ton per hectare yield. Besides individual rice farmers, this

rewards system is also employed among irrigators‟ associations belonging to the top three

(3) highest yielding municipalities per province. Each IA is given with 350 bags. In 2014, DA

RFO-XII was able to disperse 6,000 bags of certified palay seeds

Mass Turn-over Of Farm Equipments/Machineries

Regaining the trust and confidence of the public at large means that you have

gained the confidence and trust of the public at all levels.

For DA RFO XII it would mean DA‟s National leaders and management,

members of the House of Representatives representing the congressional

districts of the region, as they play a big role in budget allocation, the Local Chief

Executives (LCE‟s) and the farmer themselves.

The DA RFO XII management initiative of conducting these turn-over of

procured equipments/machineries serve as the occasion where all the players

mentioned are gathered to see for themselves the transformation of this region in

procuring quality farmer friendly equipment/machineries and additional items

due to the strict implementation of RA 9184 that made the procurement efficient

and effective.