BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) Cordillera Administrative Region Field Office is urging farmers association (FAs), and cooperatives in the region to get accredited as Civil Society Organization (CSO) in order to access programs, projects and interventions from the agency, and in order to improve the lives of member-farmers.
In an interview over Radyo Pilipinas on Tuesday, Reagan Codmos, Program Evaluation Officer II of DA-CAR, said CSOs have a big role in the implementation of government programs because they serve as conduit.
By tapping citizen’s engagement through the accredited CSOs, DA hopes to improve the agency’s absorptive capacity, promote transparency and accountability, and enhance good governance in the agriculture sector.
Codmos explained that the DA accreditation is valid for five years while registration from registering agency is one year. Among the FAs qualified for accreditation include civic organizations, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, people’s organizations, indigenous people’s organizations, and non-profit organizations that are engaged or have expertise in agriculture.
The primary documents needed are accomplished application form, organizational structure, certificate of good standing from local chief executive, certificate of registration from the Securities and Exchange Commission/Department of Labor/Cooperative Development Authority, certificate of good standing from registering agency, and financial statement, among others.
“DA has several assistances that could be availed by our farmers through their accredited associations, one of which is the loan assistance program,” Codmos said.
Accredited CSOs that will avail of the loan assistance program will have a chance to manage their own funds. They can also apply for construction of facilities called commodity-based projects which include farm to market roads, potable water, post-harvest facilities amounting to P1 million and above.
As of December 31, 2024, there are 1,117 DA- accredited CSOs in the region, with 253 from Ifugao; 217, Benguet; 201, Kalinga; 169, Mountain Province; 155, Abra; 103,Apayao, and 19 from Baguio City, according to Codmos.
Other information regarding the application requirements for accreditation can be accessed at http://car.da.gov.ph. (JDP/MAWC-PIA CAR)
