CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has released P2, 178,250 fund to the province for technical development of agricultural extension workers.
Provincial Agriculturist Domingo Bakilan said the move is part of DA’s preparation on the devolution of the Provincial Agricultural and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES) to the local government unit (LGU) by 2024.
Under this, agricultural extension workers at the LGUs are trained to become farmers’ trainors.
The PAFES is one of DA’s major services to be devolved to the LGUs under the Mandanas-Garcia ruling that fully devolves the delivery of basic services to LGUs, Bakilan explained.
The PAFES constitutes various stakeholders from the academe, cooperatives, government and non-government entities that have extension services on food security. Programs cover food security that includes rice, livestock, poultry, high-value crops and fisheries production.
Bakilan said that concern on food security is better addressed by concerted efforts of various sectors. This is one of the top agenda the government is pushing under the present administration, he noted. (JDP/LL-PIA CAR, Kalinga)
