The Department of Agriculture (DA) Bicol recognized 27 Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System (FFEDIS) registered and Agricultural Cooperative Enterprise Development Services (ACEDS) enrolled cooperatives clustered under the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program during the Farmers’ Festival and Kadiwa sa DA held on May 15, 2025 in Pili, Camarines Sur. These 27 cooperatives are engaged in rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, and poultry farming.
Director-Designate for Rice Clustering and Consolidation under the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program Emerson S. Yago together with DA Bicol Farmer Regional Executive Director Claudia Esmeralda C. Honrado led the awarding of ACEDS Certificates to the F2C2 cooperatives represented by their respective Chairpersons.
Ten of the FFEDIS registered and ACEDS enrolled cooperatives were rice producers, eight were engaged in high value crops farming, five were into corn, three were livestock raisers, and one was involved in cassava. Of the 27 FFEDIS-registered F2C2 cooperatives, 15 were from Camarines Sur, five were from Camarines Norte, four were from Albay, and three were from Sorsogon.
The FFEDIS is a web-based registry system designed to consolidate farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives and associations, enterprises, and agri-fishery enterprises. According to Alden Jesus D. Ragay, Head of the DA Bicol Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) Agribusiness and Industry Support Section, FFEDIS is one of the DA’s measures to modernize the country’s agri-fishery landscape. It assists the government in effectively crafting policies, allocating budget, as well as in implementing DA’s programs, projects, and activities. He added that FFEDIS registration positions them as eligible beneficiaries under the Sagip Saka Act and potential recipients of interventions from DA banner programs and partner funding agencies.
“Kaipuhan an FFEDIS registration para masunod an guidelines sa Sagip-Saka na dapat mag-register para mahiling an mga interventions na puwedeng maitao sainda,” he said. Republic Act No. 11321 or the Sagip-Saka Act, mandates the DA to maintain the FFEDIS as the implementing agency of the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Program.” Qualified program beneficiaries may avail of various assistance in the form of improved production and productivity such as agricultural extension services, farm inputs, equipment, machineries, and trainings, improved access to financing through credit grants and crop insurance, access to improved technologies through research and development, and business and development services like market linkage and networking.
“Gamit an FFEDIS, nahihiling ta an buod kan mga kooperatiba within the cluster. Dahil diyan, naitatao ta ang angkop na interventions sainda asin naaaraman ta kun saen pa sinda puwede i-link na partners,” he added.
Interested farmers and fisherfolk enterprises, agri-fishery enterprises, and micro-small and medium enterprises engaged in production, processing, marketing, and distribution of locally produced agri-fishery commodities and products may register to FFEDIS through DA’s registrations desks at the City or Municipal agriculture Office, Provincial Agriculture Office or DA Bicol AMAD. They may also avail of DA’s web-based registration. They only need to comply with the documentary requirements which include an accomplished FFEDIS registration form, updated Mayor’s or Business Permit, and certificates of registration from Securities and Exchange Commission, Cooperative Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, or Department of Labor and Employment.
Moreover, Ragay encouraged individual farmers and farmers and fisherfolks associations to coordinate with the ACEDS. Established in September 2024, the ACEDS is a new office that was created under Memorandum Circular 22 signed by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. In Bicol, ACEDs, headed by Ragay, promotes the transition of pre-cooperatives and farmers and fisherfolks’ associations into full-fledged agricultural cooperatives. It is also responsible for their digital transformation towards achieving increased productivity, enhanced resilience, and real-time management communications and decisions.
The awarding of the FFEDIS-registered F2C2 clusters was one of the highlights of this year’s Farmers’ and Fisherfolks’ Month celebration themed “Makabagong Magsasaka at Mangingisda, Susi sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas!” (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS 5 with reports from Alden Jesus D. Ragay and Ken Justine C. Balbuena, DA AMAD 5)
Photo Credit: Zandra G. Abogado, DA AMAD 5