ILOILO CITY— OIC-Secretary of Agriculture Waldo R. Carpio and currently the DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Permanent Alternate Chair of NCI-SRD bared the seven major directions for the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD) in the next two years during the NCI-SRD Summit 2019 held on July 25, 2019 in one of the hotels here.
Recognizing the NCI-SRD as an effective and efficient government strategy to address the fragmented delivery of rural development services, Carpio said that the DA allotted a regular annual budget of at least Php15M pesos to support the operations of NCI-SRD for the past 10 years.
Carpio urged all other agencies to recommit to the NCI-SRD and share their resources for its continued operations.
He outlined the seven major directions:
- Support the Institutionalization of the NCI through enactment of a law by re-filing House Bill No. 9145;
- Continue to establish convergence areas in all 16 regions by having at least one convergence area per region in 2022;
- Continue to issue the necessary policy instruments to address overlaps, gaps and conflicts, harmonize the programs and policies of the four rural development agencies, and implement joint planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring and evaluation;
- Seek new partnerships with other government agencies, development partners and the private sector and promote the Ridge-to-Reef, International Environmental Management (IEM) and Sustainable Integrated Area Development (SIAD) Approach;
- Establish agriculture, forestry and fishery-enterprise clusters within our convergence areas as source of livelihood and income to our beneficiaries; and
- Implement the learning and development activities outlines in the approved National Capacity Development Plan;
- Implement IECM activities and establish our Management Information System to increase awareness of our stakeholders and monitor and evaluate the impact of our convergence areas.
These directions, he said, will guide NCI-SRD in contributing to inclusive growth and poverty reduction in the countryside. (jaysonmgonzales)