LOS BAÑOS, Laguna-- In what is described as a “historical” move, PCAARRD and WorldFish came together to craft their 2014-2015 Work Plan of Cooperation. Building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2012, both agencies sought to solidify their partnership by identifying specific areas of collaboration and complementation for implementation in the next two years.
PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Resource Management and Support Services (ARMSS) Dr. Danilo Cardenas welcomed the WorldFish team and looked forward to fruitful discussion towards “a monumental initiative once the collaboration is set.” He stressed that PCAARRD always welcomes the opportunity to partner with WorldFish and that “it is prepared to co-invest in any planned initiatives aligned to the Industry Strategic S&T Plans (ISPs).”
Dr. Leah Buendia, Director of the Policy Coordination and Monitoring Division (PCMD), traced the history of the PCAARRD-WorldFish partnership that culminated in the 2012 MOU. She described the sporadic and spontaneous involvement of both in each other’s activities, also citing that while the MOU binds both agencies in an agreement to collaborate, no specific plans have been drawn up. Dr. Buendia then pointed out the potential areas of complementation as well as those areas for new initiatives.
Dr. Maripaz Perez, WorldFish Regional Director for Asia, presented the Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) Program and its activities especially in the Visayas-Mindanao Hub. Indicating the programs that both parties could pursue, she commended PCAARRD for developing the ISPs. She stressed how these were very valuable to WorldFish in focusing its research agenda for the AAS in the Philippines and in identifying its own priority activities in its program sites.
Pleased that “WorldFish is engaging PCAARRD and the network more intensely,” PCAARRD Executive Director Dr. Patricio Faylon said that PCAARRD looks to WorldFish and CGIAR centers for technologies and technical support. Specifically for this work plan, he emphasized a two-step goal:
- Enhanced understanding of appropriate and relevant fisheries technologies; and
- Innovation so that these technologies become adaptable to the capacities of our small-scale fishers and farmers as well as to our environment.
Slated for implementation by August 2014, the draft work plan focuses on ongoing and pipeline projects in which both parties have a common commodity and sites. For on-going projects, the commodities include abaca, mud crab, sea cucumber, milkfish, vegetables, tilapia, and coral reef. In the pipeline for 2015 implementation are projects on tilapia, seaweeds, mango, and milkfish, as well as fisheries resource accounting.
Dr. Buendia and Dr. Albert Aquino (Director, Socio-Economics Research Division [SERD]) convened the workshop with the assistance of PCMD and SERD staff. Specific ISP managers presented their respective programs and highlighted those aspects in which collaboration is apparent or possible.
The following ISP managers helped craft the work plan: Dr. Juanito Batalon, Ms. Leilani Pelegrina, Engr. Eduardo Manalili, Dr. Adelaida Calpe, Dr. Norida Samson, Ms. Preciosa Samonte, and Dr. Mari-Ann Acedera. Ms. Melissa Palacio, represented Mr. Allan Siano.
The WorldFish team, on the other hand, comprised Mr. Len Garces (Research Fellow & initiative leader for governance), Dr. Lutgarda Tolentino (Knowledge Action Researcher), Dr. Lily Ann Lando (Communication Officer and initiative leader for productivity), Dr. Enrique Avila (Hub Science Manager), Mr. Paul Joseph Ramirez (Research Fellow and initiative leader for markets), Ms. Aisa Manlosa (Gender Research Analyst) and Ms. Marjorie-Ann Sumaya (AAS Coordinator).