Climate change, a burning issue worldwide, is one of PCARRD’s priority agenda for 2010.
According to PCARRD Executive Director Patricio S. Faylon, the Council has different S&T (science and technology) priority areas that can help the AFNR (agriculture, forestry and natural resources) sector adapt and mitigate climate change.
Faylon laid out the Council’s policy directions for the National Agriculture and Resources Research and Development System during the 7th Joint Regional Research and Development Coordinating Council (RRDCC) Chairpersons and Consortium Directors’ meeting held on February 25 at the Central Luzon State University in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
Aside from climate change, Faylon also emphasized how each of the Council’s consortium can focus on R&D (research and development) on food security issues and to enable entrepreneurs to access raw materials that will support the new S&T Agenda and the Technomart Program.
He also encouraged the upscaling of STBF (Science and Technology-based Farm) projects in support of priority TechnoMart products in partnership with business support organizations in government, the private sector, and Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Associations.
On the Techno Gabay Program (TGP), Faylon stressed the importance of the implementing Executive Order (EO) 801. First, the implementing rules and regulations must be finalized. Next, the TGP must be institutionalized through partnerships with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, state universities and colleges (SUCs), the regional R&D consortia, and MS Associations.
EO 801 encourages the implementation of TGP in local government units in collaboration with DILG, DA, CHED, SUCs, among other concerned agencies. TGP enables the agricultural extension service to bring S&T within the reach of farmers/entrepreneurs and facilitate their access to a wider array of options for improving agricultural practices and increasing farm productivity.
In addition to this, Faylon presented the significant accomplishments of the 2005-2010 PCARRD CorPlan (corporate plan)). He further emphasized that the 2011-2016 CorPlan will consider the priorities identified by the Presidential Coordinating Council for R&D for the AFNR sectors.
Further, the Council will continue to push for capability building of the National Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Network by developing human resource requirements for the Centers of Research Excellence.
To continually improve the implementation of the plans and programs of the consortia, Faylon urged them to follow PCARRD’s thrust for management system excellence as exemplified by the Council’s ISO 9001:2008 certification and Philippine Quality Award.
Incidentally, the meeting was hosted by the Central Luzon Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium.