The Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) partnered with Department of Agriculture Regional Field Offices 7, 9 and 12 in organizing and conducting Ugnayang Agri-Kredit sa Probinsya Seminars for farmers, fisherfolk and other agri-fishery stakeholders in the three (3) regions. The 3 seminars were held respectively in Zamboanga City, Dumaguete City and General Santos City in March 2014.
The seminars were conducted to: 1) create awareness about DA and ACPC agri-credit policies and programs, as well as about the agri-financing programs of other institutions; 2) generate feedback on the credit policies and programs from seminar participants based on the presentations; and 3) inform participants of risk-mitigating mechanisms available to them such as the Agricultural Guarantee Fund Pool (AGFP).
DA-RFO 9 Marketing Assistance Div. Chief and Regional Agricultural Credit Desk Officer Ferdinand D. Gamorot spearheading the holding of the Ugnayang Agri-Credit Seminar for Zamboanga City on March 11, 2014 at Tetuan, Zamboanga City. In his messagwe, he emphasized the need to inform the public of the credit services being extended by the government to the agriculture and fishery sector.
Region IX (Zamboanga City)
Organized in coordination with AMAD Chief and DA-RFO 9 Regional Agricultural Credit Desk Officer, Ferdinand D. Gamorot, the Ugnayang Agri-Kredit sa Probinsya Seminar for Region IX was held on March 11, 2014 at Tetuan, Zamboanga City. It was attended by forty (40) participants. The participants were mostly officials or representatives of cooperatives, Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), farmers/fisherfolk/agro-industry associations, Municipal/City/Provincial Agriculture Office, DA Regional Office, and the Regional Agriculture and Fishery Council (RAFC).
The resource persons in the seminar were ACPC Director Norman William S. Kraft, Information Officer Rudyard Roxas, AGFP Program Manager Mr. Ramon S. Ruiz, and the Department Manager of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Lending Center in Zamboanga City, Mr. Roel A. Tarroza.
Region VII (Dumaguete City)
The two-day Agri-Credit Ugnayan with Stakeholders was conducted in Dumaguete City on March 13-14, 2014. The activity was spearheaded by the DA-RFO 7, through Ms Ligaya Ebarita, Officer-in-Charge of the Agribusiness Investment and Enterprise Development and Ms Marcelina Cabonelas of the Agricultural Production Coordinating Office (APCO) who coordinated the activity with the various farmers and fisherfolk organizations and local government units in Negros Oriental.
A total of 65 participants representing cooperatives and farmers’ organizations/associations, barangay food terminal operators, and local government units (LGUs) including technicians, and Municipal Agriculturists of ten municipalities in Negros Oriental attended the activity.
The resource persons were ACPC Information Division Chief Emmalyn J. Guinto, ACPC Information Officer Rumina A. Gil, AGFP Program Manager Ramon Ruiz, Cooperative Bank of Negros Oriental (CBNO) General Manager Rey Gomez, People’s Credit and Finance Corporation’s (PCFC) Corporate Communications Manager Dom Pantalita and Corporate Communications Officer Fred Costa, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) Marketing and Sales Division Chief Alberto Divinagracia, and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Account Officer Louelle Zamora.
Region XII (General Santos City)
The ACPC Programs and AGFP Forum in General Santos City on March 25, 2014 was spearheaded by the DA-RFO XII, through Ms Baidido T. Samama, AMAD Chief, who coordinated the activity with the various farmers and fisherfolk organizations and local government units in Region XII.
Fifty-one participants representing cooperatives and farmers’ organizations/associations, barangay food terminal operators, and local government units (LGUs) including technicians, and Municipal Agriculturists of the different provinces in Region XII attended the activity.
The resource persons were ACPC Information Officer Rumina A. Gil, ACPC Project Development Officer Rudyard R. Roxas, AGFP Executive Director Dick Pajarillo, and PCFC Account Officer Mr. Fretchie Seniel.
Credit Matching Sessions
Credit matching sessions were also conducted for the participants. One of the results of the matching activity in Zamboanga was the linking of one participant with the DA’s Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP). The seminar participant plans to develop a 2,000 ha banana plantation in Zamboanga City to cater to the Middle East export market.
The participants in Dumaguete City, on the other hand, submitted loan requirements to support cassava production, corn production, livestock raising and dairy production, among others. The loan requirements were turned over to the concerned financial institutions for initial evaluation. Representatives of the organizations/cooperatives were able to discuss their proposed projects and loan requirement with the representatives of ACPC, AGFP and PCFC.
In Region XII, a group of agri- and community-based micro and small producers in Region XII that needs financing for small farmers who are producing raw materials for export products was endorsed to the ACPC’s AMP through the KPS-SEED, Inc, one of the MFI-partners of PCFC in the region. AGFP Executive Director Dick Pajarillo, on the other hand said that the AGFP would guarantee the loan availments of the group of micro and small producers.
Participants’ Impressions
In Zamboanga City, participants said that the forum was a success as those who attended were enlightened on the financial support being made available by the national government.
The participants in General Santos City, on the other hand, were also thankful for the information given to them on the various credit assistance of the government that could help them uplift their lives.
The participants in Dumaguete City also suggested continuous conduct of information dissemination on these programs of the government.