THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERY COUNCIL OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES IN IMPROVING THE

LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED MUNICIPALITIES IN THE
PROVINCE OF MAGUINDANAO

By

BAI SANDRIA P. MAYASA

A Thesis Proposal

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Master of Public Administration

Mindanao State University – Graduate School

Tamontaka, Datu Odin Sinsuat,

Maguindanao

December 2018
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is an agency of the government that is

responsible for the promotion of agricultural and fisheries development growth
in the Philippines. There are established Regional Field Units (RFUs) in the
country for the execution of its programs, activities and projects. It was included
in the department’s vision that there must be strong private sector participation
in order to attain the success of its programs and projects. For that, the
Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs) is very much vital for agri-fishery sector
development.

The AFCs are the mechanisms of the agency for private sector participation
in the development processes at the regional, provincial and municipal levels.
This was in pursuant to the Executive Order No. 116 on January 30, 1987. They
were created as advisory body at the regional, provincial, city/municipal levels
primarily to promote private sector participation in agricultural and fishery
development through consultations, advocacy, planning, and monitoring and
evaluation of programs and projects of Department of Agriculture and other
agencies of the government.

In section 15 of Article XIII, the Constitution states that “the state shall
respect the role of independent people’s organizations to enable the people to
pursue and protect, within the democratic framework, their legitimate and
collective interest and aspirations through peaceful and lawful means”.
Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to look into the partnership among the Local
Government Units (LGUs), Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural and
Fishery Councils. Considering that in ARMM, 65% of its GRDP came from the
agricultural sector, the need to intensify the partnerships of these entities based
on the legal framework of the Philippines so as to achieve the development of the
sector.

The queries aims to answer the following specific questions:

1. What is the profile of AFCs in ARMM from regional, provincial and

municipal levels?
2. What are the resolutions made by the AFCs in the ARMM?
3. What are the challenges encountered among the LGUs, DA and AFCs
in ARMM?
4. What are the other possible contributions of the AFCs in the agriculture
sector?
5. What are the legal limitations in strengthening and enhancing the AFC
functions?

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will yield practical recommendations as to the

strengthening of the AFCs in the ARMM being participatory and grassroots in its
research and data-gathering. The DAF-ARMM will have an opportunity to
increase the impact and quality of its programs and projects. The Regional
Legislative Assembly of ARMM can readily have concrete basis to craft policies
that would strengthen AFCs. The LGUs can improve their public service and
maximise their role in the development of agriculture and fishery sector.

Scope and Limitation

This study is focuses to determine the implementation of livelihood

activities in improving the Livelihood Activities of Selected Municipalities in the
Province of Maguindanao.
Definition of Terms

AFC - Agricultural and Fishery Council is an attached agency of the Department

of Agriculture (DA) which facilitates broad-based participatory processes in
the agriculture and fisheries sector

MAFC - Agricultural and Fishery Council

DAF - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

ARMM – Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao

Respondent - refers to one who refutes or responds to a thesis or an argument

Demographic - a particular sector of a population

RFU – Regional Field Units

Framework - A framework is a particular set of rules, ideas, or beliefs which you

use in order to deal with problems or to decide what to do.

Implementation - refers to the carrying out, execution, or practice of a plan, a

method, or

any design to meet the objectives of the program.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In article published by Ernesto M. Ordoñez, he stressed that AFCs at the

local level should identify the sources of rural poverty. He also added that
importance should be given to the AFCs and pointed out that during the Yolanda
crisis in Tacloban, the NAFC Committee on the crisis unanimously decided to
end its efforts because its members were never allowed to join a DA meeting on
the issue. He also emphasized the indication of the low-level representation
which the government sends to the AFC meetings wherein representatives lower
than a division chief often respond to suggestions from heads and fisherfolk
federations and agribusiness organizations. As a result, many of the private
sector leaders have stopped attending these meetings.

In support of that, on his article entitled “What 5 Presidentiables missed:

Proposed Actions for Agriculture” Ordonez stated that the legally mandated AFCs
at the national, regional and provincial levels have the highest representation
from the private sector. However, the DA representatives serve at low levels.
Consequently, important decisions and actions cannot be made in a timely
manner. Furthermore, the DA-funded projects are not systematically made
known to the AFCs, especially at the local level.
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The study will use the descriptive and qualitative method of research to
find out and determine the socio-demographic profile of the AFCs in the ARMM
from regional, provincial and municipal level.

Locale of the Study

The study will be conducted across municipalities of Maguindanao.

Respondent and Sampling

The respondents were 36 MAFC chairperson of Maguindanao.

The Instrument

The principal procedure use in gathering of data for this research is the
survey questionnaire inorder to complete the data obtained through survey. The
queries of this survey questionnaire focused on the responses of AFC. Interview
and focus group discussion will also be employed in the study.

Data Gathering Procedure

The structure survey questionnaire is composing four parts; the first part
was the socio-demographic compose of age, sex, marital status, and educational
attainment of the AFCs in the ARMM from regional, provincial and municipal
level.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The findings of this study will yield practical recommendations as to the

strengthening of the AFCs in the ARMM being participatory and grassroots in its
research and data-gathering. The DAF-ARMM will have an opportunity to
increase the impact and quality of its programs and projects. The Regional
Legislative Assembly of ARMM can readily have concrete basis to craft policies
that would strengthen AFCs. The LGUs can improve their public service and
maximise their role in the development of agriculture and fishery sector.

Bibliography and Webliography

Ordoñez, Ernesto M., “COMMENTARY: Impoverish Farmers and Fisherfolks”

https://www.pids.gov.ph/pids-in-the-news/1013

Ordoñez, Ernesto M., “What 5 Presidentiables missed: Proposed Actions for

Agriculture” https://www.pids.gov.ph/pids-in-the-news/1498

http://www.pcaf.da.gov.ph/

http://nafcqc.blogspot.com/2011/11/