On January 30, 1987, the Agricultural and Fishery Councils were established under Executive Order 116 and created as an advisory body at the regional, provincial, city/municipal levels, primarily to promote private sector participation in agricultural and fishery development through consultation, advocacy, planning, monitoring, program and project evaluation. .At present there are 16 RAFCs, 80 PAFCs, 21 ICCAFCs/HUCs and 1,605 MAFCs and CAFCs. The AFCs is the SPIRIT of the agriculture and fisheries communities:
S Supports and sustains development initiatives in agriculture and fisheries.
P Promotes awareness of, and takes appropriate action on issues, problems and concerns of agriculture and fiheries.
I Institutionalizes private sector involvement and private-government partnership.
R Reinforces spirit of volunteerism service partnership, accountability and transparency performance excellence among stakeholders.
I Intensifies feedback and dialogue on policies, programs, projects and strategies.
T Transforms power relationships among key stakeholders.
LEGAL BASES
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. . .”
Section 16 of Article XIII, the Constitution states that:
“the right of the people and their organization to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political and economic decision making shall not be abridged. The state shall by law facilitate the establishment of adequate consultation mechanism. . .”
E.O. 116 (1987) mandated NAFC to:
- Act as advisory body to ensure success of DA programs and projects
- Provide the consultative and feedback mechanism for continuing discussions of agricultural and fishery issues and concerns
- Facilitate organization of AFCs
RA 8435 (AFMA) strengthened private sector participation in the modernization process:
Section 2, provides that:
“It is the policy of the state to enable those who belong to the agriculture and fisheries sectors to participate and share in the fruits of development and growth in a manner that utilizes the nation’s resources”
Section 3, provides that:
"The state shall promote people empowerement by enabling all citizens through direct participation or through their elected, or chosen representatives the opportunity to participate in policy formulation and decision making by establishing the appropriate mechanisms by giving them access to information. . . ”
The IRR of RA 8435 (DA Administrative Order # 6 series of 1998), NAFC was strengthened to assist the DA in the broad-based monitoring and coordination of the agricultural and fisheries modernization process. The NAFC was tasked to:
- Serve as the integrative and consultative structure for the inter-agency and inter-sectoral collaboration in agricultural and fishery modernization and;
- Provide for the automatic membership of the AFC Chairs in the Local Development Council
Other policy issuances:
DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2001-121
Inclusion of Agricultural and Fishery Council (AFC) Budget in the Local Government Units (LGUs) Annual Appropriation.
DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2000-63
Reiteration of DILG Memorandum Ciculars 97-271 and 98-200 Re: LGU Participation in the AFC and Representatives of the AFCs in the LDCs
DILG Memorandum Circular No. 98-200
Representation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Councils in the Local Government Councils
DILG Memorandum Circular No. 97-271
LGU Participation in the Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs) of the Department of Agriculture and and Institutionalization of AFC in the Local Development Councils (LDCs).
DA Memorandum Circular dated 17 January 2000
Inclusion of RAFC activities in the DA Annual Budget Planning and Program
DA Memorandum Circular No. 4 dated 24 April 2003
Reiteration of inclusion of RAFC activities in the DA Annual Budget Planning and Program
COMPOSITION
The AFC is a partnership between government and private sector at a ratio of 60-40. The composition of the AFC at the different levels are as follows:
Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council (RAFC)
PAFC Chairpersons
Independent component cities AFC Chairpersons
Highly urbanized cities Chairpersons
Regional FARMC representatives
Representatives of government agencies
Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council (PAFC)
PAFC Chairpersons
City Agricultural and Fishery Councils Chairpersons
Independent component cities AFC Chairpersons
Barangays AFC Chairpersons
RProvincial FARMC representatives
Representatives of government agencies
City/Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFC/MAFC)
Chairpersons of city/municipal
Barangay AFC Chairpersons
Local Government sector representatives
Municipal FARMC representatives
Representatives of government agencies
An active AFC serves as the “VOICE” of farmers/fishers and other stakeholders:
Vehicle for Participation
- Conducts monthly meetings to discuss and resolve problems, issues and concerns confronting agriculture and fisheries.
- Recommends programs, projects that are based on the peoples / communities needs;
- Bring to the attention of concerned agencies critical information that affects program, project implementation.
O pens up opportunities for market, livelihood and personal growth
- Endorses projects for funding under the NAFC livelihood programs;
- Undertakes promotional activities such as agri-fairs and market promotion activities.
I nformation Source
- Generates and accesses international , national and local agricultural information that are critical to facilitate discussions in the AFCs.
C hannel of Communication
- Be the channel for continuing communication / discussions between the government and private, the national and local, and among stakeholders/sections.
E mpowers communities and stakeholders to influence and share control over development initiatives
- Recommends, programs, projects, and policies based on the poeples / communities needs;
- Assists in the planning and budgeting of the DA and LGU;
- Identifies and assesses the diverse needs and resouces of the area, in consultation with government and NGOs to gbring about collective action for agriculture and fisheries development.
The AFCs are not only the voice but the “BRIDGES” to development:
B uilder of local capacities
- Identifies capability development needs and works for its funding.
R ecommends policies and strategies
I ntegrator of development initiatives in the local level/community
D esigns programs and projects, initiates programs and projects that address the needs of the community/people
G overnance mechanisms to stimulate responsiveness, openness, transparency and accountability
- Participates in the DA-RFU Management Committee meetings, BAC and other committees.
- Institutionalizes private and government partnership..
E valuates projects/programs and policies and gives feedback on how these are implemented and how they affect the lives of their community members.
- Monitors and evaluates the implementation of DA and its attached agencies programs and projects.
- Prepares monthly reports and submit them to AFC, NAFC and concerned offices.
S erves as link between the LGU and DA and between LGU and Stakeholders
- AFC became the link between the DA and the LGU when the devolution took place.
- Set up a feedback mechanism to facilitate forward and backward flow of information.
