TO ENSURE the sustainability of subprojects, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) has been collaborating with various stakeholders, including international development organizations.
PSO Mindanao has formalized its significant partnership with Agricultural Cooperative International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Cacao Plus Project.
PSO Mindanao deputy project director Noel T. Provido said partnerships are the results of convergence initiatives of both parties leading to the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
“This partnership is an outcome of Mindanao Online C.A.F.E. This is an important undertaking for us because it aligns with the strategic direction of PRDP Scale-Up implementation, where connecting and collaborating with development partners is essential,” said Provido.
The partnership with GIZ will focus on integrating their knowledge products into DA-PRDP. They will provide their expertise through Training of Trainers programs, utilizing their existing Cacao Plus knowledge product.
GIZ senior adviser Amiel Tristan Gonzales presented the Agri Development Partnership Projects with the Private Sector (Agri-DPP).
“Under our Agri-DPP, we capacitate farmers and farmer groups. We also highlight the economic potential of farming through the application of Farming as Business (FBS) and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP),” Gonzales said. “Our cacao productivity enhancement programs (PEP) 1 & 2 have been invaluable resources for the Cooperative’s Committee on Education, given that many cacao proponent groups lack training materials.”
In the context of PRDP Scale-Up, ACDI/VOCA, which is currently implementing the Cooperative Development Program (CDP), will assist DA-PRDP in identifying and endorsing potential Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) for the Scale-Up. They will also facilitate the compliance of necessary documents by the identified FCAs to ensure smooth operations.
In her presentation, ACDI/VOCA CDP country director Melissa Alado highlighted their focus on developing rural development hubs.
“Our approach emphasizes sustainable agriculture, resilience, equity and inclusion, access to finance, and economic opportunity,” Alado explained. “The Rural Development Hub platform will enable people and organizations to work collaboratively, enhancing services, systems, capacity, partnerships, and market linkages for supply chain optimization.”
Representatives from DA-PRDP, ACDI/VOCA CDP, and GIZ signed the memorandum of understanding, marking a milestone in fostering collaboration between special projects and other stakeholders.
For DA-PRDP, convergence has been the key to strengthening partnerships, collaboration, and intersectoral engagement and will be the key to the future success of the PRDP Scale-Up. (Joy Montecalvo, PSO Min)
