The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking to include farmers and fisherfolk in the upcoming national ID system following the recent signing of the PhilSYS Act by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Clint Hassan, information and technology services director at the DA, said there are at least 13 to 14 million farmers and fisherfolk that would benefit from a proposed database program.
The DA would look at incorporating the upcoming ID system with a database project that would identify farmers, products, services, among others.
The idea is to include the sectors in the program planning of agencies, especially those of the DA, with the government pushing to include technology solutions even in programs such as agriculture.
This is part of a medium-term road map that is being designed alongside the Department of Information, Communication, and Technology (DICT).
“We want to identify production,” Hassan said, adding that the program also attempts to link production data with the nearest facilities and services.
Currently, the Philippines is suffering from a lack of rice production, with the rice-producing country ironically relying on importation.
The National Food Authority, for its part, is still waiting for an executive order from the Office of the President, which transfers its mandate into the DA.
“The NFA does not yet belong to the DA,” Hassan said.
Hassan added that the project involves the improvement of production and distribution in Mindanao, which takes advantage of its relative safety from the annual visits of typhoons that endanger crops and livestock.
The DA is fighting against a projection of a possible shortage come 2050.
Hassan, an IT expert working in an agriculture agency, said there was an emerging appreciation for IT solutions in agencies such as the DA.
Hassan was one of the resource persons at UnionBank’s two-day hackathon, a part of the series.
The event, which was held at The Tent of the Azuela Cove property in Panacan, “challenges developers to identify problems with the agriculture industry and find tech-based solutions for the issues.”
Winners received cash prizes and a chance to introduce their ideas to a panel of judges.
