- Article by: SCruzado & VJSanchez
- Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro
The Provincial Agriculturist’s Office (PAgO) successfully facilitated the conduct of the “Writeshop on the Updating of the Collaborative Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Extension Program (CPAFEP)”, an activity spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) MIMAROPA. The CPAFEP stands as a pivotal component of the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES), consolidating stakeholder programs, projects and activities (PPAs) aimed at enhancing agriculture and fisheries productivity, sustainability and profitability through enhanced and timely extension services. The workshop was held from May 19 – 23, 2025 at Vencio’s Garden Hotel and Restaurant, Calapan City.
The event gathered 80 stakeholders from across the province, including representatives from national government agencies, academe, provincial, city and municipal government units, financial institutions and private sector. Key commodities included in the CPAFEP are rice, calamansi, coconut, banana, vegetables, onion, swine, tilapia, goby, shrimp, milkfish, and seaweeds.
The program started with presentations of the accomplishments and implementation status of the previous 2023-2025 CPAFEP, which served as the foundation for revising and strengthening the program moving forward.
Participants were organized into commodity-specific groups and were assigned the task of identifying challenges, proposing viable interventions, and conceptualizing community-driven projects that support growth, innovation, and sustainability. The workshop sessions were collaborative and engaging, allowing stakeholders to share their insights and ground up experiences to craft more responsive plans. Each group presented their proposed projects and investment plan to a panel of experts from the stakeholders, composed of Provincial Agriculturist Ms. Christine M. Pine, DA-PMED Chief, Dr. Nex D. Basi and APCO Rene B. Madriaga of DA-RFO MIMAROPA, Assistant Center Director, ATI RTC-MIMAROPA, Mr. Norberto C. Maur, OIC Regional Director, BFAR-MIMAROPA Mr. Roberto R. Abrera, and PAFC chairman Petronilo L. Dimailig. The panel provided guidance and feedback to ensure the relevance and feasibility of the proposed projects and investment plan.
The initiative marks another milestone in Oriental Mindoro’s continued efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure food security through localized, data-informed, and stakeholder-driven planning. It also reflects the continued commitment of the stakeholders to enhance extension services and strengthen agricultural development across Oriental Mindoro.●