The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Central Luzon oriented its enterprise subproject beneficiaries on the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System (FFEDIS), Civil Society Organization (CSO) accreditation, and facilitated an Agri-Fishery Credit Forum on November 7-8, 2023 in Tarlac City, Tarlac and on November 9-10, 2023, in Olongapo City, Zambales.

_{DA RFO III AMAD Market Specialist III Charito Libut talks about the web-based information system containing agri-fishery enterprise information.}

DA RFO III Agri-Business and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) Market Specialist III Charito Libut discussed the FFEDIS is a web-based information system designed to assist the government in formulating plans and programs on enterprise development.

This information system contains a registry of agricultural and fisheries enterprises, possible and implemented programs and projects, private companies engaged in these enterprises or have expressed interest in participating in the Program, and other information that may be identified by the Department.

DA RFO III AMAD Project Assistant II Janette Garcia also introduced the Food Lane Project which recognizes registered agriculture and fishery suppliers and truckers to be given advantages such as, but not limited to, truck ban exemption, ease of passage on checkpoints, designation of 24-hour food lane routes, and immediate assistance.

DA RFO III Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division Chief and CSO Head Regional Technical Secretariat Noli C. Sambo with Secretariat Jonna Dela Cruz tackled the CSO accreditation for the farmer groups to become either implementing partners or beneficiaries of the DA’s programs and projects.

To encourage fellow farmers to obtain CSO accreditation, Caut Farmer Field School Marketing Cooperative Secretary Nora Cancio shared their cooperative’s experience as a CSO accredited organization. “Because we are a CSO accredited organization, we can easily reach out to the government for projects and programs that are beneficial for the livelihood of our members,” Cancio said.

To link agri-fishery-based small and micro enterprises (SMEs) to different loan programs Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) Regional Operations Manager and Nueva Ecija Focal Person Arnel Alover presented their credit programs that provide financial assistance to farmers and fisherfolk. The ACPC is a DA attached agency that synchronizes all credit policies and programs in support of the department’s priority programs.

_{Participants from PRDP Central Luzon I-REAP proponent groups listened attentively to the orientation and forum of various DA enterprise interventions.}

These enterprise interventions aim to improve production, provide business support and development services, and access to financing. As of August 2023, the DA-PRDP RPCO 3 enterprise development component, I-REAP, has a total of 160 approved subprojects with a total worth of P539 million. (Ram Bill Bautista, Writer, RPCO3 InfoACE)