To validate the initial findings generated from the series of Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 5 conducted Rice I-VCA Stakeholders’ Consultation on May 09, 2024.

As the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) steers to scale-up, the project will focus on rice and corn in Bicol to be subjected to a climate resilient industry- based Value Chain Analysis which would be the basis of crafting the Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIP). The Provincial LGUs can propose subprojects emanating from these PCIPs for PRDP funding.

A total of 70 participants attended the activity. Also present during the consultation were input providers, farmers, traders, millers, retailers, and enablers such as the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Agrficultural Training Institutre (ATI), Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA). Rice Program, and Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program representatives also attended the activity.

The consultation was part of the process of crafting the Regional Climate Resilient Agro-Industry Based Value Chain Analysis (I-VCA) for Milled Rice covering all provinces of the Bicol Region

Bernadette Delos Santos, DA RFO 5 Farmer Regional Executive Director said that the activity needs to be carried out in order to increase the productivity of the rice sector and ensure food security.

Aloha Gigi Bañaria, I-PLAN Component Head, said that the Value Chain Analysis is one of the innovations of the DA-PRDP in having rational distribution of the limited resources of the government. It also helps to identify and develop the linkages and interrelationships between activities that creates value, profitability, and competitive advantage of a commodity along the segments of the value chain.

“We trace the sources of raw materials, the destinations of palay, as well as milled rice and determine the constraints and opportunities encountered in the production, processing and marketing of rice as a commodity. This is what we call the value chain analysis approach.”, she said.

During the activity, the participants actively engaged in different workshops on various topics such as relationships and interfirm cooperation, validation of the VCA findings, describing the competitiveness vision of the industry, and identification of underlying problems of the rice sector and potential solutions. The Value Chain Maps, as well as, its corresponding Geographic Flow Maps were the outputs of the consultation to identify the current situation of the rice industry in the province and region.

Glenn S. Balana, Business Development Officer (BDO) of PRDP I-REAP Component discussed  the opportunities under the PRDP Scale-Up. He also encouraged the participants to propose projects in PRDP, especially I-REAP subprojects. Karren A. Belen, F2C2 BDO, also discussed the F2C2 Program and its processes. 

The activity was spearheaded by the Field Operations Division (FOD), and Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PMED) together with the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) I-PLAN Component. # (Shaira Enimedez, PRDP RPCO InfoACE Unit)