The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Cluster and the Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) Bicol conducted a 4-day Bicol Value Chain Analysis (VCA) Training (Module 1) for the DA Organic Staff and Provincial Project Management Implementation Unit’s (PPMIUs) I-PLAN and Planning Staff on June 29 to July 2, 2021.

The VCA training aims to strengthen the DA’s planning and budget execution process through the institutionalization of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Plan as the basis for resource allocation and prioritization of DA programs, projects, and activities implemented at the national and regional levels. The said activity is also a learning opportunity to DA and other planning staff who are not yet exposed to the Value Chain Analysis Process.

During the training, participants were grouped and assigned to draft VCA for Cacao, Organic Rice, Seaweeds (Masbate) and Dairy Buffalo (Albay), while the VCA for Pineapple, Mango, Abaca and Pili were updated.

The core concepts of VCA and Rapid Market Appraisal were introduced to the participants as tools for planning and resource allocation of investments. The impact of climate risks along the value chain and how to prepare a post-training action plan to complete the VCA updating process were also discussed.

“Pinakamagandang natutunan namin sa VCA training ay kung paano gumawa ng strategy upang makuha namin ang mga information na kinakailangan namin sa pag formulate ng VCA para mas ma-facilitate natin ang sustainability ng isang commodity. Maganda rin na nagkaroon ng participants galing sa ibang provinces dahil nakapagbigay po sila ng suggestion and inputs para mabuo at magkaroon kami ng basic content ng aming VCA. Natutunan namin na madami pala talaga ang naitutulong ng VCA para malaman natin ang anumang constraint at magawa natin ang possible interventions para ma-develop, ma-sustain and ma-improve pa ang isang commodity from input, processing hanggang sa marketing ng certain product,” PPMIU Camarines Sur Head Mauris Belmonte said.

(The best thing that we learned in the VCA training is how to develop a strategy so we can get the information we need to formulate the VCA so that we can facilitate the sustainability of a commodity. It is also good that we had participants from other provinces because they were able to provide suggestions and inputs for us to develop and have the basic content of our VCA.  We have also learned that the VCA will help us to determine the constraints and make possible interventions to develop, sustain, and improve a commodity from input, processing to marketing of a certain product).

RPCO Bicol I-PLAN Component Aloha Gigi Bañaria said that the team should continue to support the DA-PRDP project because when more VCAs are approved, more I-REAP and I-BUILD subprojects can be proposed by the municipalities and provinces. (Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE)

Participants from the PPMIU Camarines Sur and CPMIU Naga, focused on updating the VCA for Cacao with assistance from the PSO Planning Officer, Alene Gregorio. (Photo by:Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE)

The I-PLAN Team reviewed the existing documents for the VCA to give updates and input new data gathered. (Photo by:Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE)

One of the teams prepared a plan for data gathering on the commodity assigned on their group. (Photo by:Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE)