The Camarines Norte Provincial Project Management Implementation Unit (PPMIU) conducted a convergence meeting with several National Government Agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs), and non-government associations to support the identified Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) of the province on April 29, 2022.

The said meeting was aimed to monitor the PCIP implementation and ensure that all the gaps in the project are addressed, to harmonize and avoid overlapping of the interventions given to the farmers and fisherfolk organizations.

Since 2017, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) has facilitated the preparation of the PCIPs in all provinces. These investment documents have been the main basis for identifying and developing subprojects under the I-BUILD and I-REAP components.  

Representatives from the Philippine Coconut Agency, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Camarines Norte State College, LGU of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Basud, Daet, and the DA presented their respective interventions already included in the PCIP, which have already been funded and executed. 

Municipal Agriculturists and Municipal Planning and Development Coordinators also attended the meeting to know about the projects of various agencies on the identified priority commodities of the province such as pineapple, coconut, swine, native chicken, seaweeds, and smoked fish.

According to Provincial Administrator of Camarines Norte Roberto Sale, this convergence meeting will help create a holistic and integrated plan among all the stakeholders, especially in preparing the intensified action plan and intervention activities to attain the objectives of the PCIP.

Municipal Planning and Development officer of LGU San Lorenzo Ruiz Rico Brizo said that the meeting was able to give them an idea of how they can better implement and sustain their projects with the help of different agencies. 

The use of PCIP has gone beyond the DA-PRDP, for it has become an instrument by LGUs and other partner agencies for leveraging resources to support the agricultural sector. The interventions for value chain upgrading of priority commodities are now being funded by the partner agencies and other stakeholders.  (Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)