SLSU inks deal with Southern Leyte provincial gov’t for agri, fisheries system establishment
Being the lone university in the province, Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) signs deal with the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte for establishing a Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES).
PAFES is one of the 18 key strategies of The One DA Reform Agenda program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to “bring extension services to the grassroots level amid the challenges of devolution”, its website says.
With PAFES, Southern Leyte will serve as an extension hub that synchronizes agricultural plans and programs as well as orchestrate the activities of the various stakeholders. DA will co-plan, co-invest, co-implement, and co-monitor priority projects in the provinces, particularly as they embark on commodity specializations to maximize comparative advantage.
As an academic institution, SLSU shall organize and deploy a dedicated core of subject matter specialists assigned on-call to the Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Center (PAFEC). The university is also assigned to share information and technologies to farmers and fisherfolks through electronic media and web-based platform, and train farmers, agricultural extension workers, and subject matter specialists in PAFEC to develop, produce, and share knowledge products using local language of the province.
Moreover, SLSU will test, adapt, and package site specific and climate-resilient technologies in strategic locations of the province in collaboration with appropriate national, regional and international agencies, farmers and fisherfolks, and collaborate with other partner agencies in setting up technology, demonstration farms and conduct field days on priority commodities in the city and the rest of the municipalities in the province.
Southern Leyte is the pilot project site in Eastern Visayas region and one of the firsts in the country, Provincial Governor Damian G. Mercado said during his speech.
SLSU, represented by Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes as the University President, signed the Memorandum of Agreement alongside other five (5) partner agencies: League of Municipalities of the Philippines, League of Municipal and City Agriculturists of the Philippines, Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and DA.
The ceremonial signing was done during the 61st Founding Anniversary celebration of Southern Leyte province at Southern Leyte Provincial Capitol grounds.