2 Iloilo state colleges tapped to lead farmers’ registry validation

The Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College (NIPSC) in Estancia and Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) in Barotac Nuevo will spearhead the fact-checking and review of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) processes and data gathered among farmers, fishers, and other agri-stakeholders.

DA Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Remelyn R. Recoter said that Iloilo was identified as the validation site in the region for RSBSA, a database of farmers’ personal information and activities serving as the reference for the granting of government’s interventions including inputs, machinery, infrastructures, financing, and insurances.

 “The DA Central Office would like to assess the ongoing registration, determine if the protocols are being followed at the ground, or are there discrepancies in data encoded to improve the overall system,” said Recoter.

The validation results to be gathered and analyzed from the interviews of 1,600 respondents by NIPSC and ISCOF will provide the DA a guide on how to improve the current RSBSA procedures and enrolment forms. Nationwide, over 23,000 farmers and agri stakeholders will be involved in the study.

According to Recoter, Iloilo was selected as one of the 15 lead provinces since it has the highest number of registered farmers, the largest hybrid rice areas, and is an implementing province for the Provincial Agricultural and Fisheries Extension Systems (PAFES) in Western Visayas.

“Our role is to conduct the research survey in terms of enumeration with the respondents. We can also assist in the collection and analysis of data,” said NIPSC President Bobby D. Gerardo during the Memorandum of Agreement signing with DA executive for the P2,169,829.00 funding for the validation activity from October to December 2021.

As of October 21, DA Western Visayas has registered 574,264 farmers, farm laborers, fisherfolk, and agri youths registered in the region. Iloilo has 215, 751, Negros Occidental with 101,868, Antique – 86,032, Capiz – 78,581, Aklan – 70,331 and Guimaras – 21,693 farmers.

Farmers who are not yet listed in the RSBSA are advised to visit the nearest municipal agriculture offices or to coordinate with their agricultural extension workers to fill out the form and submit necessary documents.

Recoter regards the state colleges’ involvement in speeding up the validation activities to ascertain the gaps, issues, and challenges occurring in the registration process of RSBSA in the region./PN