President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed full support for the 1st National Cluster Summit of the Department of Agriculture-Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (DA-F2C2) Program on December 12, 2023 to promote the adoption of clustering and consolidation strategy for stronger linkages among stakeholders.
“I call on everyone to hone and harness your skills so that you can participate in creating a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient agriculture sector. I also encourage our fishers and farmers, investors, and other stakeholders to forge meaningful partnerships and wholeheartedly pursue clustering and consolidation so that the government can better serve your needs,” the President said in a message read by Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro.
In a separate message, Senator Cynthia Villar highlighted that the government has a limited source of funds, “thus it is imperative that we encourage all farmers and fishers to adopt this strategy of clustering and consolidation” and optimize economies of scale.
President Marcos also urged the summit participants to leave a mark in the lives of their fellow Filipinos by building a Bagong Pilipinas where everyone can have peace, comfort, and security.
He stressed that to support the country’s food producers, the DA will continue to guide them in partnership with established organizations and aligned sectors. The DA will also facilitate cluster access to various projects and interventions including trainings, production inputs, postharvest facilities, and marketing.
DA-F2C2 Program Director Shandy Hubilla also emphasized the importance of developing partnerships and how the four-day activity will serve as a venue for learning and unlearning, sharing, networking, and inspiring.
“At the end of the day, ang success ninyo ay (nakadepende) kung ito ay gagawin na natin nang tuloy-tuloy at sama-sama sa mga susunod na taon,” Director Hubilla said noting that F2C2 is just one of the strategies for the development of the agriculture sector.
The F2C2 Program was established in 2020 through DA Administrative Order No. 27 to achieve and benefit from economies of scale, forge stronger linkages among producers to markets and global value chain, and improve the producers’ bargaining and market power. The program also seeks to establish better access to financing and investment sources and to domestic and export markets, ensure availability and use of technologies and facilities, encourage active “big brother-small brother” partnerships, and raise sector productivity and incomes of farmers and fishers.
Undersecretary Navarro, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations Mercedita Sombilla, DA-CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Milo Delos Reyes, Cooperative Development Authority Assistant Secretary Virgilio Lazaga, Tagaytay City Agriculturist and City Veterinarian Joselito Laguardia, and other officials showed support for the F2C2 Summit themed Pagkaing Sapat, Ahon Lahat! ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
