The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a committee that would focus on the devolution of the responsibilities of the national government in the agriculture sector to the local government units (LGUs).
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued Special Order (SO) 432 which created the DA’s committee on devolution. It is tasked to prepare the department’s devolution transition plan (DTP).
Dar said the DTP shall cover “all the DA offices, bureaus, attached agencies, [and] GOCCs under the control or supervision of the DA.” The DTP must be in conformity with the joint guidelines issued by the Departments of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Interior and Local Government, according to the SO.
The DTP must outline the specific functions, services, and facilities of the DA that will be devolved to the LGUs as well as the required “strategies, phasing of devolution” to the LGUs and the timeline.
Based on the SO, the DTP shall also stipulate the standards for the delivery of devolved services and strategies for the capacity development of the LGUs. It noted that the DTP must contain the framework for the monitoring and performance assessment of the LGUs.
The SO indicated that the committee shall consult and collaborate with concerned government agencies “for technical assistance in the preparation of the DTP.”
The committee can also commission a “short-term rapid study” to determine certain details to facilitate the efficient implementation of the devolution of the DA’s functions to the LGUs.
The study may include details regarding the positions and the number of personnel that “may likely be affected by the devolution” as well as proposals to strengthen the steering functions of the DA as part of the devolution efforts.
The DTP must be submitted by the committee on or before September 29 to the DBM, pursuant to Executive Order 138, for its evaluation and approval according to the SO.
The committee is headed by Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Ariel T. Cayanan while other DA undersecretaries and assistant secretaries will serve as co-chair.
The DA’s legal service director Armando R. Crobalde Jr. as well as its Senior Economic Adviser Fermin D. Adriano shall also serve as co-chairpersons of the committee.