Samar agri, fish council elect new officers

By Ninfa Iluminda B. Quirante

Wednesday 20th of June 2012

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, June 20 (PIA) -- Members of the Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council (PAFC) elected a new set of officers at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Regional Fisheries Training Center (BFAR-RFTC) Samar State University, Mercedes Campus in Catbalogan City on June 19.

The Bureau of Fisheries (BFAR) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) facilitated the election of PAFC officers, which was organized to provide the fora for consultative and continuing discussions within the agriculture and fishery sector. It also acts as an integrative and coordinating body for agriculture and fisheries modernization, and sometimes serve as advisory, monitoring and evaluating body.

PAFC links the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies with the local government units (LGUs), business sectors and civil society for them to help ensure the success of the programs and activities of DA and other connected agencies.

Meanwhile, the newly elected PAFC chairman, Esteban Conchas, will represent the province at the Regional Agriculture and Fishery Council (RAFC) meeting and election of the regional council.

Conchas said that he will continue his functions as the chairperson of the council and will promote capability building among PAFC officers and members, raise funds and sustain its operation.

“As the chairperson I will participate in the review of the approved plans and programs with the corresponding budgetary allocations, including special projects of the agriculture department, its partner agencies and LGUs,” Conchas added.

In the last part of the program, Arthur Vaughn Zosa led the induction of officers and asked the members support to the newly elected officers.

Moreover, Provincial Agriculturist Anita Taran and who is also the a PAFC vice chairman reminded members of the council and the Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council (MAFC) that they need to submit the data of their municipality, for the release of the approved P10 million fund for agricultural machineries.

The agreed deadline for the submission for all the municipalities’ data will be on June 29.

Taran also announced the farmer’s congress on the opening of Samar day on August 1, 2012. (EOT/NBQ-PIA8 Samar with Avha H. Ebalde)