DA-BAR and Climate Resilient Agricultural Office met with key officials and representatives from CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to discuss the implementation of the technical assistance support for the research for development (R4D) policy reform agenda of the DA-Climate Change Action Program on 16 June 2023 at DA-BAR.
Under the Philippine policy-based loan on the Climate Change Action Program (CCAP), the assistance is a strategy to ensure that research and development key players are equipped and ready for the implementation of the policy outcomes or commitments endorsed and approved by both the Philippines and ADB.
AFD deputy country director Thierry Liabastre facilitated the meeting wherein timelines and deliverables on the implementation of the technical assistance were discussed.
Philippe Guizol and Jean-Marc Roda, CIRAD Public Policies and Sustainability Reforms team leader and Southeast Asia Island Countries regional director, respectively, presented their agriculture research agenda focus, as well as the possible technical support to programs focusing on climate change-vulnerable crops and commodities and other related areas.
Meanwhile, ADB lead expert and policy analyst Lourdes Adriano discussed the possible role of the bureau in increasing the R4D funding in the country by 2024.
DA-BAR director Junel Soriano, together with assistant director Joell Lales, highlighted the role of the bureau in the agri-fisheries R4D sector and sought further support from the organization toward the actualization of the said partnership.
The meeting was part of the AFD-CIRAD’s inception mission that ran from 15 to 23 June 2023 aimed at fast tracking and finalizing the launching and implementation of the said technical assistance support.