Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Collaborative Research for Development (R4D) and Innovation Sharing on November 2023, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) convened on 22 April 2024 in Los Baños, Laguna to provide updates on the initial agreements made, as well as discuss the next steps in realizing the said agreement.
DA-BAR director Junel B. Soriano and DOST-PCAARRD executive director Reynaldo V. Ebora led the said meeting. Joining them were DA-BAR assistant director Joell H. Lales, DOST-PCAARRD deputy executive directors Melvin B. Carlos and Juanito T. Batalon, and selected officials and staff of the two agencies.
Matthew Janssen C. Ty of the DA-BAR Program Monitoring, Evaluation and Linkaging Division presented the bureau’s framework, as well as its existing and proposed programs. He also gave a brief rundown of the list of completed projects from both DA-BAR and DOST-PCAARRD.
Dr. Ebora suggested further scrutinizing and assessing the list of completed projects to see its actual accomplishments and identify the existing gaps that will serve as the basis for future call for proposals. This process is akin to how DOST-PCAARRD ensures that projects funded under their agency are streamlined and meets the needs of the sector, among other mechanisms.
“The next task for us is to look at the details and what was accomplished. This would make our system more efficient and prevent the so-called forum shopping of the project implementers, as there is already a significant duplication,” Dr. Ebora said in a mix of Filipino and English.
He also emphasized the need to look at the accomplishments of the completed projects not by what was done during its implementation years, but what was actually realized in terms of the R4D agenda addressed. As agreed, further discussion on scrutiny of the completed projects will be done by identified focals from both agencies.
Both chiefs want to explore harmonizing the industry roadmaps of the commodities crafted by DA and DOST into one national roadmap, starting with rice. They will also look into streamlining the internal processes within DA and DOST in terms of funding the R4D programs, as well as the reinvigoration of the national technical working groups of commodities and projects before meeting up again to discuss plans to harmonize the programs.
Streamlining the R4D investment on Technology Business Incubation of both agencies, as raised by Dr. Soriano, was also discussed during the meeting. Meanwhile, both agencies agreed to incorporate technology and industry readiness levels into the harmonized R4D system. Capacity building on these will be in the pipeline.
Lales expressed optimism over this renewed collaboration and commitment between DA-BAR and DOST-PCAARRD to harmonize R4D efforts after multiple attempts that span decades to do the same with more key players before.