ARMM consults stakeholders for agri-dev't programs

COTABATO CITY -- To ensure active participation of agriculture and fishery department front liners, the Department of Agriculture and Fishery in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF-ARMM) conducted consultations with major program implementations.Alexander Alonto, DAF-ARMM regional secretary, said in a statement that first to participate in the ARMM roadmap community consultations were front liners from Maguindanao's first district, headed by team leader Lucia Nul.Nul said about 60 participants composed of municipal agriculture officers, agriclture technologists, extension workers, farmers, farmer-cooperatives associations joined the day-long consultations on Friday.Alonto said the consultation aims to consider stakeholders' insights and recommendations on Governance, Peace andamp Security and Socio-Economic (GPS-SE) and its underlying issues/agenda. It is important that policy makers of the department always consider the insights of those in the front line of any government program to make the project effective, Nul told reporters.She said that during the consultations, the participants were able to voice out and write their answers on specific issues on a metacard during the workshop that included security issues and hazardous work place.Maguindanao is one of the five provinces in the ARMM where recurring armed conflicts prevent completion of any government programs that would supposedly benefit the people these armed groups are claiming to protect.Alonto said the outputs on the consultationa from Maguindanao I andamp II, Lanao del Sur I andamp II and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi will be consolidated and to be presented before ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv S. Hataman on June 28.Improving the agriculture sector is among the top 8 agenda of Hataman, who was reelected to his second term as regional chief executive officer.