Department of Graduate Studies

Executive Summary

Negros Occidental is one of the five provinces that compose Western Visayas or Region

VI. Located in the northwestern portion of Negros Island, it can be found near the central

part of the Philippine Archipelago. It is a longish stretch of land which is approximately

372 kilometers from its northern tip, San Carlos City, to Hinoba-an at the southern end.

Shaped like a man’s boot when viewed on the map, it has a total land area of about

7,926,607 hectares.

Negros Occidental is primarily an agricultural province. Of the total land area of 792,607

hectares, 517,417 hectares are arable land of which approximately 328,188.04 hectares

or 64% are devoted to agriculture.

The Provincial Government under Gov. Alfredo G. Maranon, Jr. and Vice Gov.

Genaro M. Alvarez, Jr. implementing NEGROS FIRST! as the strategic development plan

for the province of Negros Occidental.

NEGROS FIRST! seeks to optimize the potentials of Negros Occidental as an agricultural

province to ensure food sufficiency and agricultural productivity as well as generate

livelihood especially for the poor and marginalized.

Office of the Provincial Agriculturist are at the forefront in implementing FOOD SECURITY

and AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY programs under the ‘NEGROS FIRST’

Development Agenda of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.

We are committed to uplift the integrity and heroism of the unsung heroes of the land –

farmers, fisherfolk, rural women, and youth. The office has seven division: Administrative

division, Agricultural Planning, Program & Projects Dev’t Division, Fisheries &

Aquacultural Management Division, Home Management Division, Agricultural

Engineering Division, Technology Development & Agribusiness Division and Crop

Protection & Agricultural Services Division.

Crop Protection & Agricultural Services Division composed of two (2) sections, the crop

protection and the agricultural extension services section. It is in-charge of the planning,

facilitating, implementing, directing, monitoring and evaluation of various programs,

projects and activities related to sustainable crop protection and production towards food

security and sufficiency.

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CORE FUNCTIONS:

1. Climate Change Mitigation through the implementation of NEGROS FIRST Universal

Crop Insurance Program

2. Crop Protection Services:

(1) Pest surveillance/monitoring of all crops (rice, corn, high value crops, etc…)

(2) Massive crop protection campaign/pest management clinic and DRRM for crops in

vulnerable areas

(3) Re-activation/strengthening of local crop protection team and Bantay Peste Brigade

3. Agricultural Extension Services:

(1) Facilitates the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programs and projects

geared towards agricultural productivity

(2) Capacity building such as orientation/trainings/farmers’ field school and other

technology transfer activities

(3) Links and collaborates with other government agencies, NGOs, POs, and local

government units

(4) Technical assistance/techno demos

(5) Rice seed production and certification

(6) Management and supervision of 53-hectare demo farm NEGROS FIRST Integrated

Agricultural Center (NFIAC)

SUPPORT FUNCTIONS:

(1) Facilitates festivals such as Panaad Festival and other related agri-events/activities

(2) Organize/strengthen farmers and people’s organizations

(3) Implements programs under the Department of Agriculture and other partner agencies

(4) Consolidates and submits report s to head of agency/DA/other stakeholders when

needed

Likewise, it leads in empowering the farmers and other agri- stakeholders by providing

quality extension and advisory services for a productive, profitable and resilient farming

communities and in support to Province of Negros Occidental to attain 100% self-

sufficiency.

Definition of Terms and Acronyms:

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 NEGROS FIRST- Natural Resources Management, Economic Development,

Economic Development, Good Governance, Reduction of Poverty, Optimum

Health Care, Strong Support for Education, Food Security, I.C.T. Utilization, Roads

and other Infrastructures, Social Services, Tourism Promotion

 Food Security - Food security is defined as the availability of food and one's

access to it. A household is considered food secure when its occupants do not live

in hunger or fear of starvation.

 Food Sufficiency - is defined as being able to meet consumption needs

(particularly for staple food crops) from own production rather than by buying or

importing.

 OPA – Office of the Provincial Agriculturist

 Crop Protection - is the collection of tools, products, and practices farmers use to

defend their crops against weeds, insects, and disease.

 DA – Department of Agriculture

 LGU – Local Government Unit

 NFIAC - NEGROS FIRST Integrated Agricultural Center

 PO – Provincial Office

 NGO – Non – Government Organization

 NFUCIP – Negros First Universal Crop Insurance Program

 Bantay Peste Brigade – Department of Agriculture program in farming

communities to help improve the agency’s ongoing campaign against the spread

and attacks of various farm pests.

 Agri Doc- A new training program designed for rice extensionists is one of the

ways by which Project IPaD is helping revitalize the Philippine agricultural

extension system. The program’s foundation is now farm community

transformation, not just technology transmission.

 ATI - Agricultural Training Institute

 FFS – Farmers Field School

 TOT - Training of Trainers is a high-level professional learning process for qualified

trainers who will be providing training and capacity-building assistance for

evidence-based program implementation.

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 TESDA - Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

 NOLITC - Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center.

 ATCs - Agriculture training centers

 NOSP - Negros Occidental Scholarship Program

 NFOTeC - Negros First Organic Technology Center

 Proficiency - The ability to apply or demonstrate a competency on the job.

 Individual Development Plan (IDP) - outlines career goals within the context of

organizational objectives. It is a developmental "action" plan to move employees

from where they are to where they would like to be or need to be.

 AIP – Annual Investment Plan

 GAD - Gender and Development

 Counselling - is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you

and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues.

 CSC - Civil Service Commission

 Stakeholders - A person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an

organization. Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the organization's actions,

objectives and policies.

1. Strategic Directions

a. Strategic Directions

Vision

Food secured Province of Negros Occidental

Mission

To serve Farmer/ Fisherfolk communities achieve productivity and profitability

Development Goals

1. Attain self-sufficiency on rice and other staple food.

2. Enhance the provincial corn industry.

3. Develop potential water resources of Negros Occidental for irrigation.

4. Reduce dependence on traditionally-imported rice, vegetables and fruits.

5. Sustain aquaculture and marine utilization.

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6. Responsive marketing support system.

7. Promote equitable financial accessibility and livelihood opportunities.

8. Adopt climate resilient production technologies and intervention

Crop Protection & Agricultural Services Division strategic goals and objectives:

1. Enhanced access to agriculture extension knowledge products and services

2. Strengthened competitiveness and capacities of the agriculture sector

3. Expanded partnerships in advancing excellence in agriculture extension

delivery

4. Scaled –up agriculture extension innovations.

5. Strengthened agriculture stakeholders’ capacity in climate change resilience

and disaster risk management.

6. Improved enabling environment and quality governance.

b. Scorecard

Strategic Objective Key Performance Indicator

Food Security and Sufficiency  94% Rice Sufficiency

Program  Distribution of seeds and

agricultural inputs like fertilizer.

 Conducted 32 trainings and demo

Disaster Risk Reduction  Buffer stocking of seeds and agri

inputs distributed to farmers.

 3,000 farmers insured in NFUCIP

 4 batch of School on the Air on

Climate Change for Agri-Fishery

 32 Agri-Clinic conducted

 32 Training and seminar about

climate change

Support Functions  5 Planning & Proposal

Submission

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 Facilitate in the Organization/

Registration/Accreditation of

Farmers & Farm Workers into

active Agri-based POs

 Data banking/ profiling/ updating/

reporting

 Attend meetings/conferences/

seminars

 Consolidation and submission of

reports

 Linkages

2. Human Resource Development Situationer

a. HRD in organization

Human Resources and Development, Section 76 (Organizational Structure and

Staffing Patterns) of Republic Act (RA) No. 7160, which is popularly known as the

Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 states that, “Every local government unit

shall design and implement its own organizational structure and staffing pattern

taking into consideration its service requirements and financial capability, subject

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to the minimum standards and guidelines prescribed by the Civil Service

Commission (CSC).”

The Human Resource Development Program implemented by the Provincial

Human Resource Management Office is designed to improve the performance and

strengthen the competencies of the provincial government officers and employees

to continually provide prompt, effective, efficient and excellent service to the

Negrenses.

Job Orientation Conference for Newly – Hired Employees

A one-day orientation for newly-hired employees of the Provincial Government on

civil service laws and rules, R.A 6713, their duties and responsibilities and their

benefits, rights and privileges.

Trainings, Seminar and Workshops related to Agriculture.

Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Department of Agriculture and Agricultural

Training Institute to strengthened competitiveness and capacities of the agriculture

sector.

They conducted AGRI DOC, FFS and TOT’s to enhance the skills in agriculture.

7. Human Resource Development Priorities

a. Priority Competency Requirements

1. Core Competencies to include communication skills, service orientation, teamwork and

collaboration, transparency, and interpersonal sensitivity.

2. Managerial Competencies to include planning, organizing, leading and controlling

functions.

3. Technical Competencies to include technical skills and abilities.

4. Essential Qualification

 Extension Worker should be graduated from Agriculture Faculty.

 At least 3 years of experience in agriculture extension

 Must be familiar with the operating area

 Should pay respect to custom and cultural behavior of residents of operating area

 Proven communications and reporting skill.

b. Proposed Competency-based HRD Interventions

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Division Technical Skills HRD Interventions

Crop Protection & Resource Mobilization • Training on Project

Agricultural Services Proposal Preparation

Division • Training on Project

Development and

Financial Analysis

• Training on Project

Identification and

Prioritization

Value Chain Analysis and • Refresher course on

Development Agri-Enterprise

Development

Organize Farmers and • Training of Trainers on

Conduct Trainings specific crops

• Organizes participatory,

demand driven program

planning for extension

c. Implementation

Through conducting employee self-assessment by using a simple excel tracker, or

simply

by writing proficiency levels on a sheet of paper. The results of the self-

assessment, when combined with other relevant information (e.g., organizational

priorities, team needs,

supervisory feedback), will support an employee and the organization in identifying

their strengths and development needs.

Individual development plans also could help an individual to map out their training

and development plan for a period of time, generally between one and five years.

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This will help and to align specific training to be conducted with personnel.

4. Support Requirements

a. Financial
Office of the Provincial Agriculturist
Annual Investment Plan

Schedule of Amount of
AMOUNT (in thousand pesos) ATTRIBUTIONS
Implementation Climate Change
Implem C-
Climate
AIP enting Children
Program/ Project/ Activity Funding Maintenance Climate Change
Referenc Office/ Expected Outputs Personal Capital Cllimate
Description Completion Source & Other Change Typolog P - Person
e Code Depart Start Date Services Outlay TOTAL Change GAD
Date Operating Exp. Mitigati y Code w/ Disability
ment (PS) (CO) Adaptati
(MOOE) on S - Senior
on
Citizen
8000 ECONOMIC SERVICES SECTOR

Operationalization of OPA with 148

Permanent, 42 Casual Personnel
8000 Office of the Provincial Agriculturist OPA GF 73,295.00 34,000.00 107,295.00
provided, performing the ff. PPAS, viz:

b. Human Resource
CROP PROTECTION AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICES DIVISION
(CPAD) FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE
(see attached docu)

c. Logistics

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist has two training center sites.

Agriculture Training centers ATCs have assisted in promoting

sustainable rural development by disseminating information and

knowledge, assisting farmers and other stakeholders in accessing farm

inputs promoting public‒private partnerships, and promoting climate

change mitigation activities.

The Negros First Organic Technology Center (NFOTeC) in Tabunan,

Bago City is the first facility recognized by the Agricultural Training

Institute-Regional Training Center 6 as a certified learning site in the

Western Visayas. The facility is intended for the training of interested

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farmers who are engaged in or want to be part of the organic farming

movement in the province and training courses to be offered at the

NFOTeC will be fully on organic agriculture, and the program will be in

partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development

Authority and Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology

Center.

NEGROS FIRST Integrated Agricultural Center (NFIAC) training sites

for package of technology from materials used (inbred and hybrid seeds)

and farm mechanization. It is also used for seed production.

d. Executive Sponsorship

Negros Occidental Scholarship Program NOSP is one of the programs

of the provincial government. It is an effective tool at improving the

quality of life of the underprivileged students and educational assistant

to the deserving capitol employees. The NOSP also provided funds for

other scholarship programs of the Office of the Governor, including the

Pagkaon Scholarship, A. Pagkaon-Food Technology, District

Educational Scholarship, Negros Occidental Provincial Medical and

Nursing Scholarship and Degree Completion Scholarship, and

Provincial Educational Assistance for Capitol Employees.

The Capitol employee can avail scholarship to pursue Masteral and

Doctorate degree. The purpose of pursuing are the following: to start a

new career in a chosen professional field, expand their knowledge of

fields related to their current areas of professional specialization, to

study a field they love and to explore future employment in a related

area, to improve their relative standing in a competitive field and a

challenging job market, to acquire skills in new technologies and

methods that have developed in their fields and to gain recognition and

credibility.

e. Others

Crop Protection & Agricultural Services Division in support to food

security and sufficiency program.

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 Rice Techno Demo and/or Seed Production – for quality seed

production

 Production Support – certified and hybrids rice seed, corn seeds,

cassava materials and vegetable seeds and fertilizer subsidy to

the farmers.

 Distribution of farm machineries

 Free Crop Insurance

5. Responsibilities in Plan Implementation

a. Human Resource Office

The HR support functions starts from the Recruitment and Selection of new applicants

include selection of candidates who aim for promotion. This is very important considering

that hiring of personnel in adherence to the principle of merit and fitness and equality.

From here, good quality of performance of the human resources that support the

achievement of the vision, mission and goals can be attained.

For the management of performance, the Provincial Human Resource has implemented

Individual Performance Commitment and Review (IPCR) that serves as the management

tool in measuring and analyzing individual level performance and productivity. This is

enhanced individual performance but also to achieve higher employee morale and

increase motivation for effective delivery of basic services.

b. Managers and Supervisors

 Target setting for the whole year based on the AIP

 Planning and Organizing - to plan the daily work schedule of the workers by guiding

them the nature of their work and dividing the work amongst the workers according

to their interests, aptitudes, skills and interests.

 Leadership and Guidance – He/she leads the workers and influences them to work

their best. He also guides the workers by fixing production targets and by providing

them instruction and guidelines to achieve those targets.

 Feedbacking - a supervisor is always in direct contact with his subordinates. As a

result, ideas, suggestion and complaints of employees about managerial decisions

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are continuously received by the supervisor. This facilitates the process of

receiving feedback and helps to take better managerial decisions.

 Coaching and Mentoring his/her subordinates to improve awareness, to set and

achieve goals in order to improve a particular behavioral performance and helping

to shape an individual’s beliefs and values in a positive way.

c. Process owners/staff

Owner and staffs in Crop Protection & Agricultural Services Division follow the Civil

Service Rules and Regulations, Office Rules and Republic Act No. 6713 An Act

Establishing A Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and

Employees, To Uphold the Time-Honored Principle of Public Office Being A Public Trust,

Granting Incentives and Rewards for Exemplary Service, Enumerating Prohibited Acts

and Transactions and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof and For Other Purposes.

d. Other HR support groups, if any

Grievance Committee - Act on all grievances/complaints elevated to its

level any a\employee of the provincial government, establish its own internal

procedures and strategies that will ensure the expeditious, fair and

equitable settlement of employees’ complaints/grievances.

Counseling Services

Caters to all employees experiencing problems and difficulties in their lives

and in their work. It provides a confidential environment where employees

can explore and express aspects of being individuals that may be painful or

uncomfortable.

Conducting Gender and Development

Development perspective and process that is participatory and

empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human

rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human

potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that

should be reflected in development choices and contends that women are

active agents of development, not just passive recipients of development.

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6. Monitoring and Evaluation

The office of monitoring and evaluation team will conduct regular monitoring

and evaluation of the progress of the project implementation based on

approved schedule of activities and identified indicators and shall submit

pertinent reports has maybe required. Likewise, the Provincial Planning and

Development Office (PPDO), Provincial Human Resource Management

Office (PHRMO) and other concerned agencies may conduct their

independent monitoring and evaluation activities on the project.

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