BACOLOD City Councilor Sonya Verdeflor has asked the City Mayor's Office to initiate a partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to craft the manual of operations for the development and conservation of the Sum-ag River.
Verdeflor said the National Convergence Initiative (NCI) was formulated as a common framework for sustainable rural development and poverty reduction through the issuance of joint memorandum circular signed by the DA, DAR and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
She said the three leading government agencies are in-charge of rural development focusing on agriculture, agrarian reform and natural resources, including resources within the watershed, taking into account the human interventions in the forest and upland areas and its impact on lowland areas as well as coastal and marine areas.
Verdeflor pointed out that the convergence initiative will directly contribute to the attainment of outcomes on agriculture, agrarian reform, and natural resources sub-sector, especially in ensuring food security and increased income, enhancing access to land and other natural resources and in improving the quality of the environment, and developing the self-reliance of constituency and increased resilience of their communities.
She said the Sum-ag River is one of the city’s natural resources which if developed and maximized through the NCI, opportunities for agro-enterprise and agribusiness development for the constituency could be expanded. (MAP)