MAFAR PARTAKES IN THE 3RD QUARTER SMEE FOR DA-INTERACT

In pursuit of systematized transactions for efficient delivery of services to the communities, MAFAR through its Information Officer and ICT Focal Person has participated in the 3rd Quarter Subject Matter Experts’ Exchange (SMEE) for the DA-Information Technology Round for Agriculture and Fisheries Communication Thrust (DA-INTERACT) held at Bai Hotel, Mandaue City, Cebu on October 15-18, 2019.
 
Spearheaded by DA-Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS), the four-day activity first highlighted the launching of the DA Unified Comprehensive Administrative System (UCAS) developed by the Systems and Applications Development Division (SysAdd).
 
Camilo “Jun” A. Andi, Jr., SysAdd Chief, said that UCAS is a strategy aimed at ensuring unified administrative systems to streamline and standardize DA’s administrative business processes from document tracking system, human resource management systems, property supply and management systems up to document archiving.
 
This initiative is supportive to DA as it shifted to ‘a new way of thinking and doing things’ towards the attainment of its twin goals Masaganang Ani (Prosperous Harvest) and Mataas na Kita (High Income). It is expected to ensure integration and interoperability of ICT-based admin systems across the DA and will make its offices perform under one identity.
 
The proper protocols for registration and updating of the Registry System on Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), which is now being carried out by MAFAR in partnership with the municipal agricultural officers and the local government units, were presented during the SMEE.
 
The process includes generation and distribution of enrollment forms, distribution of forms to farmers, submission of filled-up forms from farmers to LGUs/MAOs, endorsement of accomplished forms to RFO, encoding of submitted enrollment forms, endorsement of RSBSA docs with e-copy to DA-ICTS, updating of existing RSBSA list, and generation of official RSBSA updated list. The participants, composed of IT focal persons from all DA-RFOs and line agencies, were grouped into six for the conduct of workshops for data centralization in preparation for PhilAgriX, a program inspired from that of Korea for harmonization and possible integration of data sets into solid information system. Xerxees R. Remorozo, OIC-Director of DA-ICTS, encouraged the strong support and active participation of the participants to address the ICT gaps and come up with effective solutions on data system management.
 
Meanwhile, Dr Jose Tamani, DA Senior Technical Adviser, emphasized the automation of all systems ‘from womb to tomb’ or ‘from creation to deletion’ for more efficient delivery of goods and services. The other significant topics presented during the SMEE were digital innovation in agriculture with Amazon Web Services (AwS), PLDT technology update, Microsoft 360, and blockchain that was discussed through video conference.