DAVAO CITY—A member of the Bangsamoro Parliament is seeking the establishment of a Bangsamoro Agriculture and Fisheries Training Institute to improve the productivity of region’s agri-fisheries sector.
The proposed Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Bill No. 39 is now on its second reading in the BTA, which is the Bangsamoro government’s interim parliament.
The proponent, Member of the Parliament (MP) Mohammad Yacob, said the institute would be the lead component, to be assisted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
It will create “short courses relating to agriculture and fisheries and shall prioritize research innovation, science and technology, and Halal development for the investment not only for farmers and fishermen but also agriculture and fisheries as a growing industry.”
He said the Bangsamoro region must attain food sufficiency and security but “like doctors, nurses, and hospital staff, farmers and fisherfolk were also front liners and the first wall of defense against hunger and malnutrition in the country.”
“We are not unaware that we have a declining number of farmers and fisherfolk in our country, and these front liners are scarce by the decade, they are now elderly, and the youth are seeking greener pastures,” Yacob said.
“Let us invest in agriculture and fisheries to make this vital enterprise profitable and let us train these frontliners so that farming and fishing will become viable business enterprises to encourage the entry of new blood.”
Member of the Parliament Mohammad Yacob
Yacob, who also heads the region’s agriculture ministry, urged other lawmakers to support farmers so that the region and the country can achieve its goal of being food sufficient.
The other roles of the envisioned institute include “spearheading the planning, monitoring, and implementation of the provisions of training and other extension services for the Bangsamoro farmers and fisherfolks.”
The institute will be assisted by the state universities, colleges, local government units, and even non-governmental organizations in providing skills, training, and knowledge appreciation appropriate to the farmers and fisherfolks.