.
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019II
House backs
c0nvergence
strategy
for rural dev't
TIIE House of Representatives led by
Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has
approved a measure institutionalizing
the convergence strategy t'or susiarn-
able rural development.
House Bill 9146, or the'l'{ational
Convergence lnitiative Act" authored
by Rep. Anna Katrina Enverga of
Quezon was approved on third and fi-
nal reading by a 183 vote.
The bill proposes to strengthen co-
operation the four Natioaal Conver-
gence Initiative rural development
deparfinents. These are the Depart-
ment of Environment and Natual Re-
sources, Department of Agriculhre,
Department of Agrarian Reform, and
Department of the Interior and Local
Govemment.
The convergence is seen to suPport
agricultural development by adopting
a participatory approach in all phases
of development ftom Planning and
budgeting, implementation, and moni-
toring and evaluation, Enverga said.
Under the bill, the convergence
strategy shall adopt the watershed and
integated ecosystem management as
well as integrated area development
approacbes as the intervention frame-
work in the convergence areaP
"This is primarily because tbe
'ridge to reef convergence strategy
is an environmenlally sustainable ap-
proach to development since human
inten entions in the forest and upland
areas would impact on the lowland
areas, and this in tum would affect
the coastal and marine areas," the bill
states.
Selection of convergence zon€s
shall also take into consideration
Strategic Agricultural and Fisberies
. 'Devblopment Zones provisions of Re-
Dublic Act 8435 or the "Agriculture
ind Fisheries Modemization Act of
1997."
The implementation of the NCI
shall be done through Technical Work-
ing Groups in an ecosystem. The tkee
groups-the TWG on Coastal and
Marine Resources Management, the
TWG on Sustainable Lowland Agi-
culture, and the TWG on ForestrY and
Upland Development-are equallY
imoortant and shall be mutually re-
inforcing. They shall ensure that the
obiectives of the NCI as a means of
improving institutional efficiencies in
the governance of sustainable rural de-
velonment are achieved.
TIie three TWGs shall have the fol-
lowing crosscufting components: Pol-
icy and Advocacy; Ago-E$terPrise
aid Agribusiness Developmentl Ca-
pacity Development; and Knowledge
Management. Mrrlcel V. cruz
" FAqe - As"