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11:43 PM
NSO Region 10
I would like to start with a striking statement from Maxwell’s 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork,
the” Law of the Niche” which says that “All players have a place where they add the most value.” And
this is exactly what is going to happen- the convergence of various line
agencies which puts the right people into their strength zones will definitely
bring out success for the attainment of the goals and objectives of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA) which purports to produce an electronic compilation of
basic information on farmers, farm laborers, and fishermen, the target
beneficiaries of agriculture-related programs and services.
This is perhaps the most awaited
response to the lingering problems that beset the Philippine agriculture. We
know for a fact that numerous tribulations are encountered by the Filipino farmers
and fishermen. Accompanied
by a lack of right knowledge to make the most out of their fields or catch, many
Filipino farmers and fishermen are adhering to the traditions of the past,
while wrestling problems of the present (not to mention the devastation brought
about by climate change) and most probably attacking the emerging problems of
the future. To make matters worse is the irony of seeing food producers suffering
from hunger when harvest season has not yet come, since they had spent all
their money on fertilizers and pesticides, while on the other hand,
environmental problems had reduced our fishermen to lamentable state.
The grain of truth is this: “Filipino
farmers and fishermen need not be poor. Filipino farmers and fishermen need not
suffer. Filipino farmers and fishermen need not be tied to the bondage of poverty,
True, in the past there had been solutions designed to alleviate their
situation, but these farmers and fishermen were mere invisible faces. Their
identity was not known. There was no record whom to assist. It was difficult to
pin-point the exact persons who need direct assistance. Thus, there is an
imperative need to know exactly whom to reach and where to reach them. In
short, a reliable data base is essential.
However, problems must not stop us
from looking for solutions. Management principles dictate that it does not need
special talent to see problems, rather one has to think in terms of solutions in
order to make a big difference. And the solution that has been crafted by the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM) is the conceptualization of the Registry System
for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, otherwise known as RSBSA.
As we all know, the RSBSA is a
nationwide undertaking to list all farmers, farm laborers and fishermen and
gather basic information about them, their household, farm and farming and/or
fishing activities. With NSO as the statistical arm of the government and at
the helm of this statistical undertaking, and with the combined efforts of the
major agencies, specifically the Department of the Interior and Local
Government, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, the
establishment of the envisioned database is certainly possible. With our
concerted efforts, we can provide government planners and policy makers bases
for effective formulation of significant policies and programs for agricultural
development. With our teamwork, the digitization of information of the database
registry of farmers, farm laborers and fishers, our government can pursue its
effort in promoting transparency,
accountability, participatory governance and strengthening of public relations.
Let us not forget the Chinese proverb
which states that “behind an able man there are always other able men.” As stressed
by Maxwell, “The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement. “
After all we owe those who are feeding
all of us the genuine effort to assist them.
Posted in: Press Release
