Led by College of Development Communication (CDC) Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, ComDev Asia joined the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Rome ComDev Team Leader Dr. Mario Acunzo during his mission in the Philippines on September 23-24, 2022.
With Dean Tirol were Asst. Prof. Rosa Pilipinas F. Francisco and Ms. Zane Andrei Cortez, who attended meetings with FAO Philippines, the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute (DA-BAR), and the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development to discuss possible collaborations in support of the Family Farming National Action Plan of the Philippines and other ongoing projects and initiatives of these organizations that are aligned with ComDev Asia’s three lines of work – participatory communication, capacity development, and rural communication services.
On 24 September 2022, Dr. Acunzo met with the ComDev Asia Team and CCComDev Team at UP Los Baños to discuss updates on project implementation. ComDev Asia and CCComDev Working Groups presented some updates and issues and concerns encountered. At the end of the meeting, the FAO – UPLB-CDC Letter of Agreement was revisited to determine activities that still need to be accomplished for the remaining months of the year.
UNDFF Global Forum
Dean Tirol also participated in the First Global Forum of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) 2019-2028 held on 19-22 September 2022.
On the last day of the event, Dean Tirol joined Dr. Acunzo in sharing the results of the regional studies and fora conducted by the regional communication initiatives—ComDev Asia in Asia, Yenkasa Africa in Africa, and Onda Rural in Latin America—on Rural Communication Services (RCS) for family farming.
The key recommendations to institutionalized RCS for family farming includes mainstreaming RCS into policies, supporting the family farming national action plans through campaigns and provision of technical assistance in the design and implementation of a ComDev strategy, and improving linkages and partnerships between key actors.
Read more about the forum here. (Zane Andrei Cortez)
