The Regional Forum on Negotiated Procurement and Community Participation (NPCP) convened key stakeholders at the Almont Inland Hotel, Butuan City, to advance collaborative strategies against hunger and poverty. Organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga’s Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), alongside partners including Collective Strategies Alimentaires (CSA), the Alliance of Cooperatives Against Hunger and Poverty (ACAHP), and the CIZ-SPADO MinPAD Project, the three-day event, scheduled from January 30 to February 1, aims to strengthen community-driven procurement through partnerships between government agencies, cooperatives, and international organizations.
Central to the forum was the presentation of partner agencies’ roles in implementing NPCP. ACAHP emphasized cooperatives’ unique capacity to bridge gaps in public procurement through their session titled “Why Cooperatives Are Ideal Partners for NPCP.”
International perspectives enriched the dialogue, with Marcos Roshineki of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlighting successful procurement models from countries like Brazil. The newly signed Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2024, which outlines NPCP implementation guidelines, was also introduced as a key framework for action.
A focus on financial empowerment emerged through discussions on credit support programs for agricultural cooperatives. Jonnie Sacote of Landbank of the Philippines and Melissa Robilles of the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Credit Policy Council detailed financial mechanisms to enhance farmer and fisherfolk engagement in procurement processes.
Day one concluded with a ceremonial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing between ACAHP and cooperative federations, formalizing their collaboration. Local insights were shared by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, and a representative from the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth, who underscored NPCP’s tangible impact on grassroots communities.
Day 2 of the forum, held today, tackled Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) guidelines on negotiated procurement were clarified, followed by an open forum addressing stakeholder queries. A highlight included the presentation of the Farmer Network Store initiative under the GIZ-supported SPADE/MinPAD Project, showcasing a model for integrating smallholder farmers into public procurement systems. Workshops delved into NPCP implementation challenges, with participants identifying facilitating and hindering factors, while province-specific action plans were crafted to tailor solutions to local contexts.
The afternoon sessions emphasized collaboration, with “matchmaking” activities pairing pilot municipalities in Caraga’s provinces with primary cooperatives and federations. Paul Abarca of DBM and AgriCOOPh’s Renante Salcedo spearheaded discussions on partnership modalities, ensuring alignment between cooperatives and government agencies. By day’s end, synthesized takeaways underscored the urgency of scalable, community-centric procurement frameworks, setting the stage for Day 3’s final deliberations on integrating cooperatives into the Regional Convergence Team to sustain momentum post-forum.
The forum is expected to draw cooperative leaders, policymakers, and development practitioners. By prioritizing collaboration and innovation, the event seeks to establish more equitable and efficient procurement systems across the Caraga region and beyond.
