Seminar-Workshop on Negotiated Procurement-Community Participation (NP-CP) Empowers Irrigators Associations in Region V
Naga City, July 31, 2024 – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 5 in collaboration with the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, successfully conducted a two-day Seminar-Workshop on the Procedure of Negotiated Procurement-Community Participation (NP-CP) at the NIA Events Hall, Naga City, on July 30-31, 2024. This training was specifically organized for selected Irrigators Associations (IAs) in Region V, aimed at empowering local farmers to participate in government procurement processes effectively.
On the first day of the seminar, Engr. Diogemma C. Rodriguez, Engineering and Operations Division Manager of NIA Region 5, welcomed participants and expressed strong support for the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) initiative. Ms. Alayssa B. Cabigao, Regional Program Coordinator of EPAHP, served as the Resource Person, guiding participants through the intricacies of the NP-CP mode of procurement. Her sessions focused on preparing farmer participants to become accredited suppliers for government feeding programs, highlighting the step-by-step process and necessary requirements for engagement.
The second day featured inspiring testimonies from industry leaders who have successfully navigated NP-CP procurement. Mr. Florentino Umali, President of the Mabalite Palangon Farmers Irrigator’s Association, Inc., shared his firsthand experience as a supplier for the National Nutrition Council Feeding program. Ms. Annielen L. Panerio, General Manager of Camsur Multi-Purpose Cooperative, provided valuable insights based on her cooperative's participation in multiple government feeding programs under NP-CP.
Participants expressed gratitude for the opportunity to deepen their understanding of NP-CP and pledged to disseminate their newfound knowledge within their respective associations. By participating in NP-CP, these local stakeholders now have a viable pathway to engage in government procurement, offering goods for feeding programs without competing directly against larger commercial entities.
“Your associations have been selected among irrigators’ associations in the region to participate in this seminar-workshop because we believe you have the highest potential to become suppliers of the government’s feeding programs if given the opportunity”, said Ms. Marilou O. Oatemar, Institutional Development Section’s Chief of National Irrigation Administration Regional Office V. “Hence, we expect that this newly introduced mode of procurement – the Negotiated Procurement-Community Participation (NP-CP) will inspire and encourage you to engage in government procurement as suppliers”, she added.
This seminar-workshop underscores NIA's commitment to the EPAHP Program, which aims to combat hunger, alleviate poverty, and ensure food security through inclusive procurement practices brought about by NP-CP. By equipping Irrigators’ Associations with the tools and knowledge needed to participate in NP-CP, NIA Region 5 aims to foster sustainable economic growth and empowerment within local farming communities.