ASU Official Joins Forum On Strengthening Rural Advisory Services

by SALLY R. VILLASIS

Dr. Anna Mae C. Relingo, Officer-In-Charge, Office of the Vice President for Research and Extension, Aklan State University, participated in the Regional Forum on Strengthening Rural Advisory Services in Asia-Pacific Islands (APIRAS) held on September 14-15, 2011 at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), UPLB, Los Baños, Laguna.　

She joined the 34 participants composed of leaders, experts and practitioners on agricultural extension and communication from 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region.

The forum aimed to determine the most appropriate structure of APIRAS that represents the interest of Asia-Pacific Islands countries in the global rural advisory services network; discuss and analyze priority issues in rural advisory services in various countries in Asia-Pacific Islands; and draw a strategic action plan towards strengthening rural advisory services Asia-Pacific Islands Region.

Dr. Relingo reported, the two-day regional forum participants formulated strategic plans for APIRAS, identified "hot issues" in the delivery of rural advisory in the Asia Pacific Islands and agreed on a structure that links the different Rural Advisory Services networks and identified focal persons representing each region.

APIRAS is one of the regional networks of the Global Forum on Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) based in Lindau, Switzerland. GFRAS’ mission is to provide space for advocacy and leadership by RAS stakeholders on pluralistic, demand-driven rural and agricultural advisory services.　 GFRAS does this in the context of the global development agenda, with the goal of promoting sustainable growth and reducing poverty.　

The forum was conducted in partnership with the organizers namely UPLB, GFRAS and Science and Education for Agriculture and Development-SEARCA, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Philippine Extension Network (PEN), Inc. and other government and private partners.

Dr. Relingo is PEN’s Vice President for Visayas and the Regional Techno Gabay Coordinator of Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium. /MP