As part of its thrust to modernize the country’s agri-fishery sector, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is laying the groundwork to digitize its operations starting with the upgrading of its management information system (MIS). “The upgraded MIS contains the digital registry of farmers and fisherfolk, and list of previous and current DA projects. It also features a real-time monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, and optimizes the use of a geolocation app for more efficient project implementation and monitoring that will benefit more farmers, fisherfolk, and stakeholders,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“We need to have good data management and a very robust M&E system to attain a reliable and credible agri-fishery information down to the ground level. We will also have a data analytics group as we invest in data science and go digital in the agriculture sector,” the DA chief said. The DA, through the Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS) has developed a Farmers’ Interventions Monitoring System (FIMS) that applies a mobile geotagging technology instituted under its Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), funded by the World Bank, Secretary Dar added.
The FIMS harmonizes the databases from the DA regional field offices, bureaus, attached agencies and corporations, and foreign- and locally-assisted projects, including those from partner local government units. Subsequently, it facilitates real-time and efficient recording of agri-fishery information and M&E reports of different DA projects, said ICTS Head Xerxees Remorozo.
Read more at Philippine Information Agency