| Definition |
This refers to service providers related to agriculture, aquaculture, and/or fishing that cater to the needs of farmers and fishermen. This also includes a facility that offers a particular service (clinical, logistic, financial, or training) within the barangay, as well as the availability of such service in the barangay on a regular basis or whenever called upon by farmers or fishermen.
The list of service providers are the following:
1. Veterinary/paraveterinary clinic or service – A veterinary clinic is a facility where professional veterinary services are provided for the maintenance of animal health, such as treatment of diseases, artificial insemination, vaccination, and surgical procedures.
Paraveterinary services, on the other hand, are those services offered by technicians or persons trained to assist the veterinarians, such as veterinary nurses and animal technicians who assist in the laboratory animal care, animal welfare work, and field testing of large number of agricultural animals.
2. Rental of farm machinery/equipment – a person/group of persons or entities who/that offer (for a fee or rent) the use of a machinery/equipment for agricultural and/or aquacultural production, such as tractor, thresher, pump, and generator. Also included in this category are machineries/ equipment which are owned by the barangay and lent to the farmers/ aquafarm operators in the barangay for a fee.
3. Financial credit institution – a person/group of persons or financial institutions who/that provide credits for purposes related to the operation of an agricultural holding, aquafarm or fishing activity. This includes banks (commercial, government, and/or cooperative banks), microfinance institutions, individual money lenders, self-help group, among others. These individuals/institutions are bound by terms and conditions, such as when the farmer, farm operator or fisherman defaults on the term of the loan, a form of collateral may be sold and the proceeds may be used to pay off the loan.
i. Commercial bank (including rural bank) – A commercial bank is a formal type of financial institution and intermediary. It is a bank that provides transactional savings and money market accounts and accepts time deposits.
A rural bank is a more popular type of bank in the rural communities. Its role is to promote and expand the rural economy in an orderly and effective manner, by providing people with basic financial services. It helps farmers through various stages of production, from buying seedlings to marketing of their produce. Rural banks are privately-owned and -managed. It has the power to provide credit facilities to farmers, fishermen and/or merchants or to cooperatives of such farmers, fishermen and/or merchants, and in general, to the people of the rural communities where the rural bank operates.
ii. Government bank – a bank owned by the Philippine government. These banks are the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, and Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines.
iii. Cooperative bank – A cooperative bank is similar to a rural bank with respect to its services. The two are differentiated from each other by form and ownership. A cooperative bank is organized/owned by cooperatives or a federation of cooperatives. Rural banks, on the other hand, are organized in the form of stock by corporations, associations, and cooperatives.
iv. Microfinance institution – an institution that provides a broad range of financial services such as deposits, loans, payment services, money transfers, and insurance products to the poor and low-income households and their microenterprises. Such institutions are usually established by private corporations, foundations, religious organizations, and NGOs to help alleviate poverty through capability building, people empowerment, and rural development. Examples are the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Incorporated (Card, Inc.), Ikabuhi Microfinance Program (IMP), HMF Financial Services, Private Limited (HELP), Asia and Africa International (ASA), Ahon sa Hirap, Incorporated (ASHI); Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Incorporated (NWTF); and Serviamus Foundation, Incorporated. Also included in this category is the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation (QuedanCor), a government financing institution under the Department of Agriculture (DA).
v. Individual money lender – a person who offers small personal loans at high rate of interest, usually higher than the market rate charged on credit cards or bank overdrafts. Money lenders are an important source of credit to a category of borrowers who would normally be refused credit by most financial institutions because their income may be at or below the poverty threshold. Also included in this category are money lenders who are residents of other barangays, provided that the borrower/s are residing within the barangay.
vi. Self-help group – a village-based financial intermediary, usually composed of 10 to 20 members. Members make small regular savings contributions over a few months until there is enough capital in the group to begin lending. Funds may then be lent back to the members or to other residents in the village for any purpose.
vii. Others, specify – other sources of informal credit not included in the aforementioned sources.
4. Training and/or extension services to farmers and fisherfolks (cooperative, farmers’/fishermen’s organization, local government unit, nongovernment organization, or other entities) – This pertains to private, government, and nongovernment organizations that provide training, information, and support services to the agricultural, aquacultural, and fishery sectors to improve the technical, business, and social capabilities of the farmers and fisherfolks.
i. Cooperative – a duly registered association of persons with a common bond of interest, who have voluntarily joined together to achieve a lawful common social, economic end, making equitable contributions to the capital required and accepting a fair share of risks and benefits of the undertaking in accordance with universally accepted cooperative principles. Examples are: Abaca Small Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Amanah Lanao Islamic Producers Cooperative, Tagum Cooperative, and Baug CARP Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
ii. Farmers’/fishermen’s organization – Farmer’s organizations refer to farmers’ cooperatives, associations, or corporations duly registered with appropriate government agencies. They are composed primarily of small agricultural producers, farmers, farmworkers, and other agrarian reform beneficiaries who voluntarily join together to form business enterprises which they themselves own, control, and patronize. The government extends support to farmers’ organizations by providing farmers with appropriate policies, research, technology and training, and financial, production, marketing, and other support services to enhance their agricultural productivity.
Fishermen’s organizations are similar to farmers’ organizations, except that their members are fishermen, fishworkers, and/or fisherfolks and that their concerns are about fisheries and/or aquaculture.
Examples of farmers’ and fishermen’s organizations are: Nagkahiusang Mangingisda ug Mag-uuma sa Tantanang Bay (NAGMMATABA - Sibugay Bay); Aniban ng mga Mangagawa at Magsasaka sa Niyugan (AMMANI); Samahang Magsasaka sa Timug Kutabato (SAMATIKU - South Cotabato); Agri-Aqua Development Coalition (AADC); and Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda sa Cavite, Laguna, at Rizal.
iii. Local government unit (LGU) – an administrative and political government unit subsidiary to the national government. The LGUs in the Philippines, which consist of the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays are instituted through a system of decentralization, whereby they are given more power, authority, responsibilities, and resources to enable them to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment of national goals. They are the main points of contact for the delivery of basic services and national programs to the citizens.
iv. Nongovernment organization (NGO) – any nonprofit voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on a local, national, or international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with common interest, NGOs perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions: bring citizen concerns to Governments, advocate and monitor policies, and encourage political participation through the provision of information. Some are organized around specific issues, such as human rights, environment or health. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms, and help monitor and implement international agreements. Examples are: Bantay Kalikasan; Philippine Sustainable Development Network Foundation, Incorporated; International Institute for Rural Reconstruction; Plan International Cebu Philippines; and Notre Dame Business Resource Center Foundation, Incorporated. |