The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE) and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) entered into an agreement for the rolling out of registration through RAFMES or “Registration of ownership of Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery and Equipment System.” RAFMES is an online registration information system.
DA-BAFE Director Ariodear Rico, DA-BAFE Asst. Director Juana Tapel, PHilMech Directors Dionisio Alvindia PhD and Ronaldo Sebastian Reyes led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the PHilMech Main Office, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija on June 8, 2022.
The agreement covers the cooperation between BAFE and PHilMech in implementing the online registration of agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment and in maintaining the national database on registered agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment pursuant to RA 10601 or the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law (AFMech Law). Section 19 of AFMech Law states that all owners of agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment must register these with the agriculture offices of municipal and city government units.
The scope of the MOA includes data sharing and security; maintenance of registration-based mechanization databases; organization and implementation of briefings, workshops, training and information dissemination on subjects of mutual interest; manpower skills and capability enhancement on areas of mutual interest; and hardware support to LGUs.
Both BAFE and PHilMech shall encourage the involvement of concerned agencies such as DA-RFOs/DA-RAEDs, and LGUs to generate broad support to and increased interest in the activities covered by the agreement. ###Marshall Louie Asis
