DA consolidating farmers, fisherfolk database

MANILA -The Department of Agriculture is consolidating the existing registry systems for individual farmers and fisherfolk to establish a centralized database of agricultural producers.

The DA has formed a technical working group to harmonize and integrate the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) and the Municipal Fisherfolk Registration System (MFRS).

“In relation to this, and in the pursuit of agricultural modernization through digital agriculture and to establish a centralized database of farmers and fisherfolk who are both partners and beneficiaries of agri-fishery development, there is a need to harmonize and integrate the RSBSA and MFRS,” the DA said in a special order.

RSBSA is an electronic database of farmers, fishers and farm laborers, which serves as the agency’s basis for identifying beneficiaries who are eligible to receive various interventions and monitoring its programs, activities and projects.

MFRS, on the other hand, is a registry developed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to come up with a simplified national registration system for municipal fisherfolk.

The DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture-National Program Management Office (RSBSA-NPMO) and BFAR will ensure that all records are synchronized to facilitate the interoperability of both systems.

They are also tasked to guarantee efficient and more reliable transactions and secure access to information and services.

The RSBSA-NPMO is responsible for providing the documentation as well as facilitating briefings and meetings in relation to the consolidation efforts.