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Published by Bohol Chronicle

His Excellency Christopher Thornley, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines was in the province on Thursday and Friday to monitor progress of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) assisted projects in Bohol. Thornley expressed that Bohol has succeeded in making a tremendous impression. It is rewarding to know that funds through CIDA helped the province achieve successes in Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) projects as well as the GREAT Women (Gender-Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women) project, he said.

Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, Vice Gov. Concepcion O. Lim and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan sat with the ambassador along with the CIDA team on Friday at the Governor's Mansion for the signing of two memoranda of agreement and understanding on academic partnerships with Holy Name University (HNU) and Bohol Island State University (BISU).

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Provincial Government of Bohol and HNU provides for the university's role as resource institution for the Bohol Integrated Development Area (BIAD 5) Alliance on training and capability building.

BIAD 5 is made up of municipalities of Batuan, Bilar, Carmen, Dagohoy, Danao, Pilar, Sagbayan, and Sierra Bullones, supported by the LGSP-LED program. It is implementing alliance building and strengthening activities as one of the components of LGSP-LED.

HNU, through its Center for Local Governance shall establish a LED Resource center to become the arm of the BIAD 5 executive committee in the generation and dissemination of knowledge products and in providing capacity development processes on local economic development.

Gov. Chatto, HNU President Fr. Francisco T. Estepa, SVD, LGSP-LED Field Director Marion M. Villanueva, BIad 5 TWG member, Joseph Anania, DILG Bohol Provincial Director Rustica Mascariñas, Center for Local Governance Coordinator Josefina T. Cemine and SEEM Cluster Head Liza M. Quirog signed the MOU.
         
The Provincial Government of Bohol and BISU Bilar Campus also signed a Memorandum of Agreement for Center for Agribusiness and Sustainable Agriculture (CASA) to be based at the Department of Extension and Research.

With the Research and Extension Center's capacity to conduct joint research and training venture, the CASA under LGSP-LED by BIAD 5 will serve as training ground for organic food production and marketing, climate change education and Internal Guarantee System (IGS) certification for organic food products.

The MOA was signed by Gov. Chatto and BISU President Dr. Elpidio T. Magante in the presence of BISU Bilar Director for External Affairs and International Linkages Prof. Jose Travero, LGSP-LED Field Director Marion M. Villanueva, LED Program Manager Ramon A. Alampay, SEEM Cluster Head Liza M. Quirog, LGSP-LED Program Manager and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist OIC Larry M. Pamugas, and Bohol Initiators for Sustainable Agriculture Development (BISAD) Chairperson Eulalie C. Albuladora.

LED initiatives include CASA for growing rice, Carmen Samahang Nayon Multi-Purpose Cooperative for processing organic rice and Balay sa Humay for promoting organic rice.

It also includes vermicast production, the production and distribution of high quality organic fertilizer with Pilar as consolidator in the consortium of the 8 LGUs in BIAD 5.
Another signature project of CIDA is the GREAT Women Project, intended for the creation of a gender-responsive local enabling environment for women's economic empowerment. The Bohol Local Development Foundation, Inc, (BLDF) a Non-Government Organization conducted a baseline study, which was presented to Ambassador Thornley, Director for Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia Regional Program Michael Brownell, Sr., CIDA Head of Cooperation for the Philippines Laurenne Garneau, CIDA Secretary May Wong, LGSP-LED Field Director Marion M. Villanueva and LGSP-LED Associate Field Director Francis Gentoral.

The baseline study assessed the situation of women, current practices related to women's economic empowerment, and gender responsiveness of local enabling environment in the pilot areas of Balilihan, Buenavista, and Jagna.

BLDF conducted a review of ordinances and resolutions, an inventory of micro entrepreneurs, and came up with a profile of socio-economic situations of micro-entrepreneurs.

The GREAT Women Project intends to strengthen the capacity of LGUs to enhance, implement, and monitor gender-responsive policies, programs, and services; and to strengthen partnerships at the local level for women's economic empowerment.

Through Bohol's partnership with Canada, one of the strong pillars in global development, both Gov. Chatto and H.E. Christopher Thornley look forward with great anticipation to higher levels of development for Bohol. (Leah/EDCom)

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