Earlier this year, the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD)    National Technical Working Group (NTWG) agreed to endorse the Abuyog Convergence Area Development Plan (CADP) to the National  Steering Committee (NSC), composed of DA-DAR-DENR-DILG Secretaries, for approval.  Immediately on January 28, 2020, the NSC approved the CADP through NCI-SRD Joint Resolution No. 1 series of 2020.

The Abuyog CADP is a 5-year plan that emphasizes priority projects and activities on reforestation, farm tourism, and livelihood development in the uplands and highlights the high-value crop production and processing in the lowlands. The CADP features local products such as cacao, moron, and sweet jackfruit produced by Eastern Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (EVIARC), the research arm of DA-Region Field Office 8 (DA-RFO8). This CADP acts as a catalyst in transforming Abuyog from a simple agrarian area to a disaster-resilient and climate-proofed agro-economic tourist destination, which is also highly sustainable and business-friendly. It also aims to develop, not just the agricultural lands, but also the municipality’s human capital by creating livelihood opportunities in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector. 

The Regional Convergence Initiative Technical Working Group (RCI TWG) Eastern Visayas welcomes the approval of the Abuyog CADP that will further boost sustainable growth in the region.

It is hoped that the convergence area in Abuyog will prime up and reboot the agriculture development in this part of the country amidst the “new normal” circumstance.

Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Brgy. Cagbolo, Abuyog, Leyte is being developed into a “techno-demo” area for EVIARC sweet and vegetable production. 

Planting materials with on-site demo and technical assistance are already provided by the field office. Local entrepreneurs in Abuyog are also encouraged by the DA-RFO8 and the Visayas State University (VSU) on the technical matters of jackfruit processing.  

It is hoped that the convergence area in Abuyog will prime up and reboot the agriculture development in this part of the country amidst the “new normal” circumstance. Despite the cancellation of the launch due to the pandemic, the RCI TWG still pushed through some of the planned activities such as the EVIARC sweet jackfruit production.  The DA-RFO8, through the High-Value Crops Program, provided the Abuyog LGU with 1,560 pieces of grafted EVIARC sweet Jackfruit planting materials. The Abuyog convergence area launching and presentation of CADP to the stakeholders is rescheduled to 2021 to ensure the safety of attendees.