MOA Signed between NFRDI and GPFF for Harvest of Hope Project

Aya Goto
July 31, 2009
By GPF Philippines

Dagupan City, Philippines - A memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of skills and technology education for Mindanao fisher-folks -- the Harvest of Hope Project was signed last July 31, 2009 between the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) and the Global Peace Festival Foundation (GPFF). NFRDI was represented by its Interim Executive Director Dr. Westly R. Rosario and GPFF by its Executive Director Mr. Aya Goto.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of skills and technology education for Mindanao fisherfolks -- the Harvest of Hope Project was signed last July 31, 2009 between the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) and the Global Peace Festival Foundation (GPFF). NFRDI was represented by its Interim Executive Director Dr. Westly R. Rosario and GPFF by its Executive Director Mr. Aya Goto.

Also present in the MOA signing were the Mindanao Peace Initiative (MinPI) Chair Dr. Estrella Esnaira Abid-Babano, GPFF Board Member Mr. Edgardo O. Castro, MinPI partner and President of the Asia America Initiative Mr. Albert Santoli, the OIC of the Asia Fisheries Academy Mr. Angelito E. Dela Cruz, NFRDI Budget Officer Marites Chiuco, with other GPFF board members and staff.

The “Harvest of Hope Project” aims at building harmonious and progressive communities in Mindanao through livelihood intervention and peace education. The Global Peace Festival Foundation through the Mindanao Peace Initiative will be responsible in return to conduct the selection of prospective beneficiaries and determine the training needs of the target participants in consultation with NFRDI.

Under this agreement, NFRDI through the Asian Fisheries Academy will conduct seven (7) batches of 10-day livelihood and peace education training from 24 August to December 2009, with 30 to 40 participants per batch, at Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City. The project intends to equip the beneficiaries with peace building skills and various fishery technologies appropriate for their locality and available resources. The peace education component of the program will be provided by Universal Peace Federation. The project’s service delivery, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms will be implemented by experts coming from the NFRDI jointly with the MinPI under the chairmanship of Dr. Estrella Esnaira Abid-Babano. Another project partner is the True World Group, a corporation based in the United States.