What is VICAARP

            The Visayas Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Program (ViCAARP) is a consortium of agencies and institutions undertaking research and development in agriculture and natural resources in Eastern Visayas. It serves as the regional arm of the National Agriculture Resources Research and Development Network (NARRDN) under the auspices of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

Development Mandate

         ViCAARP is mandated to set up a mechanism for coordination and management of agriculture and natural resources research and development in Eastern Visayas in the areas of production, processing, socio-economics, and communication with emphasis on commodities of major importance in the region.

ViCAARP’s Vision

       A region where quality of life of farmers, fisher folks and processors is improved through more productive, profitable and sustainable agriculture and natural resources management emerging from collaborative regional research and development/extension.

ViCAARP’s Mission

       To vigorously initiate, effectively coordinate collaborative R&D/E, and actively mobilize knowledge and technology to achieve more productive, profitable and sustainable agriculture, fisheries and natural resources in Region VIII.

Brief Background

       ViCAARP was formerly called the Central and Eastern Visayas Agricultural Research Center (CEVARC). It was established on November 17, 1978 with six member agencies, namely: the Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA) now Visayas State University (VSU), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Forest Research Institute (FORI) now Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (PCAR), now PCAARRD. VSU, being the zonal agricultural college of the Visayas and one of the national multi-commodity research centers under the NARRDN, has been serving as the base agency of ViCAARP since 1978.

ViCAARP used to cover Central and Eastern Visayas regions. However, with the creation of the Central Visayas Consortium for Integrated Regional Research and Development (CVCIRRD) in June 1987, to serve as PCARRD’s research and development satellite in Region 7, ViCAARP concentrated its efforts in Region 8. At present, ViCAARP has 24 member agencies/institutions.

Since the late 80s, ViCAARP has been a non-voting member of the Regional Development Council (RDC). With its strategic alliance or convergence with the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Research and Development/Extension Network (RRDEN) in 2003, R and D management for agriculture, fisheries and natural resources in Eastern Visayas has been smooth and cost-effective.

With the convergence, ViCAARP and RRDEN have joint meetings in both RRDCC-RAC and RRDG-TWG, Agency In-House Reviews, Regional R and D Symposium, Technology Forum and other R and D related undertakings. ViCARP and RRDEN have only one Regional Commodity Team (RCT), one applied communication task force (the REACTF), one research management information service (RMIS) group and one Gender and Development (GAD) working group. Both networks have a common criteria for selecting farmer partners (for the DA-CPAR) and magsasaka siyentista (MS) or farmer-scientist (for the ViCAARP Techno Gabay).

NOW, researchers of ViCAARP and RRDEN are collaboratively implementing the research programs/projects on small ruminants, abaca, jackfruit, coconut, rootcropts, vegetables and environmental services.