Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, 1993

ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL IK RESOURCE CENTRE: THE CASE OF PHIRCSDIK - Rogelio C. Serrano Romeo V. Labios Ly Tung

As the potential contribution of indigenous knowledge (IK) to development is increasingly recognized, more and more national IK resource centres are being established worldwide. The Philippine Resource Centre for Sustainable Development and Indigenous Knowledge (PHIRCSDIK) is worth presenting as a model from which others could learn.

Establishing a centre

The National Workshop on IK and Sustainable Development (IKSD), held June 24-26, 1992, at the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR, Silang, Cavite, Philippines), played a pivotal role. During this workshop organized by REPPIKA (Regional Program for the Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge in Asia) and CIKARD (Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development), an ad hoc committee was formed to pave the way for a Philippine Resource Centre for Sustainable Development and Indigenous Knowledge.

The committee was composed of seven members representing the University of the Philippines (Los Ban~os); the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development; the Visayas State College of Agriculture; the University of the Philippines (Manila); the Philippine Business for Social Progress; REPPIKA; and CIKARD.

Requirements

Several institutions were willing to host the new national centre. The committee examined their applications after first deciding on the minimum requirements for the centre. The committee agreed that the Philippine National IK Resource Centre should: * Be an economically viable, highly visible organization; * Receive top-level administrative support from a committed host institution; * Be staffed by a sufficient number of knowledgeable professionals who are committed to IK and for whom it is an official part of their function; * Take an interdisciplinary approach; * Require minimal operating costs; * Be provided from the start with an adequate secretariat as well as the necessary vehicles, computers, audio-visual aids and electronic communication equipment.

After thorough evaluation and deliberation, the committee chose the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) to be the national centre.

Mission and objectives

The mission of PHIRCSDIK is to coordinate the exploration and utilization of IK for sustainable agricultural and rural development in the Philippines. PHIRSCDIK's activities are based on the following purposes: 1. To act as a clearing house for documentation, database information, R&D, and extension and training on the subject of indigenous knowledge and sustainable development; 2. To gather data and facilitate the documentation of IK in the fields of agriculture, fishing, environment and natural resource management, animal health, human health, non-agricultural technologies, education and local organizations; 3. To develop a system for storing and retrieving records of IK systems; 4. To develop and offer training courses on indigenous knowledge and sustainable development; 5. To perform evaluative research on the cost effectiveness of incorporating IK components into development projects; 6. To conduct research on the possibility of transferring indigenous knowledge and innovations from one ecological zone to similar zones elsewhere in the country.

Organization and strategy

PHIRCSDIK is headed by a director, who provides overall direction and leadership. He supervises and manages the national secretariat and works closely with the national sectoral coordinators as they plan and conduct sectoral programmes and activities.

The specific areas of concern for which national sectoral coordinators (NSCs) are appointed are shown in Table 1 (see Table with "Establishing a national ...").

The national coordinators provide direction and leadership in their respective sectors. They work closely with relevant government and non-government agencies as they plan and conduct projects. They also identify the research, documentation and training that is needed in their sectors in order to provide input for national development. Finally, they initiate efforts to package and disseminate IK for application in development projects.

The PHIRCSDIK director and the eight sectoral coordinators make up the Executive Council. The council provides overall direction to PHIRCSDIK and is responsible for corporate planning. It also generates funding, evaluates project proposals, and develops strategies for improving the operation of PHIRCSDIK.

At the top of the organization is the Advisory Board, which will be composed of representatives of REPPIKA, ADB, WHO, ICLARM, IRRI, NOVIB, WINROCK International, PCARRD, DOST, DENR, DECS and the Presidential Management Staff. The board will set general policy for the operation of PHIRCSDIK. It will also advise PHIRCSDIK on matters of programme priorities and funding, and grant final approval of proposals for IKSD projects that are submitted from the network. Administratively, the national secretariat and director of PHIRCSDIK will report to the executive director of PCARRD. The national secretariat currently receives advice and assistance from the staff of PCARRD's environmental R&D programme and from concerned specialists in other technical research divisions. The centre's efforts regarding databases, extension and training will be assisted by three divisions of PCARRD: the Management Information System Division (MISD), the Applied Communication Division (ACD), and the Institution Development Division (IDD). The MISD currently maintains three major information systems which will play a vital role in storing IK data. These are the Research Management Information System (RMIS), the Research Information Storage and Retrieval System (RETRES), and the Agricultural and Resources Regional Technology Information System (ARRTIS).

The ACD manages a national, inter-agency network of Regional Applied Communication Offices (RACOs). The RACOs can facilitate the dissemination throughout the country of packaged indigenous knowledge and technologies. The RACOs also use indigenous communication systems.

For its nationwide activities, PHIRCSDIK will tap into the existing National Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Network (NARRDN) and seek contact with relevant government and non-government organizations. NARRDN is composed of about 287 research centers and stations all over the Philippines. These operate under the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, various state colleges and universities, and several non-government organizations. To facilitate coordination and the pooling of resources, the stations and centers have joined into 14 regional consortia. Consortium members agree to collaborate in integrated research and development programmes, and to share resources. This construction enables a network of agents to coordinate, manage and conduct their own R&D programmes in cooperation with each other. It is also a medium for setting joint priorities, for jointly planning, monitoring and evaluating projects, and for improving technology transfer and training.

Linkages

PHIRCSDIK has ties with REPPIKA, CIKARD, CIRAN and LEAD. It will also maintain links with national and regional IK resource centres all over the world. Other areas in which cooperation is envisaged include information exchange, joint research and documentation projects, databases, and training programmes.

Rogelio C. Serrano Romeo V. Labios Ly Tung PHIRCSDIK Paseo de Valmayor P.O. Box 425 Los Banos, Laguna The Philippines Tel: +632-94-50015 to 50020 Fax: +63-94-50016 Telex: 40860 PARRA PM

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