Philippines - Agricultural Education Project

RESTRICTED Report No. TO-439b This report was prepared for use within the Bank and its affiliated organizations. They do not accept responsibility for its accuracy or compieteness. The report may not be published nor may it be quoted as representing their views. INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT LNTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION APPRAISAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES' COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AT LOS BANOS October 2, 1964 FILErtment of Technical OpYrations Department of Technical Operations  C:URRENCY EQUIVALENT U . S. $1 = Pesos 3. 90  Apraisal of t'e 7evelonm.ent Croor2 of the Univers4 t, of tne Phlip' inesp Col'ege of Agrioulture at Los 3anos. REPUBLIC OF T11E PHILIPPTE=S r~ E;r r' 1 77sC~ ?aSe "o. 5- r -iAF Y ALYiD C IC LU. S I CO*S I. J7I:RC:UCTTG 7I. THE AGRICULTURAL TAG CT'GRCTTD 2 III. THE :TUCATTCIl SYSTE:14 TV. T'.n. 7F?RCJ OCT 9 V. 7CC'.iOlC J-STITCJ TIC7T C VwU . 57COTLTUS IC1T'S AT7E -ECCOI,7=ATIONS 16 APPEUDICES: AnDendix I - Current Institutional Refoms in Philippine Agriculture. ApDpendx II - i-an-oower Cutlook. Anoe . dixr III - U.st of Colleges and Schools in the TUniversityr of the Philininnes. -Aoendix rJ - EstirLated Cost of N,jew Buildings, Renorations, Equipment, and other Tters Included in the ?ro4ect. AooendLx V - Einance Appendix VI T Crganization and ?ronosed Duties of the Technical and Administrative IJnit.  APPTAISAL OF 'TH D:V7L0PP3MNT PRCGFHA OF TiE ThrrT'fiSITYr C0FT ?IFHTII?P-7TTEJ COLlu=C-2 CIv_ G_C TLT G E SlU-. Tr-- CciiKcLUS:CKE (i) In January 1963 the Philippirne Goverrnent requested an IDA credit to help finance the buildings and equipment required for tne Five-Year Develorment Proera- of the Tniversity of the Phlippines' College of Agri- culture at Tos Banos. The Gove=nnent later agreed to proceed on the basis c-'a anf- loan, and an acnraisal mnission visited the country in- JulV and A,uFust 1963. Further discussions were held in I.anila in February 196L. (-'i) :7rove-ent and scme ex,.ansion 3f the tcaching and research activities of the College and an increased outout of well-trained graduates are essential for the further development of agriculture in the Philicoines. In oarticul ar, they-- will give m,:uch-needed support to the Goverenrtlts acricultural ser,ices. The unsatisfactory condition of these services and oroducticn supports, especially with respect to their organization, has long been a source of concern to the Bank. The Government has now taken the initiative and begun to introduce far-reaching changes in tuhe organization of these services, particularly in conjunction with the implementation of the land reform program which the Philipoine Congress approved in 1963. It is still too early to judge whether the measures now, being taken or considered vwill eventually produce a satisfactory organization of agricultural services. I'owever, they are steps in the right direction and are in mafked contrast to the inaction that long prevailed in this field. (iii) The TJnivers-ity of the Philiopines' College of Agriculture at Los Banos was founded in 1909. It is the oldest and best of the country's 18 agricultural colleges. The College has a we'll-established reputation not only in the Philipoines but also in several neighboring countries which have sen't to it many of their agricultural students. In recent years the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations have singled out the College as an inst-tution of special importance and oromise. Together, they have pledged $6 million in grants to finance important non-construction elements of the Program. (iv) The main objective of the College Program is to imnrove the quality of agricultural education and research. Some expansion in enrollment is also nlanned. These objectives will require a doubling of staff, the uDgrading of staff qualifications, an improvement in the tenms and conditions of employment (particularly for senior staff), a strengthening of the curriculum, stronger support for agricultural research, and a major construction ard equipment program. The proposed Bank loan would finance approxixately 5C% of a construction and equinment prograr, that will cost about $12 million equivalent and take five years to complete. (v) The project azpears justified and feasible. It presents a suitable basis for a Bank loan of $6.0 million car7ring a 30-year term, including a 10- year grace period. The loan would be made to the Republic of the Philippines. which would pass to the University of the Philiopines the proceeds of the loan as a grant. The Government would further undertake to provide the Tihiversitv of the Philipcines with whatever additional funds are necessar, to finance the oroject, also cn a grant basis.  A,ppsraisal of the Develorment Progeram of the College of Agriculture at LOs 3ancs * __ _ _ TWCvTAO 1. In January 1963 the Government of the Philippines approached IDA for a credit to help finance the Five-Year Development Prcogram of the Uni- versit,v of the Philirpnines, College of Agriculture (UT.P.C.A.). The Government Twas infornmed that the Philinp i'nes ->as not eli.;ible for an _-A credit sirce the country -.as economically stron, enough to borro-'W fronr. th1e Bank;. Th1 3ank -would, however, consiaer easing the f nancial burden of serv4cicng .^e debt by making a loan for a terr nomewhat lcnger than had been custonary and arranr.ing for renayment toc begin only- after substantial oenefits begin to accrue from, the nrogrom. The Gcvernment agreed to p,-oceed on this bas'S. 2. The Colleget s Five-'Year Develcoment Program .,as appraised b-y a Bank mission which 'cisited the Phslipoines in July/Aui7ust, 1963. In February 196-4, another Bank N.ission conducted further discussionz in -Ianila to clarify some asnects of the Program. 3. The acadenic and physical development needs of the College have been studied by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations and Cornell University. Tn 1962 a tear, of experts from these three institutions published a report that has been relied on hieavily bT,y College authorities in dra7rng up the Develomnent ?rogravn. F'Ford and Rockefeller Foundationrs viewr e the College as a Droimsiing center of higher agricultural education and researcn in Southeast Asia and have made major commitments. They have already helped to establish on College property the International Rice Research Institute. This Institute is rapidly becoming the most important center of rice research in Asia. There are several advantages of proximity for both the College and the Tnstitute, e.g., many of the 'o - 60 foreign trainees brought to the institute are expected to register at the College for graduate studies. Similarly Cornell University (whose relations with the College go back to 1952) 'has entered into a close working relationship with the College,designed to benefit both irnstitutions. The United Nations Special Furd recently chose the College as the place to establish a Dairy Training and Research Institute to serve not only the Philippines but Southeast Asia as well. The Phlilippine Goverr- ment has also singled out the College as a key center for assisting the government in its agricultural programs. 'lJithin the past five -ears, for example, the Government has established at the College a Comn'nity Development Training Center and an Agricultural Credit and Cooperatives Institute. These examples reflect the cast achievements of the College and the confidence in -ts future held by ot'her irmcrtant organizations interested in agriculture in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. 4. This report is based on the findings and recommendations of the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations and Cornell University; on subrmissions from the Upiversity and the College; and on the investigations of the Bank missions.  - 2 - II. AC-'BICL7TLJRA.L IAC7GRO 5 The U.P.C.A. ?rogran is closely linked with the develocment needs of agriculture in the Philippines w1hich has fallen far short of fully realizing its potertial. It is designed to make possible an enlarged and more effective development effort for agriculture by supplying graduates with higher qualifications and in larger numbers, and by expanding and improving agricultural research. These are both areas in which serious deficiencies exist to the detriment of the level and rate of growth of outoPut. 6. Snereas exoort agriculture, poauc