Section 38Sec./Art. 38

Funding. The Secretary of Agriculture shall include in the DAs program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

The DA shall likewise set aside funds from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) for grants to upgrade the AMTEC and to establish one (1) testing center in Visayas and one (1) testing center in Mindanao.

The BAR shall allocate funds annually from its regular R&D funds to support research programs, processing of patent applications, and testing and certification of locally designed agri-fisheries equipment and machineries.

All LGUs shall include in their investment plans, as part of the priority appropriations for local development fund, the funding support for the implementation of their respective provincial, city, municipal and barangay agricultural and fisheries mechanization programs in accordance with Republic Act No. 7160 and its implementing rules and regulations and the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Department of Budget and Management (DILG-DBM) Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2005.

The CHED shall allocate funds from the Higher Education Development Fund necessary for the upgrading of agri-fisheries mechanization and engineering laboratory facilities of concerned SUCs, faculty training program and scholarships.1wphi1

The TESDA shall likewise allocate funds from its annual appropriations necessary for the skills certification and training program for agri-fishery machinery technicians and operators.