The Dynamics of Agricultural Development in a Low Income Municipality: The Case of Magdalena, Laguna, Philippines

The devolution of agricultural extension in the Philippines caused difficulties in program implementation due to the resulting weak research - extension linkage, the lack of prioritization of agriculture by local chief executives and the consequent lack of funding and personnel to implement agricultural programs. Magdalena, a fifth class municipality dispelled the norm as it provided seed-to-shelf support for its farmers in its various extension programs even with the limited number of personnel. Partnership and active sourcing of funds were two important strategies that helped the municipal agriculture office provide services that would not have been possible given their current level of funding support. Despite the relative success, the paper concludes reconsidering the smallest political unit of agricultural extension given the nature of resource area management and the difficulty of small municipalities in carrying out projects.