BAR TODAY || Official Quarterly Publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research

MOU on DA-DOST convergence signed
Directors William C. Medrano of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), and Patricio Faylon of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), Rafael Guerrero III of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD), and Alberto Maningding of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Department of Science and Technology (DOST) RDE Convergence Initiative at the PCARRD Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna on October 3, 2003.

Medrano wins 2003 Pantas Award
Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) Director William C. Medrano received this year's Pantas Award for Outstanding Research Administrator. The Pantas Award is given by the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD) to deserving and highly competent Filipinos that have contributed significantly to the advancement of the country's agriculture, forestry, and natural resources R&D.

Senator Magsaysay gives cash incentives to AFMA R&D awardees
Winners of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) R&D Awards received an unexpected additional P5,000 cash gift from Senator Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., Chair of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, where he was guest speaker during the National Research Symposium on 8 October 2003 at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) Convention Hall, Elliptical Rd., Quezon City.

BAR-UPLB RDE partners find a home
The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) inaugurated the building that houses the DA-BAR-UPLB research, development, and extension (RDE) networks on 22 October 2003. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo was the guest of honor.

First Luzon Conference: Yam takes center stage
Yam took center stage when the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center (NPRCRTC) of the Benguet State University (BSU) organized the first Luzon Conference on Yam Production, Processing, and Marketing Promotion: Focus for the Decade at BSU, La Trinidad, Benguet on 26-28 November 2003.

BAR gets tips on resource generation
A seminar sponsored by the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture on Resource Mobilization for Agricultural Research and Extension: Practical Tips in Developing Projects and Dealing with Donors was held at the BAR-ATI Conference Room, November 12, 2003. Rex L. Navarro, Information Resource Management Office Head of the International Crops Research Institute of the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), was speaker at the seminar.

Philippines plans for 2004 International Year of the Rice
Headed by the International Year for Rice National Steering Committee chair and Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo, the country kicked off with an awareness campaign for the IYR Philippine Celebration through a press briefing at the DA-ITCAF conference room, 12 December 2003. The event primarily aimed to create awareness of the year-round activities on the country that give tribute to the value and importance of rice. These events will be formally launched next year.

BAR Chronicle wins 2003 Gawad Oscar Florendo Award
The BAR Chronicle, the official monthly newsletter of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), bagged this year's 2003 Gawad Oscar M. Florendo Award for Outstanding Public Information Tool (Print Category-Newsletter). The awarding was held at the Tejeros Hall, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on 3 December 2003. Receiving the award were BAR Director William C. Medrano, Knowledge Management Division Head Angel Morcozo, and BAR Chronicle Editor Virginia A. Duldulao.

Committee to review DA websites created
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recently created a committee to conduct/assess DA offices' websites with Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) Director Romeo S. Recide as chair and Information Technology Center for Agriculture and Fisheries (ITCAF) Director Roberto G. Villa as co-chair. The Committee was formed to improve the delivery of services through ICT and other e-services to DA's clientele.