News & Events

Jul 15, 2025

NIAHS ExeCom convenes, polishes guidelines for heritage site identification

July 15, 2025 | Lea Bañares-CalmadaThe DA-BAR, acting as the interim secretariat, organized the third Executive Committee (ExeCom) meeting of the Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (NIAHS). The meeting took place on July 15, 2025, at the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Metropolitan Theater in Ermita, Manila.DA Assistant Secretary U-Nichols A. Manalo, permanent representative for NIAHS ExeCom chairperson Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., co-presided over the meeting with DA-BAR OIC-Director Joell H. Lales, NIAHS ExeCom vice chairperson. Representatives from NIAHS ExeCom member-agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the NCCA, participated in the meeting.Key discussions centered on amending the DA-DENR-NCCA-NCIP Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1 Series of 2023. This circular outlines the rules and regulations for recognizing and confirming NIAHS sites and establishes mechanisms for their dynamic conservation and sustainable use.Other important topics included developing sub-criteria for identifying NIAHS sites and preparing guidelines for their official recognition. Each member agency shall create a Technical Working Group to develop the NIAHS sub-criteria and indicators. Ultimately, NIAHS aims to support the conservation and sustainable management of the nation's biodiversity by recognizing, preserving, and dynamically conserving unique agricultural systems and their associated traditional knowledge. This initiative directly contributes to safeguarding the nation's agrobiodiversity and empowering local communities for sustainable management. Biodiversity, or "Saribuhay" in Filipino, is crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems, which provide essential services like food and clean water and air—all fundamental for human survival and well-being.#BagongPilipinas #R4DinAction #BiodiversityCollaboration #NIAHSExeCom

Jul 17, 2025

DA-BAR leads cross-sector push for MASAGANA rice R4D

July 14, 2025 | Lea B. CalmadaTo harmonize and strengthen coordination in support of MASAGANA rice R4D goals, the DA-BAR convened the 3rd MASAGANA Cross-Functional Technical Working Group Meeting on Rice Research for Development (R4D) on July 14, 2025. The meeting aimed to align rice R4D initiatives under the MASAGANA Rice Industry Development Program (MRIDP), with focus on increasing productivity, reducing production costs, and promoting climate-resilient technologies. In his message delivered by DA-BAR OIC-Assistant Director Raymond Patrick L. Cabrera, OIC-Director Joell H. Lales emphasized the shared vision for achieving a rice-secure Philippines. He outlined major targets, including reaching 90-95% rice sufficiency by 2028, reduced production costs from PhP 8 to PhP 6 per kg, and 80% adoption of climate-resilient technologies. The strategy revolves around four main pillars: Location-specific yield optimizationClustering and consolidationDigital information technologiesAgro-industrial linkagesAmong the notable rice R4D technologies ready for commercialization and scaling include: Rice Seed Information System (RSIS) developed by PhilRice and the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)New climate-resilient rice varieties developed by IRRI, PhilRice, UPLBMulti-purpose Seeder developed by PhilRicePictorial Guide for Rice Disease and Pests developed by IRRI, PhilRice and BPIThese innovations align with the MATATAG and NAPAPANAHON strategies under MRIDP, and are aimed at increasing access to farmer-ready technologies that respond to pressing production and market challenges. The meeting gathered key rice R4D stakeholders including the National Rice Program, PhilRice, PhilMech, BPI, UPLB, and IRRI, to reinforce the synergy and ensure synchronized implementation of the country’s rice R4D initiatives.

May 07, 2024

Pilot regional field offices presented positive results of 2024 SCALE-UP program implementation

Project leaders and members from the pilot implementing DA-Regional Field Offices recently highlighted their achievements in the Sustainable Community-based Action Research for Development and Extension (R4DE) for Livelihood Enhancement, Upliftment, and Prosperity (SCALE-UP) program during the National Review and Planning Workshop on 7-10 May 2024 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte.The primary goal of the SCALE-UP program is to increase both yield and income by 15%. Notably, DA-Eastern Visayas and DA-Zamboanga Peninsula surpassed this target with an average 23% increase in yield and a 62% rise in net income. Meanwhile, DA-CALABARZON shared inspiring stories from farmer beneficiaries who reported significant yield improvements, and DA-Ilocos Region showcased the success of their Climate Resilient Farm Business School (CRFBS) in enhancing the knowledge and skills of farmers.DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) officials and SCALE-UP program focals shared their observations and recommendations based on their monitoring and evaluation activities. The accomplishments were presented across four key objectives of SCALE-UP, covering program management structure and policies; productivity enhancement and natural resource management towards sustainable farming; capability building and community empowerment; and sustainable livelihood, marketing and income enhancement.Based on the results and observations, DA-BAR director Junel B. Soriano committed to strengthening the program by inviting stakeholders and sharing the program's outcomes to enhance support for both the program itself and research as a whole. Assistant director Joell H. Lales highlighted the program's potential to set a benchmark for agricultural research for development. The experiences and successes discussed during the workshop will serve as valuable insights for other partners and agencies to improve farmers' livelihoods and productivity.Also, Dr. Suhas P. Wani, former senior scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and sustainable agriculture expert, discussed the challenges and perspectives regarding ensuring food security in the Philippines through an integrated scale-up approach. His technical guidance and expertise further enriched the discussions and strategies for the future of the SCALE-UP program.

May 09, 2024

DA-BAR reviews Rice R4D investments, encourages to forge more partnerships, and strengthen transfer and scaling of developed technologies

To provide an overview of the R4D programs funded and being coordinated by DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research, the Program Monitoring Evaluation and Linkaging Division (PMELD) facilitated the fifth episode of the bureau’s Program in Focus (PIF) featuring the Rice research for development (R4D) Program on 3 May 2024 via Google Meet.PMELD Rice R4D focal Julie Ann Dulay presented and discussed details of the program such as the investment status, project and program results and salient accomplishments, encountered problems and challenges on the implementation, and the ways forward in pursuit of the further use and adoption of the project results. She emphasized the projects’ and its activities alignment to the four core strategies set under the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program for 2023-2028 - MAtatag (climate change adaptation or resiliency), SAma-sama (clustering and consolidation of farms), Ganado (motivated farmers in the rice value chain), and NApapanahon (digital transformation to improve farming practices and program implementation). Some of the highlighted projects were geared towards development and deployment of digital and precision rice farming such as Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM), RCM Advisory Service (RCMAS), Pest Risk Identification and Management (PRIME) which are now being used by the department and its regional field offices’ operating units, Agricultural Training Institute, and Bureau of Plant Industry as reference and decision support tool for extending and providing the interventions and assistance under the DA’s Rice Program. Dulay also summarized in her report the Rice R4D investments made for the year 2011 to 2023 as well as targets for 2024, breaking it down into regional distribution and agency type, project count, and budget allocation. Raymond Patrick Cabrera, Rice R4D lead focal and PDD head, in his message, underscored the DA-National Rice Program’s (NRP) guidance and assistance to DA-BAR by providing the enabling support and policy issuances for the cascading, use and adoption of the project outputs to the regional and local partners. Best practices within the projects were also shared such as embedding the capacity building activities for the partners and next users of the projects for sustainability, and creating interagency national technical working groups and regional focal persons to ensure accountability and direction setting to the projects and its activities. As a way to further intensify the transfer and scaling of the outputs developed from BAR-funded rice R4D programs, activities, and projects (PAPs), DA-BAR rice R4D team commits to strengthening its support to the bureau's knowledge exchange activities on rice-related technologies. Likewise, the team emphasizes the importance of strategically communicating these technologies to its targeted next- and end-users, such as extension workers, policy makers, and other relevant rice stakeholders, in maximizing the intended benefits of these.The DA- BAR continues to lead the strategic management and coordination of rice R4D interventions, with support from its partner R4D implementing institutions such as DA national and regional offices, state universities and colleges, local government units, and the private sector. 

May 16, 2024

DA-Bicol region implements 2 new R4D projects to improve pineapple farming

Targeted on improving the production of one of the region’s prime high value crops– the pineapple– DA-Bicol region officially commenced the implementation of two new research for development (R4D) projects.The first project, funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) under the Organic Agriculture (OA) R4D program, shall upscale developed technologies for the organic production of Queen Pineapple focusing on the use of organic fertilizers, herbicides, and flower inducers. It intends to come up with a protocol for the organic production technologies of Queen pineapple, thus benefiting pineapple growers, stakeholders, and consumers in selected communities in the region.Project leader Engr. Eula D. Rada, presented several concerns related to pineapple farmers’ dependence on use of high volume of fertilizers, chemical herbicides, and pesticides that prompted the packaging of a study.“High production cost, soil degradation, contribution to groundwater pollution and greenhouse gases emission, and development of chronic disease related to excessive dependence on the said chemicals are few of the problems we want to deal with through the upscaling of technologies we have for organic production of pineapple,” Rada highlighted.In another project, DA-Bicol Region shall establish a tissue culture laboratory at Camarines Norte Lowland Rainfed Research Station to serve as the central facility in producing quality and disease-free planting materials of pineapple.With funding support through the bureau’s Research for Development Grant (RFDG) program, the establishment of the said facility shall provide an avenue for researchers and farmers in advancing tissue culture techniques, primarily for pineapple, through research work, training and capacity-building activities, and other knowledge-exchange programs. This, according to the research team, shall eventually elevate the productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness of pineapple farming in the region.The DA-BAR supported projects were subjected to an inception meeting on 10 May 2024. Lead and focal persons from the bureau’s OA R4D and RFDG programs provided feedback and suggestions to ensure the smooth implementation of the newly supported projects.

May 17, 2024

7 HVCDP projects funded, underwent inception meeting

To manage expectations and ensure its efficient execution, seven new projects funded under the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) underwent a series of inception meetings led by DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research in collaboration with the implementing agencies—DA-Palawan Research Experiment Station (PRES), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and DA-Cagayan Valley—on 29-30 April and 2-3, 8 May 2024, respectively .DA-PRES adopted the off-season onion production technologies, developed by DA-Nueva Vizcaya Experiment Station (NVES), in Narra and Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Through technical support from DA-NVES led by onion expert Salvador M. Bulda, 65 farmers—members of the Best Agri Land Users Growers Association and Narra Vegetable Growers Cluster Association—will learn to use A-type tunnel rain shelter and appropriate variety Red Dragon. The inception meeting, led by DA-PRES center chief Librada L. Fuertes,  was followed by an on-site evaluation of the initial activities of the project, which includes the focus group discussion among the two farmers’ associations and the local government unit of Narra and Puerto Princesa, as well as the training on off-season onion production in partnership with DA-NVES and establishment of the demo farm at Palawan Agricultural Center in IwahigThe four new projects to be implemented by UPLB are succeeding phases of their respective undertakings. In its second phase of implementation is the  project led by Villamor A. Ladia, Jr. The goal of which is to develop waterlogging tolerant tomato toward variety release and recommendation for flood-prone areas.While in its third phase are the projects led by Lavernee S. Gueco, PhD, Antonio G. Lalusin, PhD, and Mr. Elmer Enicola Their projects aim to enhance public accessibility and utilization of the registered fruits, nuts varieties and other native fruit species through the development of a network of plant nurseries in selected regions; to field evaluate and select promising, purple-fleshed yam accessions that re high yielding, deep purple color with high dry matter and high anthocyanin contents; and enhance the availability of high-quality seeds of selected lowland vegetables and legumes toward commercial scale seed production, respectively. Selected members of the 13 farmers cooperatives and associations from Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela, and Quirino and representatives from municipal local government units attended the inception meeting for the projects implemented by the DA-Cagayan Valley. DA-NVES will further enhance the adoption of the off-season onion production technologies to 500 farmers in clustered areas in various rice-, corn-, and vegetable-based areas in Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, and Quirino. Led by Bulda, this project will hopefully ensure the onion supply at competitive prices during lean months. To increase productivity of mango production, the DA-Cagayan Valley Research Center will be promoting the mango package of technology on fertilizer and pesticide use strategy, as well as rejuvenation technology to at least 50 mango farmers in four farmer cooperatives and associations. The project, led by Mary Jane B. Ibarra, aims to address the low productivity and poor production management of the mango industry in the region.