July 15, 2025 | Lea Bañares-Calmada
The 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.
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