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NEWS & EVENTS

Mar 01, 2023

DA, DILG launch HAPAG KAY PBBM to address food security in barangays

Philippine President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Interior and Local Government Secretary Atty. Benjamin C. Abalos led the launching and ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding of the Halina't Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay Kadiwa'y Yaman Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (HAPAG KAY PBBM) program on 1 March 2023 at the Open-Air Auditorium, Rizal Park, Manila.Anchored on fulfilling the administration’s thrust to address hunger and achieve food security in the country, the HAPAG KAY PBBM merges the Department of Interior and Local Government’s HAPAG sa Barangay project and the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Green Revolution 2.0: Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement.“As this initiative consolidates the program of these two agencies in urban agriculture, I am confident that we will further increase our capacity to take part in our goal to address poverty and ensure food security and protect the environment even at the barangay level,” President Marcos Jr. underscored.Further, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban emphasized how the program shall strengthen the capacities of barangays in increasing access to fresh, safe, and affordable produce through household and community gardening.“The department, through this movement, seeks to turn communities into patches of green edible landscapes and improve the nutrition of the Filipinos,” he added.The newly launched program promotes adoption of sustainable urban agricultural technologies such as aeroponics, aquaponics, container gardening, hydroponics, square-foot gardening, and vertical gardening in urban and peri-urban areas. Two of the said technologies are showcased through the exhibited Edible Landscaping Garden supported under a DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research-funded project. Officials and staff of the DA- BAR, led by OIC-director Joell H. Lales, and other DA attached agencies and staff bureaus, local government units, state universities and colleges, and private sector representatives showed support and participation in the launching activities

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Mar 09, 2023

Gov’t agencies forge ties for agricultural heritage systems

The Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) signed a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) recognizing and confirming Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (NIAHS) at Luxent Hotel in Quezon City on 10 March 2023.NIAHS is a concept adapted from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) programme, which seeks to protect agricultural heritage systems — including its associated landscapes, biodiversity and knowledge systems — using a dynamic conservation approach. Currently, the Philippines has only one declared GIAHS site, the Ifugao rice terraces. The country committed in the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) to declare at least 10 NIAHS by 2028. The JMC provides the means to recognize these systems and covers the incentives and benefits that will be provided to communities and municipalities to support their initiatives to protect and conserve their NIAHS. The said JMC was crafted through the project titled, Dynamic conservation and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity in traditional agro-ecosystems of the Philippines also known as the Agrobiodiversity Project, which was funded by Global Environment Facility grant and collaboratively implemented by FAO and the DA-BAR. Representing DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, assistant secretary for Regulations Atty. Paz Benavidez II officiated the signing ceremony together with DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau-Caves, Wetlands, and other Ecosystems division chief Anson Tagtag, NCIP chairperson Allen Capuyan, and NCCA executive director Oscar Casaysay. “This important measure grants the government both the authority to make early identification of these [agricultural heritage] systems and the means to act quickly and thoroughly to save them from extinction,” Asec. Benavidez, on behalf of Agriculture Senior Usec. Panganiban, said in the opening remarks.Being the former Lead Policy specialist and consultant of the Agrobiodiversity project, Asec. Benavidez also thanked the partner agencies for their collaboration in the development and finalization of the said JMC.FAO Representative in the Philippines Lionel Dabbadie and DA-BAR OIC-director Joell Lales served as witnesses during the ceremony.“The recognition and confirmation of NIAHS are crucial for our mitigation and adaptation measures to combat climate change. The NIAHS is all about adaptation to reduce climate risk while providing viable options and solutions for residing communities to sustain their livelihood and improving their indigenous knowledge practices,” DA-BAR OIC-director Lales said.FAO Representative Dabbadie, in his message, underscored the need to recognize both the natural and man-made threats that impact agrobiodiversity and the importance of dynamic conservation in ensuring sustained support to the livelihood of agricultural heritage systems’ caretakers toward preventing threats such as food insecurity and poverty.He also thanked the DA, and its staff bureau, BAR, for their collaborative efforts in organizing the significant event. Local communities through their local government units need to document, recognize, and protect their locally important agricultural heritage systems (LIAHS) in local plans before these can be recognized at the national level. To date, documentation of LIAHS started in all the pilot municipalities of the project: Hungduan and Hingyon, Ifugao and in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. The local government of Hingyon has already issued Municipal Ordinance no. 7, series of 2022 recognizing the traditional heirloom rice farming system as a LIAHS. The following criteria are considered in recognizing NIAHS:  system support to local food security and livelihoods; high biodiversity, including agrobiodiversity; involvement of indigenous agro-ecological knowledge systems and practices; wider socio-cultural system that supports the agro-ecological practices; and remarkable landscape. 

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Feb 19, 2024

Fisherfolk-partners formally adopt bamboo raft technology

Identified fisherfolk-partners on oyster production through modified bamboo floating rafts technology were formally issued with certificates of technology adoption by the local government units of Anda, Bani, Alaminos City, and Sual, Pangasinan.      “It is worth noting that this technology has been sustained in ABBAS and is still being used continuously. Partner-adopters in Alaminos City applied for an assistance program under DOLE and were awarded supplies and materials for the construction of additional 10 units of oyster floating bamboo rafts. ” National Fisheries Research and Development Institute project leader Dr. Christopher Joseph Rayos reported.He furthered that the then farmer-partners, now transformed technology adopters, signified commitment in sustaining the use of the bamboo raft technology. Even their respective LGUs support them through participation in various trade fairs and festivals in their municipalities, providing them opportunities to sell their produce.Compared to the traditional stake method, oyster culture using floating bamboo raft technology is environmentally-friendly. The technology uses bamboo as rafts with plastic drums as floaters. Attached vertically to the raft are plastic straps where oyster spats can attach and grow. It is also a durable and mobile structure which can be transferred to another site when necessary and resilient to withstand typhoons and waves. This method also ensures faster growth and better-quality oyster meat.“Culture period is also shorter in the floating bamboo rafts. With only just about five to six months, oysters can be harvested. The size is bigger because it gets more nutrients from the natural food circulating in the water,” explained Rayos.The project was implemented by the DA-NFRDI in collaboration with the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources- Ilocos Region-National Fisheries Development Center, and funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

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Feb 09, 2023

UPD-MSI develops DNA-based species identification protocol for scallops

Scallops or kabibi in Filipino are considered premium seafood commodities. In the Philippines, scallops are harvested for both export and domestic markets. Scallop fisheries exhibit boom-and-bust cycles, and populations are vulnerable to overharvesting and stock depletion. However, limited information on local scallop fisheries impedes the development of resource management strategies for the high-value multi-species, artisanal fisheries resource. To address the limited information on local scallop fisheries, particularly in the Visayan region, the University of the Philippines Diliman–Marine Science Institute (UPD-MSI), through the support of the DA-Biotech Program, generated additional reference DNA sequences to enable DNA barcoding of scallops, and developed a relatively rapid DNA-based protocol for scallop species identification. Using molecular approaches in identifying species represents a valuable contribution to future initiatives for stock assessment of local scallop populations. The method can also be utilized for the traceability of scallops in the market (ie. half-shelled and without shells), which can be adapted for labeling of exported scallop products in compliance with the product standards and regulations of the international seafood trade. Genetic and genomic information on scallop populations will also aid in the formulation of management schemes, implementation of policies, and development of guidelines for prospective aquaculture initiatives as an adaptive response to increased harvesting pressure. From a total of 400 scallop specimens collected from the Visayan Sea and other representative sites in the Philippines, additional reference barcode DNA sequences were generated and contributed to the growing scallop DNA sequence database available in the public domain via DNA sequence repositories. In order to ensure sustainability, UPD-MSI conducted a training-workshop on scallop species identification using morphological and molecular approaches. The workshop introduced participants to taxonomic identification of scallops, as well as basic principles in DNA barcoding, which will enable them to further explore the adoption of DNA barcoding and DNA-based protocols for species identification for fisheries assessment and resource management.

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Feb 08, 2023

Bamboo raft technology in Pangasinan yields 480kg of oyster

An initial harvest of 480kg of oyster (𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘱.) showed promising results of the bamboo raft technology by utilizing floaters, bamboo, and plastic straps in producing oysters. The harvest activity was conducted on 8 February 2023 at Bolinao, Alaminos City, Pangasinan. DA-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), with funding support from DA-BAR, is currently implementing a project to boost oyster production and fisherfolk’s income in the municipalities of Anda, Bani, Bolinao, Alaminos City, and Sual in Pangasinan. Initially developed and verified by the National Fisheries Development Center of the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources together with Japan International Cooperation Agency, the technology can reduce mortality rate and enable faster growth of oysters; and produce good quality meat.“As compared to the traditional stake method of oyster culture, bamboo raft technology is an effective and environment-friendly alternative method in producing oysters,” DA-NFRDI Aquaculture Research and Development Division chief and project leader Dr. Joseph Christopher C. Rayos said.  Another innovation is the hardening practice that can lead in the control and eradication of fouling organisms resulting in higher or premium quality of oyster yield. By using the technology, oysters can be harvested after a culture period of three to six months.Dr. Rayos, during a discussion, stressed the potential of the technology in strengthening the value chain of oyster; thus, resulting in a steady production that can address demands of potential institutional buyers and investors. During the activity, DA-BAR OIC-assistant director Dr. Anthony B. Obligado underscored the importance of the bureau's continuous support to various research for development projects and initiatives toward addressing challenges in food sufficiency and increasing fisherfolk’s profit.Meanwhile, DA-NFRDI executive director Dr. Lilian C. Garcia thanked the local government units of Pangasinan and other government agencies for putting up collaborative efforts in the project toward augmenting the income of fisherfolk.Also present during the activity were DA-BAR Research Coordination Division head Julia A. Lapitan, DA-BFAR-Ilocos Region regional director Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan, representatives from the local government unit of Bolinao, and fisherfolk associations. 

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Feb 09, 2023

DA, Nestlé Philippines, Inc. to revitalize Robusta coffee in Mindanao

The DA-High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and DA-Davao Region, in partnership with Nestlé Philippines, Inc., held a workshop to finalize the Mindanao Coffee Project anchored on the Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap 2021-2025.Focusing on the top coffee-producing areas in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and SOCCSKSARGEN, the project aims to increase the yield and income of coffee farmers in the target regions in Mindanao.Further, this will upskill the farmer beneficiaries in coffee production and enable them to produce quality coffee beans that are at par with the standards of Nestlé.Arthur Baria, representative from Nestlé Philippines, in his message, highlighted the mission of Nescafe to help coffee farmers improve the quantity and quality of their coffee yield in a manner that is sustainable and profitable to both farmers and Nestlé. He mentioned that there is a need to increase coffee yield and enhance production management in the Philippines. In order to solve this problem, he emphasized the importance of regenerative agriculture, genetic diversification, production technology, and research in coffee production.Representatives from Nestlé Philippines and DA-HVCDP presented the Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap from 2021-2025. The roadmap visualizes to boost the local coffee production and enable the country to go beyond the 15% sufficiency level while providing a defined path to  equip farmers with knowledge and skills that would increase their production and income.The development of the roadmap will also provide an established database containing information such as volume of production and current buying prices that may be accessed by partners. Meanwhile, representatives from DA-regional offices in Mindanao also presented their respective coffee R4D plans and projects for 2023-2024.DA-Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Center OIC-regional technical director for Research and Regulation Cora A. Dumayaca underscored that the Mindanao Coffee Project has a potential to increase the robusta coffee production in Mindanao in the coming years.In relation to this, the University of Southern Mindanao is now working on a proposal to evaluate cost-effective fertilization options for enhanced productivity of robusta coffee in Mindanao. Officials and representatives from Nestlé, DA-High Value Crops Development Program, different DA regional field offices in Mindanao, and the University of Southern Mindanao participated in the workshop. Alvin L. Fontanil of DA-BAR-Research Program Development Division led the bureau’s delegation. DA-BAR will provide support in the R4D component of the Mindanao coffee project.