News & Events

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.

May 16, 2024

MAFAR-BARMM oriented on DA-BAR’s Technology Commercialization Program and Product Development

Key officials, researchers, and staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFAR-BARMM) visited the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research for a briefing and orientation on Technology Commercialization Program and Product Development on 15 May 2024 in Quezon City.Ethcel Princess P. Libang, DA-BAR Technology Management Section head, discussed the process of product development and technology commercialization, including DA BAR’s R4D Programs. She emphasized the relevance of conducting market-oriented research and the bureau’s requirements for its programs and projects. Libang also highlighted the importance of a paradigm shift for the sector, aiming towards a more entrepreneurial attack on agri-fisheries, “gusto natin na yung ating mga farmers at mga beneficiaries magbago iyong mindset nila kasi karamihan sa mga farmers hindi nila tinitingnan ang farming and fishing activity as a business. Kung hindi mababago pagtingin nila, hindi talaga aangat yung kabuuan ng mga farmers and fisherfolk.”Led by MAFAR-BARMM’s director Tong Abas of the Research, Development and Extension, the visit is part of MAFAR-BARMM’s efforts to capacitate their researchers and enhance their Food Processing and Development Center (FPDC) to deliver technologies in the field of food development.Abas is optimistic that they will be able to develop products given the support provided to them. “Siguro by 2025, meron na tayong mailagay na tayo dito sa Tech Comm Center [DA-BAR Innovation Hub] ng DA-BAR,” he said. He further remarked that their minister is fully committed to the region’s product development, by supporting the capacity development of its researchers and scientists from the different research outreach stations. The event concluded with a visit inside the DA-BAR Innovation Hub (formerly known as R&D Technology Commercialization Center), which showcases products developed by partner agencies from different regions of the country, and is, at the same time, a manifestation of BAR’s commitment to the small farmers and fisherfolk through scaling up technology based industries. 

Apr 30, 2024

Lales emphasizes significance of agroecology in sustainable agriculture

In a national consultation to promote agroecology, where majority of the participants are representatives of farmers and fisherfolk organizations, DA-BAR assistant director Joell H. Lales presented an overview of the ASEAN guidelines on sustainable agriculture, emphasizing the significance of transitioning to agroecology, on 30 April 2024 at the Oracle Hotel & Residences, Quezon City. DA-BAR participated in the national consultations to promote and integrate agroecology within the cornerstones of the ASEAN Master Plan on Rural Development and the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Sustainable Agriculture.“In relation to agroecology and the overall thrusts of sustainable agriculture, we have to conserve and protect our natural resources. Sa pag-improve ng mga varieties and breeds, hindi dapat mawala ang parental lines, kailangan natin sila iconserve for the use and advancement of future generations,” Lales said.Organized by the Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas, through its member Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas, the event brought together representatives from government agencies, development partners, academe, civil society organizations, the private sector and the farmer cooperatives. Among those who joined are farmers and fisherfolk representatives from the Coalition of Municipal Fisherfolk Association (COMFAS) and Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA). When asked about the challenges they encountered in food systems transformation, the farmers mentioned the lack [1] of planting area, no access[2]  to bodies of water, degradation of forests and the discouragement by some farmer parents of their children to become farmers too. [3] Officials of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, DA-Agricultural Training Institute and DA-BAR joined as government representatives, while the Philippine Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and University of the Philippines Los Banos represented the business sector and academe/research institute, respectively.The output of the consultations will be integrated into the proposed draft Guidelines on Agroecology policy transition being developed by the Lao Initiative for Agroecology (LICA) to support the strategic orientation and implementation of the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Sustainable Agriculture.same with this po: are they lacking or insufficiency lang po ang planting area?no access at all po or limited access? :)Was there a response//call to action from the NGAs present?