The Sustainable Community-Based Action R4DE for Livelihood Enhancement, Upliftment, and Prosperity (SCALE UP) Program held its National Year-end Review and Planning Workshop on November 24-28, 2025, in Tayabas City, Quezon Province. Participants evaluated the project’s achievements, proposed solutions for current operational challenges, and discussed strategies to improve the program’s 2026 roll-out.
Setting the tone for the five-day activity, DA-BAR OIC-Director Joell H. Lales delivered his keynote message remotely. He stressed the importance of stronger public-private collaboration and the necessity of moving beyond fundamental research to accelerate the deployment of proven technologies needed to achieve food self-sufficiency and economic improvement for farmers.
He also related the important role that SCALE UP will play in the implementation of the Executive Order No. 101, which aims to direct the full implementation of RA 11321 or the Sagip Saka Act. The policy aims to achieve sustainable modern agriculture and food security through public-private partnerships, thereby increasing the income of farmers and fisherfolk.
“SCALE UP plays a very important role because we have ready technologies coming from our partners and other existing programs; we are propagating convergence in our implementation,” Lales said.
Lales urged the program implementers to focus on a bigger scale, beyond SCALE UP’s foundation on soil health. “We must put our focus on a bigger scale now—the production aspect, the need to increase yield. In the bigger sense, SCALE UP is after its impact on our farmers,” he said.
The DA-BAR technical staff presented monitoring results, while implementing agencies (IAs)—DA-CALABARZON, DA-Eastern Samar, DA-Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur—shared progress reports, accomplishments, and updates. These pilot IAs, along with DA-Cagayan Valley, which is slated for implementation in 2026, also submitted their proposals for the upcoming year.
Farms employing SCALE UP practices across the pilot IAs delivered significant average yield increase in different commodities compared to farms using old farmers’ practices. Demonstrations showed a 26.52% increase in rice, 15.13% in corn, 82.1% in eggplant, 27.74% in squash, 27.1% in watermelon, and 51.1% increase in cassava.
Four farmers from various sites in the Quezon Province attended the activity to share their experiences with the SCALE UP Program. They reported that learning the proper application of fertilizers and integrated pest management through the program led to significant cost savings by shifting toward more targeted, efficient resource use.
Santiago M. Piñera, president of the Sitio Iringan Rice Farmers Association based in Pagbilao, emphasized this point, saying, “Kami ay nakatipid dahil sinusunod namin ang rekomendasyon ng pagpapasuri ng lupa, at hindi na rin kami basta bili ng bili ng pestisidyo.”
To solidify these gains and achieve wider, long-term impact, this year’s ways forward involve formalizing and strengthening partnerships with local government and the private sector, institutionalizing soil health cards and fertility maps, capacity building, and enterprise development.
Representatives from DA-Central Luzon and DA-Northern Mindanao also attended the activity as part of the program’s intention of further expanding the coverage areas.
The SCALE UP Program employs matured technologies to enhance agricultural efficiency, productivity, and profitability. It uses soil health assessment to develop scientifically backed interventions and links farming communities to market-driven income opportunities, to improve their quality of life.