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By: Resel Joy Tianero
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ILOILO City – The 4th Regional Organic Agriculture Congress (ROAC) was held at Sol Y Mar Resort, Tigbauan, Iloilo with the theme “Mataas nga Patubas kag Ginansya Paagi sa Organiko nga Pagpanguma” last Nov. 3 and 4.
The main goals of the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) in holding the congress are to improve the quality of life and income of farmers, increase market potentials of organic products in local and international markets and the contribution of organic products to agricultural output.
The congress further aims to regionalize the organic agriculture practices and to enable farmers to obtain the Third Party Certification in order to have better access to domestic and global markets.
“The Department of Agriculture (DA) envisions reaching the five percent target of organic agricultural areas converted by the end of 2016,” said NOAP Head Secretariat Grace Docuyanan-Moore.
“Out of 358,490.78 hectares target area for conversion, we have an existing 344,296.90 hectares of organic farms. As part of the amendments of the RA 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, there is a proposal to recognize the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) as an alternative certification scheme in Organic Agriculture in the Philippines” Moore added.
Tubungan Mayor Vicente T. Gargaritano Jr. urged other Local Government Unites (LGUs) present at the congress to provide optimum support to the Organic Agriculture Program as it will further the production of safe food and making the agriculture sector more sustainable and attributed their award to the farmers’ receptiveness to the program and the LGU’s unceasing support to the small farmers.
Regional Focal Person on Organic Agriculture Director Manuel O. Olanday said that, “Alongside with the conduct of this regional congress, we are also celebrating the 2nd National Organic Agriculture Month this November as declared in the Proclamation No. 1030 signed in May 2015.”
Edmund Q. Sanchez, coordinator of the Center for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Visayas Cluster, enumerated the best practices they have in organic rice farming while Tessie Pagay, owner of Rosario Herbal Product, delved on the processing of organic products. (With a report from Sheila H. Toreno/DA6Information)/PN
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