THE Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) initiated the GALING PCAARRD Kontra COVID-19 Program in response to the recent pandemic outbreak of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19).
The “GALING” or Good Agri-Aqua Livelihood Initiatives towards National Goals is also a Filipino term, which means Healing (from COVID-19) and Excellence, which resonates with PCAARRD’s tagline, Excellence in aquatic and natural resources research innovations.
When pronounced with a slow accent, the word “galing” also means from, denoting that the technology offerings are from the various research and development (R&D) initiatives of the DOST-PCAARRD.
Through the GALING Program, the DOST-PCAARRD aims to help alleviate the situation in COVID-19 affected communities around the country through technology-information sharing, food product distribution, and provision of food production technologies and livelihood opportunities derived from its various R&D projects.
The DOST-PCAARRD says these initiatives are in support to the government’s Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, particularly in helping attain the country’s food security.
The GALING PCAARRD Program has three Components, which are described as follows:
Teknolohiya-Kaalaman para sa Pamayanan – the sharing of technology and essential details through information, education and communication materials, across various available platforms;
Lingkod Alalay sa Pamayanan – for food product distribution to the affected communities and frontliners, which include, among others, oyster mushrooms in the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and La Union; fresh fruits and vegetables in the Cordillera Administrative Region; food products in the province of Sultan Kudarat; duck eggs in Davao City and also Sultan Kudarat; and others;
Pagkain at Kabuhayan sa Pamayanan which is food production and livelihood projects such as: the Gulayan sa Pamayanan – Urban gardening and Community/backyard vegetable gardening; Manok at itlog sa Pamayanan – Village-scale chicken meat and eggs production system; and, Tilapia para sa Pamayanan – backyard tilapia farming, among others.
It was learned that the GALING PCAARRD is the inter-agency program collaboration in the different regions of the country, which involves the 15 Regional Consortia – the PCAARRD in the Regions.
Each Regional Consortium is composed of State Universities and Colleges, R&D institutes, regional offices and research institutes/centers of the DOST, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Trade and Industry, and allied agencies of the R&D network.
While major parts of the country are still under the extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Components 1 and 2 have been on-going and continuing.
DOST-PCAARRD will constantly inform the public regarding its efforts through press releases, social media, and publications, which are all accessible via its dedicated web page, http://www.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/home/portal/index.php/galing.
To further support the goal of attaining food security, DOST-PCAARRD is gearing its efforts towards provision of science and technology (S&T)-based livelihood options through the projects under Component 3 for the people to produce healthy and nutritious food themselves even beyond the ECQ.
As the saying goes, if you give a man a fish, he will eat today, but teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life./PN
