In answer to the recent pandemic outbreak of Corona Virus Disease (CoViD-19), 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.
‘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 AANR innovations. When pronounced with a slow accent, galing also means from, denoting that the technology offerings are from the various R&D initiatives of DOST-PCAARRD.
Through the GALING Program, 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. These initiatives are in support to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, particularly in helping the country’s food security.
The GALING PCAARRD Program has three Components:
1.) Teknolohiya-Kaalaman para sa Pamayanan – sharing of technology and information through information, education and communication (IEC) materials, through various platforms
2.) Lingkod Alalay sa Pamayanan - Food product distribution to affected communities and frontliners
a.) Oyster mushrooms in Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and La Union
b.) Fresh fruits and vegetables in Cordillera
c.) Food products in Sultan Kudarat
d.) Duck eggs in Davao City and Sultan Kudarat
e.) Others
3.) Pagkain at Kabuhayan sa Pamayanan - Food production and livelihood projects such as:
a.) Gulayan sa Pamayanan - Urban gardening and Community/backyard vegetable gardening
b.) Manok at itlog sa Pamayanan - Village-scale chicken meat and eggs production system
c.) Tilapia para sa Pamayanan - backyard tilapia farming
d.) Others
GALING PCAARRD is an inter-agency program collaboration in different regions nationwide. It 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 the country is on extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Components 1 and 2 have been ongoing and continuing. DOST-PCAARRD will continually inform us of their 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 country’s goal of food security, DOST-PCAARRD is gearing its efforts towards provision of S&T based livelihood options through the projects under Component 3 for the people to produce healthy and nutritious food themselves even beyond 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 forever.