Officials of the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) explain to the members of the media the importance of the SIPAG-FIESTA. To be held at the Council’s headquarters on March 2-4, the event reflects the vision and direction of science and technology (S&T) as laid down in the Council’s Strategic Industry S&T Program for Agri-Aqua Growth (SIPAG). It also embodies the Council’s commitment to DOST's Outcome One, in a bid to ensure that the fruits of R&D activities for the said sectors will be a blessing for every Juan. Outcome One, the foremost of DOST’s eight major Outcomes, seeks to provide the agri-aqua sectors with science-based know-how and tools that will enable the said sectors to raise productivity to world-class standards. Identified as prioritized technologies, which will be showcased during the event, among others, include carrageenan plant growth regulator (CPGR); improved Lakatan varieties resistant to Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and Cavendish resistant to Fusarium Wilt; shrimp biofloc technology; Smarter Agriculture; swine genomics, coconut somatic embryogenesis; rice mechanization; and asexual reproduction of corals for transplantation.
Photo shows (from left to right) Dr. Edwin C. Villar, Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development, PCAARRD; Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, Acting Executive Director, PCAARRD; Edd K. Usman, Manila Bulletin; Theresa Reyes , DWDD; Aladin Diega, Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO); and Joevic Yee, of Philippine Daily Inquirer.