This year, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) collaborated with the Philippine Association of Agriculturists, Inc. (PAA) in disseminating digital agricultural science and technology through the “2nd International Virtual Congress and 2022 Philippine Agriculturists' Summit” held via Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube from July 21 to 23, 2022.
The strategic partnership of DOST-PCAARRD with PAA strengthened the Council’s digital agriculture program. DOST-PCAARRD has been providing augmentation funds to qualified professional/scientific and academic organizations that pursue activities in support of the Council’s advocacies, banner programs, and goals.
The three-day virtual summit, themed “Digital Agricultural Science and Technology: Directions and Challenges” aims to address the need of licensed professionals, especially the agriculturists, to be abreast and informed of the fast-evolving changes and challenges brought about by digital technology. It served as a venue for 1,327 licensed professionals, agriculturists, researchers, data scientists, and agricultural economists to actively engage in knowledge sharing, as well as in fostering linkages and collaboration in the domains of agricultural research and development in the Philippines.
Food security, digital agriculture, and young agriculturists program were tackled during the consultative meeting on the envisioned policy and advocacy in the regions under the new administration, which formally opened the summit. It was emphasized that digital agriculture is important in modernizing agriculture in the country and can provide an enabling environment for youth to engage in agriculture and become agents of change in transformative agriculture global framework.
“Agriculture in the New Normal: Sustainable Digital Agriculture Solutions” was the Congress’ opening plenary session. It highlighted Mr. Ryan Vita’s paper titled, “Sustainable Digital Agriculture Solutions in Asia.” Mr. Vita is the National Biodiversity, Environment and Natural Resources Specialist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Philippines. He explained the concept of digital village, which promotes digitalization in rural areas for the benefit of residents, enabling them to apply, deploy or harness digital innovations and technologies, services, and solutions to improve their economic livelihoods, individual wellbeing, and create social cohesion through better connectivity. He also mentioned how the digital village initiative is being implemented in Asia and the Pacific.
In Plenary Session 1: The Agriculturist as a Professional in Generating Sustainable Digital Agriculture Solutions, notable experts were featured namely, Dr. Alice G. Laborte, senior scientist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI); Dr. Rosalina M. Lapitan, scientist 1 of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines, and Dr. Inder Kumar of the Digital Agri Hub at the Netherlands. They discussed the implementing data-driven solutions for smallholder rice farmers, the strategies in digital agriculture for smallholders in the livestock sector, and the features and importance of the Digital Agri-Hub in boosting the digital-for-agriculture ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Plenary Session 2: Analytical Approaches to Address the Science and Technological Challenges of Digital Agriculture included the following speakers: Project Terra Team of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) MS Data Science; Dr. Rogelio N. Concepcion, independent consultant; Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, director of Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and Dr. Arnold R. Salvacion, assistant professor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). In this session, clustering farm characteristics for integration in rice crop manager’s fertilizer recommendation algorithm, using data science methodologies and digital circular agriculture, and the resilient rice base-agri-food hub were emphasized by the Project Terra Team and Dr. Concepcion, respectively.
“The reality of innovation in Agriculture is won or lost at the farmer and consumer level, where applicability and sustainability is tested.” This was how Dr. Gregorio concluded his presentation where he accentuated the role of big data, digital technology, and public support services in the food sector during the post pandemic and the policy actions. On the other hand, Dr. Salvacion explained the open data and tools for agricultural systems analysis.
In the third Plenary Session: Strategic Partnerships for Sustainable Digital Agriculture Policies, post-pandemic policies for food security, private-sector partnerships on digital agribusiness, and modernizing agri-fishery through Agri-fishery Based Clusters (ABCs) were underscored by eminent specialists such as Dr. Gilbert M. Llanto and Dr. Maria Rochelle G. Divinagracia, team leader and agribusiness expert of the Post Pandemic Policy on Food Security, Agriculture, and Agribusiness – USAID RESPOND Project, respectively, and Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr., the chair of the PAA’s Board of Trustees.
Furthermore, PAA’s annual membership meeting was also conducted wherein new members, and new Regional Presidents took their oath. Virtual plenary poster presentations were showcased during the Congress. The paper titled, “Mycosis of Resulting Neonates of True Armyworm, Mythimna separate (walker), Eggs due to Entomopathogenic Fungi” by Ms. Melissa P. Montecalvo of the National Crop Protection Center, College of Agriculture and Food Science, UPLB bagged the Best Poster Paper. Ms. Montecalvo’s co-authors are the following: Ms. Marcela M. Navasero, Mr. Mario V. Navasero, Ms. Janren Sarah T. Macaraig, and Mr. Jose Mari M. Navasero.
The organizers of this year’s PAA’s Congress included Mr. Ramon A. Oliveros of Office of the Executive Director-Administration, Resource Management and Support Services (OED-ARMSS) who served as the Master of Ceremony of the event and Dr. Ronilo O. De Castro of the Livestock Research Division who served Plenary Poster Presentation moderator. Mr. Oliveros and Mr. De Castro, both from DOST-PCAARRD, are PAA’s current treasurer and internal auditor, respectively.