A research and development center on garlic and other agri-food condiments was recently launched in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) leads the Garlic and Other Agri-Food Condiments R&D Center program, which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and monitored by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).
The program aims to provide S&T-based interventions to increase competitiveness of garlic and other agri-food condiments industry in the Philippines. It is composed of five projects:
1. Collection, characterization, conservation, and improvement of garlic and chili genetic resources in the Philippines;
2. Improvement of garlic and other agri-food condiments productivity through integrated crop management system;
3. Development and evaluation of village level low-cost storage structure for garlic;
4. Enhanced usability and profitability of garlic through black garlic processing; and
5. value chain analysis of garlic in the Philippines.
MMSU received a funding support of P21.18 million for the first-year implementation of the three-year program.
The Center is one of the newly approved programs under the DOST Accelerated R&D Program for Capacity Building of Research and Development Institutions and Industrial Competitiveness: Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D (NICER), which aims to capacitate higher educational institutions in the regions, through an institutional grant for R&D activities that will make significant improvement in regional research and S&T infrastructure.
The program was officially launched during an online inception meeting attended by MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis; DOST I Regional Director Armando Q. Ganal; ILAARRDEC Program Leader Epifania O. Agustin; MMSU program team led by Dionisio S. Bucao; Deputy Executive Director for R&D of DOST-PCAARRD Feliciano G. Calora, Jr.; Anya Yasmin A. Roslin representing DOST Undersecretary for R&D Rowena Cristina L. Guevara; Director for Crops Research Division of DOST-PCAARRD Edna A. Anit; DOST Science for Change (S4C) Program Management Office staff, and DOST-PCAARRD staff.
During the meeting, Dr. Calora pledged DOST-PCAARRD’s full assistance to the R&D undertakings of the newly approved program on garlic and other agri-food condiment crops.
Pres. Agrupis, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to DOST and PCAARRD for guiding the program team during the proposal packaging and in facilitating its approval.