LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – The Philippine-Rural Development Administration (RDA) Alumni Association (PhilRAA) held its fifth convention at the E.O. Tan Hall, PCAARRD, Los Baños, Laguna on April 22-23, 2014.
Titled as Revolutionizing Small and Medium-Scale Agribusiness Enterprises (SMAEs) through S&T Innovations, the event featured success stories of selected SMAEs in the Philippines, status and accomplishments of PhilRAA-funded projects and the PhilRAA President’s report.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, PCAARRD Executive Director, encouraged PhilRAA members and other participants to recognize the need to assess and explore the challenges and potentials of agricultural technology transfer and commercialization, and product promotion and marketing.
Mr. Julian A. Lapitan, PhilRAA President and Senior Manager of the Partnerships Office at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), on the other hand, underscored PhilRAA’s purpose and the objectives of this year’s convention.
“SMAEs critical role in different industries and sectors in the society, motivates us to incorporate agribusiness/business perspective in agricultural R&D and S&T innovation in this year’s theme of the convention,” Lapitan said.
Keynoting the opening program was Mr. Oscar A. Torralba, Vice Chair of the Agribusiness and Countryside Development Committee, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), and Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Town Holdings Corporation.
Dr. Melvin B. Carlos, Director, Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD) of PCAARRD, presented the status and accomplishments of PhilRAA-funded projects which include two new projects implemented in 2012.
These projects are titled Enhanced production of chrysanthemum through integrated crop management in CAR and Adapting to climate change in tomato production through S&T interventions in the Ilocos Region.
Also presented was an approved project in 2013 titled Going organic-based in onion production: Testing and promotion via S&T-based demo farms in two selected onion-growing municipalities in Nueva Ecija. This project is being implemented by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and the Central Luzon Agricultural Resources Research and Development Consortium (CLARRDEC).
Highlights of the event were the success stories of selected PCAARRD assisted-SMAEs Lao Integrated Farms, Inc.; Alaminos Goat Farm; and R2M Aqua Farm.
The success stories were presented by Ms. Donna Lao-Padre who represented Benjamin R. Lao, owner of Lao Integrated Farms, Inc. and PCAARRD Magsasaka Siyentista; Engr. Valeriano L. Almeda, co-owner of Alaminos Goat Farm; and Mr. Rhomel A. Martinez, manager of R2M Aqua Farm, respectively.
Mechanisms and possible cross-country visits and collaborations with other RDA Alumni Associations (RAA) were also taken up during the event. The PhilRAA Board of Directors (BOD) will deliberate the theme, date, and venue of the next convention.
Present in the convention were officials and delegates from the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of South Korea, PCAARRD and its National Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Network (NAARRDN), national agricultural research and extension agencies, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and other entities.
Also included in the two-day event were field tours to Alaminos Goat Farm in Alaminos, Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, and annual Tsinelas Festival in Liliw, Laguna.
PhilRAA supports collaborative activities within the Philippines-Korea partnership. For more than a decade, PhilRAA has been forging linkages between and among members through various activities such as the conduct of conferences, seminars, dialogues, among other activities. The convention also provides venue for information exchange related to R&D in agriculture, aquatic and natural resources sectors.