BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) formally launched its three-day Regional Farmers Congress today, May 27, 2025 in Baguio City. The event is part of the agency’s observance of Farmers and Fisherfolk Month and aims to empower Cordillera farmers and fisherfolk through knowledge sharing, policy updates, and stakeholder consultations.
Approximately 200 farmers and fisherfolk from various provinces in the region are actively participating in the activity, which serves as a platform for capacity building, dialogue, and collaboration between the agency and its grassroots stakeholders.
In her opening message, Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Arlene M. Sagayo welcomed the participants and acknowledged their significant contributions to food production and agricultural development in the region. She expressed gratitude for their continued commitment and hard work in ensuring food security.
Meanwhile, Regional Technical Director for Operations Danilo P. Daguio emphasized the importance of the congress as a venue for two-way communication. He underscored the agency’s responsibility to listen to the real needs and concerns of farmers and fisherfolk to improve the implementation of programs and services.
Director Daguio also outlined the vision of DA for its stakeholders, encouraging them to adopt the characteristics of modern farmers, those who make data-driven decisions, conduct soil testing prior to cropping, understand market trends, adapt to technological innovations, and continuously enhance their technical skills. He stated that empowering farmers with these capabilities is vital in addressing the country’s food security challenges.
The three-day event features a series of lectures and presentations, including, Gender and Agriculture; Department of Agriculture Directions, Paradigms, and Priority Thrusts; Guidelines on Civil Society Organization (CSO) Accreditation and Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) Registration; Discussion on Memorandum Circular 41, Series of 2024; Presentation of the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System (FFEDIS); Updates on the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program and Regional Guidelines; Presentation of Matured Technologies by Benguet State University; and a breakout session by commodity program will also be conducted to determine farmers’ preferences and inform program planning and prioritization.
The Farmers Congress will run until May 29, 2025, and is expected to result in actionable insights and strengthened collaboration between DA-CAR and its primary stakeholders in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. By Leny D. Mendoza
