In line with the government’s mandate to promote organic agriculture in the Philippines, and safeguard the health of farmers, consumers, and the public, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) consistently advances the implementation of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) in the region.
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards in coordination with the DA-CAR and the Local Government Unit of Lamut, Ifugao conducted an on-site audit of PGS Core Group Farmer-Members of the Lamut Organic Agriculture Practitioners Cooperative (LOPRACO) on June 4-6, 2024.
The activity aims to verify the capability and competence of the core PGS Group to function as an Organic Certifying Body (OCB) by implementing the processes of PGS certification and inspections in adherence to the PGS Participatory Organic Certification Scheme.
The audit comprises two sessions: the office audit and the witness audit. During the office audit, the Assessment Team thoroughly examined and verified the group’s documents and records. This included a detailed review of the operations manual, procedures, members’ files, and farm records to confirm compliance with PGS standards.
During the witness audit, two organic farms located in Barangay Regimental in Lamut and Kiangan underwent a peer review process by the group’s peer review committee. The applied scopes were crop and animal production. June Balajo and Catherine Buenaventura owned these farms.
The peer review committee, as stipulated in DC No. 2, Series of 2022, was tasked with evaluating the farming practices of their peers to ensure compliance with relevant PNS for Organic Agriculture, as well as the internal policies and procedures established by the PGS Group.
Upon settlement of the identified audit findings, it is expected that LOPRACO will be the first in Ifugao, and the seventh group to be accredited as PGS-OCB in the Cordillera region. This anticipated success contributes to DA-CAR’s top rank having the most accredited PGS OCBs in the country. LOPRACO received its Participatory Organic Certification (POC) in November 2023.
The DA-CAR’s Regulatory Division and Regional Agriculture Organic Program and the Agricultural Training Institute-CAR staff assisted and facilitated the activity. Also present during the audit were the OA Focal Persons of PAENRO Lagawe and OMAG Lamut, Ifugao. By Jay R. Sagario, Rey C. Oway & Angelica R. Dognayon
