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Government

INT’L COOPERATION TO HELP END HUNGER BY 2030 – DAR

Agriculture Secretary William Dar called for greater international cooperation to ensure that science-driven innovations and technologies are institutionalized in the agriculture sector to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, and end hunger by 2030, among other United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “It is important that international pooling of knowledge, science and technology, and […]

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Government

DA REVISES FARM MACHINERY PROCUREMENT PROCESS

To allow more farm machinery manufacturers and distributors to join the government’s farm mechanization program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has reduced the previous 25-year and 30-year “market presence” requirement to just 10 years. “The policy democratizes the procurement process and makes the bidding more competitive, in pursuant to the ‘Government Procurement Reform Act’ or […]

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Government

PH NOW EXPORTING PROCESSED MEAT TO JAPAN – DAR

In addition to “chicken yakitori,” the Philippines can now export processed meat products to Japan. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said this favorable development is due to the recent inclusion of the Philippines by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in its list of certified countries that passed the Hazard Analysis and Critical […]

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Government

NAT’L SOIL HEALTH PROGRAM GETS DUTERTE OK — DAR

As part of the government’s goal to attain food security, President Rodrigo Duterte recently approved a National Soil Health Program (NSHP) aimed at rejuvenating the country’s degraded and “sick” soils and ensuring increased crop production in a sustainable manner. The NSHP will be implemented by the Department of Agriculture through its Bureau of Soils and […]

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Government

NEW SYSTEM FOR ORGANIC AGRI CERTIFICATION LAUNCHED

The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently launched the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), which is the key feature of the Republic Act (RA) No. 11511, an act amending the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 or RA 10068. “Made possible by the support of our legislators, RA 11511 opened opportunities for our small farmers and fisherfolk who […]

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Politics

PH BEGINS OKRA EXPORTS TO KOREA – DAR

In partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Okra Producers and Exporters Association (POPEA) started the commercial shipment of fresh okra to the Republic of Korea at the Philippine Airlines Cargo Terminal. Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez showed the government’s full […]

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Government

BOHOL GETS P388-M FARM ASSISTANCE FROM DA – DAR

To enable robust agriculture development in the communities, the Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over various machineries and farm inputs to the local farmers and fishers of the island-province of Bohol recently. The efforts seal the commitment of the DA to forge and strengthen allies with the local government units which will be the “rowers” […]

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Government

PH NEEDS MORE MODERN SOIL LABS – DAR

Through the recently approved National Soil Health Program with P523.575-million funding, Agriculture Secretary William Dar directed the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to set up modern and efficient national and regional soil laboratories. “We want to have the regional laboratories including of course the national soils laboratory […]

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Politics

ABANTE CALLS FOR LEGISLATIVE PROBE INTO E-SABONG

Longtime anti-gambling advocate and House Deputy Speaker Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. has called for an inquiry into online cockfighting––popularly known as e-sabong––and other forms of internet gambling, and in a privilege speech on Wednesday evening questioned the legality of e-sabong operations that gross as much as 1.8 billion pesos in bets per day. According to […]

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Government

DA TO GET P14-B WORLD BANK LOAN FOR PDRP PROJECTS

The Department of Agriculture (DA) expects the World Bank (WB) to approve an additional $280-million (P14 billion) second additional financing (AF2) to bankroll more agriculture enterprise and rural infrastructure subprojects under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). The $280-M loan includes a EUR18.3 million (P1 billion) co-financing grant from the European Union (EU). “The WB […]