June 4, 2026 | As part of the two-day Seminar on the Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) Program for NCR Farmers, Cooperatives, Associations, and Local Government Units (LGUs) of the National Capital Region (NCR), the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) organized a field tour to Metro Pacific Fresh Farms (MPFF) located in San Rafael, Bulacan.

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Spearheaded by the BPI-Agricultural Engineering Division (BPI-AED) and the BPI-Plant Product Safety Services Division (BPI-PPSSD), the tour brought 35 participants to this state-of-the-art facility.

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The MPFF is a registered, PhilGAP-certified facility that produces high-quality fruits and vegetables under the brand “More Veggies Please.” The group was personally welcomed by Mr. Oren Kliederman, MPFF Head of Operations, who shared insights into the farm’s large-scale commercial production system and its strict adherence to food safety and certification standards.

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Led by Mr. Kliederman, the group first visited the Rainwater harvester, which collects rainwater for more cost-effective irrigation, and then visited the nursery. Here, they saw the farm’s automatic fertigation, mechanical seeder, controlled seed storage, and germination room, which aim to ensure top-quality seedlings while preventing contamination.

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The participants were also shown the massive greenhouses dedicated to leafy vegetables and solanaceous crops, as well as the advanced irrigation and control systems. For their final stop, the group visited the packaging area to observe the strict post-harvest handling and food safety protocols in place before the produce is shipped to markets.

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This firsthand look at a certified farm was designed to inspire the participants and serve as a model for success. And to show that adopting the right technology and complying with certification standards are key to producing safer, higher-quality, and more abundant food supplies in their own urban and peri-urban farms.

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