The Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) Philippines Center held the KOPIA-Siniloan Turnover Ceremony on November 12, 2024, in Brgy. Macatad, Siniloan, Laguna.
During the event, Dr. Kyu Seong Lee, Director of KOPIA, formally entrusted protective vegetable cultivation structures and farm operations equipment to the pilot village, represented by the PASAHAMA (Pangkalahatang Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Macatad) Farmer Association. The equipment included nine greenhouses for vegetable and seedling production, a postharvest facility, field and hand tractors, and ICT equipment.
The Bureau of Plant Industry’s Los Baños National Crop Research, Development, and Production Support Center (BPI-LBNCRDPSC) initiated this project, titled “Development of Pilot Villages through the Establishment of Protective Structures and Postharvest Management in the Philippines,” with funding from KOPIA. Since its inception, the initiative has generated additional opportunities to boost income in the Siniloan pilot village by supporting market-driven vegetable production.
BPI Director Dr. Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban expressed BPI’s ongoing support for the pilot village’s long-term sustainability and extended gratitude to KOPIA for its invaluable commitment to Filipino farmers. Local leaders, including Siniloan Mayor Patrick Go, Vice-Mayor Carla Angela Valderrama, Municipal Agriculturist Engr. Carlo Realeza, and PASAHAMA President Alice San Marcos, conveyed heartfelt appreciation to KOPIA and committed to the program’s goals. BPI Assistant Director for Research, Development, and Production Support Services, Dr. Herminigilda A. Gabertan, emphasized the importance of approaching this project with dedication and a strong sense of purpose.
(111424-28)