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February 17-19, 2025 | The BPI-National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD), in collaboration with LEADS Environmental Health Products Corp., successfully conducted the Orientation on Stored Product Pests and Pheromone Trapping Systems in Storage Facilities from February 17 to 19, 2025, at the NPQSD Central Laboratory, Malate, Manila.

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Participants from ten (10) Plant Quarantine Service (PQS) stations—Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, Legazpi, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Subic, and Iligan—along with representatives from the NPQSD-Central Office Import Section and Central Laboratory, participated in this orientation aimed at strengthening the NPQSD’s capability to monitor and manage stored product pests in imported grains, using the latest technologies such as pheromone lure trapping (which attract insects), to catch and control them.

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During the orientation, participants engaged in a series of discussions. Arnel C. Banasihan from the BPI Central Post-Entry Quarantine Station and Ms. Margaret L. Castilan from LEADS Environmental Health Products Corp. shared valuable insights on how to identify common pests that can spoil stored products and shared the latest developments in using chemical signals to manage these pests. Ms. Castilan also explained different technologies for monitoring these pests and provided tips on how to use, store, and handle pheromone traps effectively. Additionally, she and her team from LEADS conducted a demonstration and hands-on activity where participants practiced what they had learned.

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The orientation highlights the BPI’s initiative of enhancing plant quarantine enforcement capabilities, equipping plant quarantine personnel with the latest pest management technologies, and fostering collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

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(022525-33)