Thirty-eight (38) farms located in Mankayan and Buguias municipalities in Benguet qualify for Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) Certification after passing the field inspections conducted by the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR), in partnership with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) on May 19-23, 2025.

The inspected farms are composed of 21 farms from Barangay Bangao and one (1) from Barangay Loo for Buguias, while the remaining 16 farms are found in Balili, Mankayan.

Said farms cultivate crops such as strawberry, potato, broccoli, carrot, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, sweet peas, bell pepper, lettuce, eggplant, tomato, and citrus. These underwent thorough evaluations by the PhilGAP inspectors and were found to be compliant with the PhilGAP standards. These standards are in adherence with food safety, enhance produce quality, promote environmental management, and ensure the health, safety, and welfare of agricultural workers.

The inspection team was composed of Mr. Cristino P. Tadeo and Mr. John Paul M. Navarrete from BPI, and Mr. Melchor B. Tumbaga and Ms. Leiza Calantas from DA-CAR.

Currently, there are 232 total certified farms in Mankayan, and 78 certified farms in Buguias. These farms are being monitored during the first year of their certification to ensure ongoing compliance with the standards of PhilGAP.