Stakeholders of the Cordillera Agriculture and Fisheries Resources Research and Extension Development Network (AFRREDN) advance research, extension, and development initiatives in the region during the 1st Quarterly Committee Meeting, held on February 4–5, 2025, at the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI), BSU Compound, KM 5, La Trinidad, Benguet.
The activity was spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO CAR) with the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute CAR (DA-ATI CAR).
The two-day meeting brought together the AFRREDN committees—Research for Development Committee (RDC), Extension and Technology Transfer Committee (ETC), Institutional Development Support Committee (ISC), and Knowledge Management Committee (KMC)—to present 2025 accomplishments, discuss the National Extension Agenda and Programs, and plan the network’s priority activities for FY 2026-2029.
Participants included representatives from State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), namely Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology (ASIST), Apayao State College (ASC), Kalinga State University (KSU), Ifugao State University (IFSU), Benguet State University (BSU), and Mountain Province State University (MPSU); Local Government Units (LGUs) of Baguio City and Tabuk City, and the Provincial Local Government Units of Mountain Province, Abra, and Benguet; line agencies including the Department of Science and Technology (DOST CAR), Department of Tourism (DOT CAR), Bureau of Plant Industry Baguio National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center (BPI NCRDPSC), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP CAR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR CAR), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR CAR), and the Philippine Rice Research Institute–Isabela (PhilRice Isabela); Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Council (RAFC) private institutions namely Mount Carmel Agri-Tourism and Learning Center, Inc.
The Cordillera Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (CorCAARRD) also participated.
During the opening program, Dr. Charlie C. Sagudan, Vice Chair of CAR AFRREDN and Center Director of ATI-RTC CAR, emphasized the importance of advancing the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Cordillera.
“This initiative by the Cordillera AFRREDN management aims to critically examine how we can effectively operationalize programs in the region. We need to benchmark with other regions to ensure that we continue moving forward, using these agenda as a foundation to promote agriculture and fisheries development in the Cordillera,” Sagudan said.
The AFRREDN serves as a bridge linking network members to research funding institutions such as the DA–Bureau of Agricultural Research. Its committees act as the primary mechanism for building partnerships among Research for Development and Extension (R4DE) stakeholders, including national government agencies, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), local government units (LGUs), private institutions, and Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs).
Mr. Nicasio S. Baucas, citing the AFRREDN designation and position, underscored the role of research and extension in advancing the agriculture sector, noting that under the DA’s 10-point agenda, Research for Development and Extension is central to maximizing the sector’s potential. He emphasized that these efforts are aligned with the national aspiration of “Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas.”
He also echoed the vision of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., who highlighted the need to modernize Philippine agriculture to ensure equitable benefits across the value chain—where farmers and fisherfolk receive fair value for their produce, consumers enjoy affordable prices, and industry players achieve sustainable profitability.
Meanwhile, the DA-BAR joined the meeting virtually to provide updates and guidance on its programs, research proposal processes, funding mechanisms, and the national R4DE agenda, from national to local levels.
The activity served as a vital platform for collaboration, strengthened extension efforts, and ensured that research-based interventions from national and regional R4DE institutions effectively reached local communities through the network. // Vincent G. Savella, Research Division
DA-CAR Press Release No. 06-08