THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has forged ties with the Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council (PAFC) of Laguna and Straw Innovations Ltd. to advance sustainable agricultural practices.
With this, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in Santa Cruz, Laguna, on August 9.
The MoU signatories were Associate Professor Joselito Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for administration; Roel Fabillan, PAFC Laguna chairman; Marlon Tobias, PAFC Laguna co-chairman; and Jay-Rness Ceria, Straw Innovations Ltd. business development manager.
Eric Reynoso, SEARCA Emerging Innovation for Growth Department program head, also took part in the event by providing all stakeholders with an outline of the MoU and how it could play a major role in sustainable agriculture.
Reynoso said that the new cooperation would allow the parties involved to "share knowledge and skills, as well as devise policies aimed at assisting farmers in dealing with the risks posed by climate change, which affects food production."
In his welcome remarks during the event, Florendo also said the collaboration demonstrates the commitment of each party to assisting the farming sector with the aim of uplifting agricultural communities.
"This MoU is a testament to our collective dedication to enhancing the livelihoods of our farming communities and ensuring food security through cutting-edge solutions," he said.
Fabillan also expressed his support for the partnership that will "benefit not only the agricultural sector but also the entire country."
"This partnership extends the promotion of pollution reduction, which is one of the leading drivers of climate change," he said.
With this institutionalized collaboration, Fabillan also promised that PAFC Laguna would "provide support in whatever endeavors and activities each party would launch in the future."
Meanwhile, Ceria underscored the need for collaboration and synergy among stakeholders to "successfully implement and sustain operations that benefit the farming sector, particularly rice farmers."
"Through this relationship, I believe that Straw Innovations could reach more farmers and further aid them using our technological innovations," he said.
The event was also attended by several Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council or MAFC chairpersons who expressed their strong support for the collaboration and the future shared activities among the parties that would benefit their respective municipalities.