The National Organic Agriculture Achievers’ Awardees in the province of Benguet were validated by the National Technical Search Committee (NTSC) last August 10-11, 2017.
The objective of the field validation is to verify the data submitted during the desk evaluation and evaluate at the same time, the potentials of the finalists.
The NOAAA finalists were Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU) Itogon, Outstanding Municipality, La Trinidad Organic Practitioners Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LaTOP MPC), Outstanding Small Farmers Group, and Mr. Rogel A. Marsan and Family, Outstanding Farming Family.
Ms. Lilibeth Paraoan, the Organic Agriculture Focal Person of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera, together with Mr. Gabriel Pacio, Agricultural Provincial Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Benguet and Ms. Teresita Guevarra, Provincial Organic Focal Person assisted the validators in the conduct of the field validation.
NTSC validators consisted of Ms. Emily Victorio of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Algileen Villaflor, Fiori Rexia Estoperez and Christian James Delfin of the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP), James Gilbert Castuera of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Jude Ray Laguna of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), Jessa Cardinoza of the Field Operations Services (FOS) of the Department of Agriculture, Trinidad Carlos of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), and John Mark Licot of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), visited Georaygio Farm owned by Ms. Adelina Sina-oy and the ML’s Farm owned by Ms. Martiza at Upper Naybaliw, Labilab, Loakan, Itogon, Benguet, Cosmic Farm owned by Mr. Rogel Marsan and family at Beckel, La Trinidad, Benguet, AAU farm owned by Ms. Agnes A-ayo at Guitley, Lubas, La Trinidad, Benguet and the LaTOP office at Tomay, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Ms. Victorio served as the team leader of the validators. She explained that there are two phases of evaluation, the desk evaluation and field validation. “Ang field evaluation, tinitignan naming mabuti kasi madalas may mga kakulangan sa desk evaluation submitted by the nominee so madalas din ang nangyayari after the field evaluation tumataas ang score kaya kung may hahanapin po kaming document sa inyo please bear with us,” she explained. Also, she congratulated all the national finalists of Benguet.
The finalists of Benguet were awarded during the 2017 Regional Agriculture Achievers’ Awarding Ceremony last June 29, 2017 held at the Supreme Hotel, Baguio City conducted by the Department of Agriculture–Cordillera.** Leny Mendoza
