In line with the Grand March Festival activities of the Municipality of Kapangan, Benguet, the Farmers Congress was held on March 11, 2025, at the Municipal Gym in Lomon, Paykek, Kapangan, Benguet, with the theme “Embracing Unity and Diversity, Showcasing Heritage and Cultural Legacy.”
The Farmers’ Congress aimed to increase farmers' awareness of agricultural public services and rights, improve the accountability and accessibility of these services, and promote sustainable farming practices.
Atty. Jennilyn M. Dawayan, CESO IV, Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture - Cordillera Administrative Region, and guest speaker at the event, highlighted the difficulties faced by farmers' associations and emphasized the need for stronger organization. She also acknowledged the Municipality of Kapangan as the third-ranked municipality in Benguet in terms of GAP certification. “There were 5,119 RSBSA-registered farmers as of March 1, 2025, which indicates that the awareness level of farmers is good,” she added.
Similarly, Mr. Charlie C. Sagudan, Training Center Director of the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center-Cordillera, rendered his message and shared information about the Center’s programs and services, especially for the youth in agriculture. He emphasized the challenges faced by Philippine agriculture, such as the impacts of climate change, low productivity, an aging farmer population, market competition, low mechanization rates, and the low percentage of youth engaged in agriculture.
Engr. Jocelyn D. Galunza, the Supervising Agriculturist at the Benguet Provincial Agriculture Office, also presented the programs and projects of the Provincial Agriculture Office.
Lastly, Ms. Ursula M. Sacley, owner of 4L Farm, shared her farming practices saying “Organic Agriculture is a Healthy Culture."//Karen F. Tagkitag, ISS Technical Support Staff
