TACLOBAN CITY – The highly-urbanized city of Tacloban played host of the 16th National Vegetable Congress that opened on September 27 and ended on 29.
Jointly organized by the Philippine Vegetable Industry Development Board, the Department of Agriculture and city government of Tacloban through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, the event gathered stakeholders in the vegetable industry from all over the country.
Coinciding with the three-day event was an expo at the Tacloban City Convention Center (Astrodome) grounds participated by 20 exhibitors from local government units, farmer’s organizations, food processors, and handicraft manufacturers.
The event which carried the theme “Gearing up the Nation’s Vegetable Industry towards Global Competitiveness and Resiliency,” tackled emerging challenges in the vegetable industry as well as highlight best practices in vegetable production, post-harvest, and marketing.
Among the topics discussed during the various plenary sessions were high-value crops development program; Philippine Guarantee System and gap on fruit and vegetable; latest trends in post-harvest handling, packaging of vegetable, and mechanization; climate-smart vegetable production for global competitiveness and resiliency; and the program for unified lending in agriculture (PUNLA): An Agricultural Financing Scheme.
The opening activities and plenary sessions were held at the Astrodome.
Mayor Romualdez and Leyte 1st district Representative Yedda K. Romualdez delivered the welcome and inspirational messages during the opening program.
Meantime, Director Jennifer Remoquillo, national program coordinator of the High-Value Crops Development Program, delivered the keynote speech on behalf of Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel Piñol.
A fellowship night, featuring local artists was sponsored by the city government for the delegates at the astrodome.
(HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CIO)
