The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), conducted a meeting of the newly-created Bohol Participatory Guarantee System Association (BPGSA) on July 13, 2023, at the Panda Tea Garden.
BPGSA is composed of 20 organic farmers who aim for a Participatory Organic Certificate (POC) from the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS).
Five farmers are members of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Core, which had an approved POC issued on May 14, 2023. They will be awarded on July 19, 2023, during the closing program of the Agri Fair.
During the meeting, members discussed applications for accreditation, the preparation of the Manual of Operation and Organic Standards, and the organically grown products to be displayed at the Sandugo Agri Fair booths. They also elected a new set of officers.
Also present during the meeting were Provincial Organic Focal Person Maricel Barloso, Organic Agri Staff DA 7 Emmanuel Odtohan, and Support Staff for Organic Agri ATI 7 Andrew Macaambac.
Environmental sustainability and climate-smart agriculture have always been top priorities of the PGBh, under the leadership of Governor Aris Aumentado and Vice Governor Dionisio Victor Balite, guided by the Strategic Change Agenda.
The BPGSA is committed to promoting organic farming practices and supporting local farmers in their efforts to obtain organic certification.
The association’s efforts are expected to have a positive impact on both the local economy and the environment.