Specialists from the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) Quezon City were the resource speakers of the recently concluded five-day capability-building activity on the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) on April 7-11, 2025 at Sonrisa Farm in Magarao, Camarines Sur.
The training was a collaborative effort of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 5 – Organic Agriculture Program (DA-RFO 5 OAP), in collaboration with the Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center V (ATI-RTC V).
The initiative was part of the government’s continuing efforts to promote sustainable and community-based certification systems under the Organic Agriculture Program.
Participatory Guarantee System serves as an alternative, low-cost certification system for organic products, and this training was designed to strengthen its implementation by updating participants on the newly promulgated Philippine National Standards (PNS) relevant to organic agriculture.
Jeffrey S. Garrido and Pamela May Abris of BAFS discussed the various PNS key standards, namely:
• PNS/BAFS 337:2022 – Organic Crop Production, Postharvest, and Processing – Code of Practice (COP)
• PNS/BAFS 183:2023 – Organic Soil Amendments and Plant Supplements
• PNS/BAFS 370:2023 – Organic Poultry – Code of Practice (COP)
• PNS/BAFS 371:2023 – Organic Swine – Code of Practice (COP)
• PNS/BAFS 382:2024 – Organic Livestock and Poultry Feeds – Code of Practice (COP)
• PNS/BAFS 383:2024 – Organic Ruminants – Code of Practice (COP)
These standards provide detailed guidelines to ensure that organic agriculture practices in the Philippines remain consistent, credible, and aligned with the national policies and global principles.
The training was attended by local organic farmers, people’s organization representatives, and other stakeholders from the different areas of Bicol Region including: Good Organic Advocate Practitioners Organization and Sustainable Agriculture of Gubat, Inc. (GOAPOSAGUBAT) Gubat, Sorsogon; Pecuaria Development Coop. (PDC) Bula, Camarines Sur; The Agri-Planters and Food Processors Association of Tigaon (TAPFPAT) Tigaon, Camarines Sur; and Camarines Sur Learning Site in Agriculture Inc. (CSLSAI) Pili, Camarines Sur.
Series of lectures, workshops, and interactive discussions, equipped the participants with technical know-how and practical applications of the updated PNS, especially in the context of implementing PGS.
Dr. Maria Christina F. Campita, Regional Organic Agriculture Focal Person, encouraged the participants to strengthen the advocacy on organic agriculture farming.
“Hinihikayat ko po kayong sulitin ang pagkakataong ito upang matuto at makipag-ugnayan at mas higit pa na mapagtibay ang ating paniniwala at pagtatalaga sa ating adbokasiya ng organikong pagsasaka. Hindi lang po ito tungkol sa pag-comply sa mga pamantayan ito din ay para sa kalusugan ng ating mamamayan para sa ating kapaligiran at para sa kinabukasan ng agrikultura ng ating bansa”, she said.
The goal of the activity is to establish a solid network of empowered organic agriculture champions who can implement the standards in their own farms and also disseminate them in their communities; ultimately ensuring safer, healthier, and more sustainable food systems.
The training also provided an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and challenges in the field, fostering stronger collaboration among practitioners of organic agriculture in the region. (Angela Mae Lafuente – RAFIS 5)