The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), through the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD), participated in a multicountry study mission showcasing India’s practices, policies, and enabling mechanisms for climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental resilience, and sustainable development. 

The multicountry observational study mission on the policy landscape for sustainable development was held from March 26 to 28, 2025, in New Delhi, India, and was hosted by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and the National Productivity Council of India (NPC-India). The study mission aimed to gain insights into key aspects of national strategies enabling climate change adaptation, observe the implications of policies aligned with overall economic growth, and understand the nuances of global programs for a collective approach to sustainability. 

The first day covered the regulatory framework of waste management in India and challenges in its implementation. It also included a site visit to the Waste to Energy Plant at Okhla, New Delhi, where a thorough discussion was made regarding the challenges related to waste sourcing, plant efficiency, and regulatory compliance, as well as the environmental and social implications of such facilities. 

The second day was intended for in-depth discussions on how India’s Energy Policy Framework/landscape transitions to a sustainable future in relation to national and international climate commitments. During the site visit, participants explored cutting-edge research and development in the fields of energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and carbon capture at the NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA) R&D Center at Greater Noida. 

During the last day, the discussion focused on the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations in corporate sustainability strategies. Circular economy was also highlighted through an immersion on the construction and demolition waste management, which included a site visit to an existing facility in Shashtri Park, New Delhi.

The study mission was participated by a total of 37 participants from 10 countries in Asia and the Pacific: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Aside from DOST-PCAARRD, four other Philippine participants were from the Department of Trade and Industry, Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines, and the Business for Sustainable Development. 

The participants gained an in-depth understanding of the nexus of sustainability, climate change, and science-based policy to further improve the impacts of climate change and related programs/projects.

With its rich, creamy belly and thick, flavorful meat, bangus never fails to stir the appetites of Filipinos. Who would not love it more, especially if it is fresh from the fishers’ harvest? Beloved across the country, this national fish of the Philippines remains a vital source of protein and income for many households.

To celebrate this commodity, Bangus Festival is held annually in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, with the goal of coming together as communities to honor the bountiful harvest, recognize the hard work of milkfish farmers, and acknowledge the locals’ role in bangus production. The celebration involves festivities, activities, and gatherings to forward the country’s commitment to building a more productive and sustainable bangus industry.

This year, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), through the Inland Aquatic Resources Research Division, joined the Bangus Festival 2025 on April 30 to showcase its various initiatives in an exhibit. The exhibit highlighted initiatives of the Milkfish Industry Strategic Science and Technology Program (ISP) and other existing efforts from Shrimp and Aquafeeds ISP as they posed relevance to the city. An ISP is the blueprint for the operationalization of PCAARRD's S&T vision.

The exhibit was made successful in collaboration with the Samahan ng Magbabangus ng Pangasinan (SAMAPA), a community organization of bangus farmers in Pangasinan led by its President, Mr. Christopher Aldo Fabia Sibayan. 

Spotlighted in the exhibit is the publication, The Philippines Recommends for Milkfish, a banner publication of DOST-PCAARRD for the milkfish ISP. This publication contains technologies for milkfish production from broodstock development and artificial propagation in hatcheries to grow out in ponds, pens, and cages, as well as postharvest handling and processing. Various attendees expressed interest and acquired a copy of the publication.

Pangasinan, renowned for its rich biodiversity in both pond and marine ecosystems, stands as one of the country’s top sources of fresh and flavorful seafood. Aside from milkfish ponds, the province is also abundant with shrimp ponds. Maintaining good water quality is a challenge in shrimp ponds in the country, and this is what DOST-PCAARRD responded with its technology, i-POND: a Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN)-based water quality control and monitoring system. This technology was also showcased during the festival.

i-POND allows farm operators and technicians to monitor the pond’s water quality remotely by using a mobile device or a computer connected to the Internet. It accurately monitors water quality parameters, including temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Notably, the system operated normally under extreme weather conditions. The Sensor Node is powered by solar energy, and the LoRa communication range is up to 300 meters.

To forward sustainable and efficient production, some of the DOST-PCAARRD’s initiatives on Aquafeeds ISP were also demonstrated. Part of these are Microbead and Mannan Oligosaccharides (MOS), which are both technologies targeting probiotics and prebiotics, respectively.

Microbead probiotics technology was developed to address the low-cost cultivation and microencapsulation method designed to improve fish gut health and delivery in tilapia and milkfish. Meanwhile, MOS are prebiotic compounds, consisting of mannose-based carbohydrate polymers, which help in selectively promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria in fish. 

These initiatives, along with their materials during the exhibition, were disseminated to interested attendees for continuous knowledge sharing and strategy adoption.

The DOST-PCAARRD remains committed to forwarding initiatives under its ISPs, working hand-in-hand with the communities that benefit from developed technologies. Exhibits continuously serve as an avenue for accessible information dissemination and a significant connection with beneficiaries and key stakeholders.

A breakthrough study resolves the long-standing taxonomic confusion surrounding the Philippine ‘lagundi,’ revealing that what was previously identified as Vitex negundo in the country comprises five distinct species within the V. trifolia complex.

Lagundi is popular for its medicinal uses such as treatment for cough. However, despite its extensive use, its taxonomic identity remained unclear.

A taxonomic key distinguishes morphological characteristics, such as form and structure, to identify different species. In their study, the team observed various traits of the collected specimens, which determined their morphological differences.

The team of Dr. Renerio P. Gentallan, Jr. discovered that the V. negundo s. str. is not distributed in the Philippines and exhibits significant morphological and molecular variations compared with other species within the V. trifolia complex. 

The Philippine species that belong to this complex include Vitex arvensis Gentallan, Sengun & M.B.Bartolome; V. bicolor; V. elmeri; V. rotundifolia; and V. trifolia.

One notable difference is in the leaflets, as the lagundi in the country have entire leaflets, while the true species has dentate, or toothed-like, leaf margins, at maturity.

Based on these findings, the researchers proposed reinstating the endemic V. elmeri Moldenke as a distinct species, highlighting its morphological differences from V. negundo.

These discoveries were recently published in the Phytokeys journal and observed through the project, “Development, Genotyping, and Preliminary Evaluation of Genetically Stable Planting Materials of Selected Medicinal Plants,” funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

Led by Dr. Gentallan from the Institute of Crop Science of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (ICropS-CAFS), UPLB the project aimed to develop, characterize, and evaluate genetically stable planting materials of selected Philippine medicinal plants, specifically lagundi, ‘luyang dilaw’ (turmeric), ‘niyog-niyogan’ (rangoon creeper), ‘pansit-pansitan (shiny bush), roselle, ‘sambong (ngai camphor)’ ‘serpentina’ (king of bitters), ‘akapulko (ringworm shrub), and ‘tsaang gubat’ (forest tea).

The UPLB team also reported V. arvensis Gentallan, Sengun & M.B. Bartolome as a newly identified endemic lagundi species. This species is predominantly cultivated in the country and is believed to be a putative hybrid of V. bicolor Willd. and V. elmeri Moldenke.

The recent discovery highlights the importance of accurate species identification, particularly in the case of lagundi, for conservation, medicinal plant research, and practical applications. Since some of these species are endemic to the country, the findings also underscore the need for their protection and sustainable use to preserve ecological and  possible economic benefits.

The full study of Dr. Gentallan and his team's research is available at https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/120387/ .

These findings were also presented at the International Conference on Advances in Medicinal & Aromatic Plant Research (IORA-AMAR 2025) held at the CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India, where it was awarded as the best oral presentation.

Sugarcane farmers in Tarlac are confident they can achieve a yield higher than the national average, from 54 ton-cane per hectare to 120 ton-cane per hectare of the sugarcane harvest, through a project funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). 

Funded by the DOST-Industry Level Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (iCRADLE) program, the project “Improving Sugarcane Productivity in Low-Yielding SRA-blocked Farms through Pilot Testing of Automated Furrow Irrigation System (AFIS) and Nutrio® Biofertilizer Application,” developed a solution to address the country’s sugarcane industry challenge of enhancing productivity, while mitigating the adverse effects of recurrent droughts and soil degradation.   

The project, being implemented by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), developed a science solution to significantly improve sugarcane productivity compared to conventional growing methods in Paniqui, Tarlac.

Data shows that using both technologies increases sugarcane's average height and weight to 362.53 cm and 18.23 kg per 10 stalks. In comparison, conventional farming only yields an average height and weight of up to 327.87 cm and 14.22 kg per 10 stalks. Additionally, the average diameter of sugarcane increased to 30.94 mm from 26.44 mm.

“If the industry wants a solution for a specific problem, the counterpart state college or university, or a higher education institution, can provide the research. The iCRADLE is a cluster of five or more private institutions having similar problems and common needs,” said DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr.

‘Hindi imposible na maitaas natin sa 120 ton-cane per hectare ang yield ng tubo mula sa 54 ton-cane per hectare,’ stated Mr. Marlon Gamboa, Chairperson of North Cluster Producers Cooperative (NCPC), Paniqui, Tarlac. (It’s not impossible to increase our sugarcane yield from 54 ton-cane per hectare.)

Mr. Gamboa encourages other farmers to try the AFIS and Nutrio® biofertilizer. He shared that he was initially skeptical of the Nutrio® Biofertilizer as it was not a part of his farmer’s practice; however, witnessing the results firsthand after its application turned him into a 'believer.’ 

The project being implemented by the CLSU through the leadership of Dr. Marvin M. Cinense aims to support sugarcane producers, such as NCPC to significantly enhance their output by 20-30%  and maximize the production efficiency of Sugar Regulatory Authority Block Farms through the introduction of two technologies.

'AFIS is a modern way to water crops automatically. It is solar-powered and uses sensors and controllers to deliver the right amount of water. It saves time and effort and resources and is perfect for crops like sugarcane,’ said Cinense. 

Nutrio® Developer, Dr. Virginia Padilla, explained that “Nutrio® is a foliar spray biofertilizer, which contains friendly microorganisms that make sugarcane plants grow taller, leaves greener, and canes heavier, resulting in more cane and sugar yields.

‘Dumating yung AFIS, walang kaproble-problema….Hawak nila yung mga cellphone nila and tumatakbo na yung patubig, parang magic. Wala pang gasolina ‘yun. Ang laki po ng tipid.’ Mr. Gamboa attested. (The AFIS was delivered and with no problems…they just use their phones and the water runs, like magic. It does not even use gas. It saves a lot.)

These results were presented during the Farmers’ Field Day at NCPC, Paniqui, Tarlac, which was attended by more than 40 farmers and representatives from CLSU, DOST-Special Projects Division (SPD), DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), SRA, Fullmight Agricultural Corporation (FAC), Agfield International Corporation, and the Department of Agriculture.