5th ASIAN Organic Rice Conference successfully held in Dumingag

 Butch Cabilan, Municipal Administrative Officer

By JONG CADION

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur --- To strengthen the networking among the organic rice farmers, farmers to producers and farmers to consumers relationship was agreed upon during the 4-day 5th ASIAN Organic Rice Conference 2015 held in the nearby town of Dumingag in this province on December 1-4, 2015.

Butch Cabilan, Municipal Administrative Officer said the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Dumingag expressed his gratitude to all sectors in the municipality for their cooperation and support in the intensive preparation that resulted in the successful hosting of the international activities.

Cabilan said the 5^th ASIAN Organic Rice Conference 2015 was a very successful events participated by 117 Organic Rice Famers, 20 visiting LGU Officials from different municipalities of Bislig, Surigao; Bindoy, Negros Oriental; Daran, Samar; General Nacar, Quezon; Goa, Camarines Sur; Iligan City; Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte; Lanao del Sur; Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte and the 26 municipalities of this province in the country and from the South Korea.  

Cabilan also said that out of the expected 20 ASIAN countries only South Korea delegations were able to attend the conference after their Embassy granted the LGU of Dumingag letter of appeal due to Travel Ban Advisory because of security issues in Mindanao.  .

 

Mayor Nacianceno Pacalioga, Jr.

Gov. Antonio Cerilles

The LGU of Dumingag request was granted to proceed with the hosting of the 5th ASIAN Organic Rice Conference 2015 with the assurance of security measures to be implemented during the activities.

South Korea is one of the Organizers of the activities after it hosted last year 2014 the 4^th ASIAN Organic Rice Conference, he said.  

The hosting of 5^th Asian Organic Rice Conference Cabilan said is in coordination with the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement–Asia (IFOAM-Asia) and Organic Producer Trade Association of the Philippines (OPTA Philippines).

This is the second time that the LGU of Dumingag under the leadership of Mayor Nacianceno Pacalioga, Jr. hosted the international gathering, he said. The first was the hosting of week-long Organic Leadership Course for Southeast Asia (OLC-SEA) being spearheaded by the IFOAM on September 20 to 28, 2014.

Cabilan disclosed that the Asian Organic Rice Conference has developed from the annual exchanges among organic rice farmers in Asia (Philippines, India, Indonesia, Bhutan, Malaysia) as the farmers realized the importance of sharing their knowledge on organic rice production and techniques.

In the recent conference, topics expanded to include biodiversity, food security, climate change, community building, environmental preservation, seed saving and exchanges and preservation of the values of traditional farming, Cabilian said.

He added that the 5^th Asian Organic Rice Conference hosted by the local government of Dumingag wherein Mayor Pacalioga, Jr. won the prestigious One World Award in 2012 by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) of which Mayor Pacalioga, Jr is now IFOAM ASIA Honorary Board of Director.

For almost 10 years, Cabilan said the Dumingag Municipality embraced organic agriculture as its main strategy to effect positive changes among others in the local policy, planning and investments, poverty and economic development, values transformation and education and cultural development.

The Asian Organic Rice Conference has three Objectives: First, to promote exchanges among organic rice practitioners in Asia and other parts of the world on production, processing, marketing and trade, guarantee and certification, policy development and support, research and development, financing and investment and others; Second, to present local innovation on different organic practices related to seed preservation, inputs preparation using indigenous materials, farming systems in the lowland and upland areas establishment of organic villages, extension and training by official village leaders, community based trading and marketing and farmers participatory guarantee system and third to showcase organic products and services by the Barangays or villages of Dumingag Municipality and other local players from the government, business, academe, people’s organizations, cooperatives and non-profit organizations.

IFOAM ASIA President represented by Patrick Belisario, OPTA Board president during the conference expressed his gratitude to Mayor Jun Pacalioga for his enthusiasm and commitments to making successful hosting of the international gathering for the promotion of organic farming and for giving high moral support to the farmers in the community for bringing them into a global perspective.

Gov. Antonio Cerilles in his speech was amazed and proud of Mayor Pacalioga’s fulfillment of his mission and vision in joining global activities of promoting environmental-friendly farming.