Junel B. Soriano, Director of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) urged Benguet State University (BSU) researchers to strengthen and expand Research and Development (R&D) collaboration within the Benguet Province. He made the call during the consultation meeting held on January 30, 2025 at the Everlasting Hall, Research and Extension building.
The meeting served as an avenue for the University researchers to discuss DA-BAR funded projects and raise any concerns. Soriano, with Program Development Division Head Raymond Patrick Cabrera and other DA-BAR personnel also shared new programs, processes, and reforms of the bureau.
In his address, Soriano commended BSU for its significant R&D contributions.
“Thank you for your contributions. You have to sustain that. We know that you have the capability and capacity to sustain and even improve your work in research and extension,” he expressed.
He highlighted DA-BAR’s initiatives to increase R&D funding that would also benefit State Universities and Colleges and emphasized the potential of public-private partnerships.
“Let’s cultivate further. Let’s strengthen our collaborative partnership, and we appreciate more if you can strengthen or expand your collaboration within Benguet Province,” he said, noting that the DA-BAR engages with private companies through capacity-building, investment, and R&D program alignment.
He then encouraged BSU, along with DA-BAR, to partner with the private sector in developing technologies, emphasizing the importance of joint efforts to ensure these technologies reach farmers.
“What we need to do now is collaborate with them (private sector). If we can develop technologies, for example, with BSU and the private sector, there is an assurance that the developed technologies will reach the field. There is assurance that the private sector will bring those technologies to the farmers because that is their mandate,” he explained.
Following Soriano’s message, BSU President Kenneth A. Laruan and the university researchers raised their concerns on BSU’s DA-BAR-funded projects. VP for Research and Extension Roscinto Ian C. Lumbres assured the DA-BAR officials that the University will do its best to address the financial and technical issues raised.
In an interview, Laruan supported Soriano’s call for increased R&D collaboration encouraging BSU researchers to strengthen collaboration by engaging stakeholders from the initial stages of research proposal development.
After the consultation, the DA-BAR officials visited several research projects at the Northern Philippine Root Crops Research and Training Center, Food Science Research Innovation Center, and the Agri-based Technology Business Incubator/Innovation Center, including projects previously funded by DA-BAR.//EBawayan