On September 5 2023, Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa attended the completion ceremony of the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) project, “Pilot Village Project through the Establishment of Protective Cultivation and Postharvest Management of Vegetables in the Philippines,” in Siniloan, Laguna.
The project was launched in 2022 and aimed to raise the level of income of Filipino farmers by setting up facilities such as greenhouses, net tunnels and postharvest buildings, and providing various training opportunities to farmers and local government officials to build up technical capabilities.
Along with Siniloan, Pilot Village Projects are also ongoing in Lucban, Quezon and Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, with the initial cultivation of cucumber, romaine lettuce, and French beans.
The Pilot Village in Siniloan has now completed its 9 greenhouses and 1 postharvest building. The project is expected to bring more stable income to farmers which, hopefully, will encourage the youth to enter the farming industry as well.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lee, said that the completion ceremony was “taking place at a very timely moment as the Philippine government and other stakeholders are galvanizing efforts to address soaring rice prices,” and that “elevating the farmers’ living standards is key” to the Philippines’ quest “to become an upper middle-income country.” He also mentioned that “agricultural facilities were set up here, not just as tangible support but as symbols of hope and growth,” and that the project represented “what can be achieved when people of different backgrounds work together with a unity of purpose.”
The event, which took place at the Siniloan Cultural Center, was witnessed by Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Siniloan Mayor Patrick Go, Bureau of Plant Industries Director Glenn Panganiban, NICS-RDA Director General Dr. Hyo Won Seo, KOPIA Philippines Center Director Dr. Kyuseong Lee, and other guests.
KOPIA is an innovative Official Development Assistance (ODA) program of the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of the Republic of Korea. It was established in the Philippines in 2010.