BY THEPHILBIZNEWS STAFF
In response to the recent pandemic outbreak of Corona Virus Disease (CoViD-19), the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) initiated the GALING PCAARRD Kontra CoViD-19 Program.
The ‘GALING’ or Good Agri-Aqua Livelihood Initiatives towards National Goals, is also a Filipino term, which means Healing (from CoViD-19) and Excellence echoes PCAARRD’s tagline, Excellence in AANR innovations. When pronounced with a slow accent, galing also means from, denoting that the technology offerings are from the various R&D initiatives of DOST-PCAARRD.
With the GALING Program, DOST-PCAARRD aims to help mitigate the challenges being encountered by the affected communities brought by COVID19 pandemic around the country. Hence, the GALING PCAARRD Program will utilize all the possible immediate and long term solutions through technology-information sharing, food product distribution, and provision of food production technologies and livelihood opportunities derived from its various R&D projects. These initiatives are in support to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, particularly in helping the country’s food security.
Speaking to the media, DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña pointed out the need to be prepared on the immediate concerns of the Filipino people across the country, and at the same time, their team in DOST and PCAARRD are continually brainstorming to address also the long term solutions as the country like other countries in the whole world seek solutions and adjustments in the adverse effect of COVID19 to the people, business and economic activities due to social distancing and stoppage of other non-essential businesses.
During the launch, Secretary Dela Peña revealed the three components that GALING PCAARRD Program focuses on and these are, sharing of technology and information through information, education, and communication (IEC) materials, through various platforms. Known as “Teknolohiya-Kaalaman para sa Pamayanan”. Second is the Food product distribution to affected communities and frontliners, called as “Lingkod Alalay sa Pamayanan” and these cover the following areas and industries. (1) Oyster mushrooms in Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and La Union, (2) Fresh fruits and vegetables in Cordillera, (3) Food products in Sultan Kudarat, (4) Duck eggs in Davao City and Sultan Kudarat, and other possible and viable food distribution available in the respective areas. And last but not the least, Food production and livelihood projects or “Pagkain at Kabuhayan sa Pamayanan”. Here the focus would be on urban gardening and community/backyard vegetable gardening, village-scale chicken meat and eggs production system, backyard tilapia farming and other food production and livelihood opportunities can be adopted in the area.
GALING PCAARRD is an inter-agency program collaboration in different regions nationwide. It involves the 15 Regional Consortia – the PCAARRD in the Regions. Each Regional Consortium is composed of State Universities and Colleges, R&D institutes, regional offices and research institutes/centers of the DOST, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Trade and Industry, and allied agencies of the R&D network.
While the country is on extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Components 1 and 2 have been ongoing and continuing. DOST-PCAARRD will continually inform us of their efforts through press releases, social media, and publications, which are all accessible via its dedicated web page, http://www.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/home/portal/index.php/galing.
To further support the country’s goal of food security, DOST-PCAARRD is gearing its efforts towards the provision of S&T based livelihood options through the projects under Component 3 for the people to produce healthy and nutritious food themselves even beyond ECQ.
As the saying goes, if you give a man a fish, he will eat today, but teach a man to fish and he will eat forever.