The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 8 (DA-RFO) holds the First Regional Jackfruit Stakeholders Meeting in Eastern Visayas-the New Normal on February 23, 2023, at Hotel De Fides, Tacloban City.
Some of the ViCARP member institutions’ representatives participated in this meeting, namely; Visayas State University (VSU) represented by Dr. Maria Juliet C. Ceniza, VSU-VP for Research, Extension, and Innovation and Director for ViCARP; Department of Science and Technology 8 (DOST8) represented by Engr. Ernesto M. Granada; Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 8 (ATI-RTC) represented by Ms. Emie O. Uy; Ormoc City LGU represented by Ms. Gabena Caaloy. Other participants are coming from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), a representative from the Municipal, City, and Provincial Agriculture & Fisheries Council of region 8, and the Private Jackfruit Growers and Processors coming from Calbayog, Mahaplag, Ormoc, and Abuyog.
Dr. Angel C. Enriquez, the Regional Executive Director of DA-RFO 8, welcomed all the participants. “In pushing and putting Jackfruit in the map as our banner program commodity in Eastern Visayas cannot be achieved by DA-RFO8 alone, we need your full support”- she stressed during her opening message.
On the other hand, Dr. Elvira C. Torres, the Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations-DA-RFO8, gave an overview of the activity. In her message, she emphasized the previous undertakings that were conducted by the men and women in the Jackfruit industry way back in 1995. “Let us review and revisit our previous efforts and plan further to fully claim that Jackfruit is our banner commodity in the region”, she added.