TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (December 5)—Aiming to expand the banana industry throughout the country by identifying the best producers, students from the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) in Manila visited Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), which is considered to have the potential in boosting the industry.
The 5th year Bachelor of Science in Architecture students from TUP-Manila visited the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) for their research that looks into the development of the banana industry in the region, according to DA-RFO2 Executive Director Narciso Edillo.
They were Angelika Beatriz Buenaobra, Sheilla Marie Daluyo and Princess Sarah Ignas who conferred with Carol Albay, High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) regional focal person, regarding the banana industry in the Cagayan Valley region, which comprises the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and the island province of Batanes.
According to the TUP students, they were able to obtain information relevant to the conduct of their research that seeks to study the banana industry.
The title of their research was “A Proposed Banana Research, Development, Processing and Training Center in Cagayan Valley Region concerning the Development, Production Growth of Banana Industry, and Processing of its By-Products in the Philippines Through Architecture.”
According to Albay, the students were also given information that will help them “identify and solve the different causes and effects of existing problems on the aspects of research, development, processing and training.”
She said the efforts of HVCDP Region 2 for the banana industry is for the DA-RFO2 to be able to start exporting bananas.
Albay explained to the students the use of Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) Technology like blunch, freeze and transport as they are more into productivity and into food safety in achieving the vision for the banana industry in the region.
She also shared how the DA-RFO2 can help the realization of the research by citing agriculture as a field that is suitable for innovation.
Albay said agriculture “offers so many opportunities and how most of the current resources come from raw materials, which are primarily derived from the agricultural sector, and the DA helps to promote the production, processing, marketing and distribution of high-value crops.”
The TUP students also visited the Banana Processing Facility in San Agustin town in Isabela province and Cofcaville, Maddela town in Quirino province for them to have a view of the banana industry in the aspect of processing.
Edillo said the DA-RFO2 through the HVCDP will continue to provide support in developing the industry in the region through interventions like agricultural materials and assistance in Banana Tissue Culture Production, particularly in San Guillermo town in Isabela province with their local government unit.
He also said the HVCDP has been supporting banana farmers through the conduct of technical briefings on production and good agricultural practices and banana bagging technology demonstration in Cofcaville in Maddela town in Quirino; San Francisco Norte, San Guillermo town in Isabela province; and Baliuag, Peñablanca town in Cagayan province. LCD