Villar, designated "Ambassador of the Woman in Organic Agriculture in Asia"
June 17, 2023
Villar, designated "Ambassador of the Woman in Organic Agriculture in Asia"
Senator Cynthia A. Villar has been appointed as "Ambassador of the Woman in Organic Agriculture in Asia in the Philippines" or WOAA-Ph, IFOAM-Asia and the League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities, Cities and Provinces during the 6th Organic Asia Congress hosted by Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte last June 4-6.
"As Organic Agriculture Ambassador, I am determined to continue promoting the transition to affordable - environment friendly agricultural practices and making available to many Filipinos healthy and affordable nutritious organic food, abandoning the use of costly and soil degrading chemical fertilizer and pesticides, " assured Villar.
Villar was appointed "Organic Ambassador" because of her significant work in promoting organic agriculture.
In 2020, she worked for the passage of RA 11511 (An Act Amending the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010), which aims to institutionalize the Participatory Guarantee System or PGS as a cheaper organic certification scheme of P1,200.00 per product per year for organic products versus the expensive third party certification costing P150,000.00 per product per year.
The law also provided for the inclusion of representatives from NGOs in the National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB), the policy-making and implementation arm of the organic agriculture programs of the Department of Agriculture.
Villar pursues her personal organic advocacy to enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm productivity, reduce pollution and waste to prevent destruction of the environment.
Since 2002, in her hometown Las Pinas City, Villar has initiated a composting program which saves the local government more than PHP300 million annually by recycling 50 percent of waste into organic fertilizer. She has established 139 composting facilities nationwide, 89 of which are placed in the 20 barangays of Las Piñas and another 50 in Vista Land communities nationwide using kitchen and garden waste.
Villar has been giving away free vegetable seeds and compost to promote home, urban and school gardening since 2019.
"The project touches the lives of many vegetable enthusiasts who are interested in home gardening and farmers too because of the high cost of synthetic fertilizer."
She has been promoting the teaching of organic agriculture and its application in her four (4) farm schools located in Las Piñas-Bacoor, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, San Miguel, Iloilo and in Buhangin, Davao City, which were established in 2015, 2016, 2021 respectively.
Since she became the Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, Villar has also influenced the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), the National High Value Crops Program, the National Organic Agriculture Program and recently, the National Rice Program to promote composting and for the procurement and distribution of composting facilities for LGUs and farmer's organizations nationwide.
Over 2,000 organic advocates and practitioners of sustainable agriculture, both local and foreign, attended the event.
Mayor Rommel C. Arnado spearheaded the event which showed the best organic practices of Municipality which is now 100 percent organic.
Meanwhile, the said event also brought together local governments and the organic sector from various Asian nations and discussed the main trends in the movement and methods for advancement of organic agriculture.
Mayor Arnado considers Villar
as a true and real partner of these organizations in pursuing the goals of organic agriculture.
Arnado is the President of League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities, Cities and Provinces in the Philippines (LOAMCP) and also the new President of the Alliance of Local Governments in Organic Agriculture (ALGOA), which works with over 200 local governments in Asia to promote the expansion of organic agriculture. He is also co-president of the Global Alliance for Organic Districts, a sub-organization of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
Villar, itinalagang "Ambassador of the Woman in Organic Agriculture in Asia"
Itinalaga si Senator Cynthia A. Villar bilang "Ambassador of the Woman in Organic Agriculture in Asia in the Philippines" (WOAA-Ph), IFOAM-Asia at League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities, Cities at Provinces sa 6th Organic Asia Congress ng Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte noong June 4-6.
"As Organic Agriculture Ambassador, I am determined to continue promoting the transition to affordable - environment friendly agricultural practices and making available to many Filipinos healthy and affordable nutritious organic food, abandoning the use of costly and soil degrading chemical fertilizer and pesticides," paniniyak ni Villar.
Itinanghal si Villar na Organic Ambassador dahil sa kanyang pagsusulong sa organic agriculture.
Noong 2020, itinaguyod niya na maisabatas ang RA 11511 (An Act Amending the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010) para ma-institutionalize ang Participatory Guarantee System (PGS). Ito ang mas murang organic certification scheme na P1,200.00 per product per year sa organic products kumpara sa third party certification na P150,000.00 per product per year.
Itinakda rin sa batas na ito na kabilang ang mga kinatawan ng NGOs sa National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB).
Adbokasiya ni Villar ang organic farming na layong pagyamanin ang lupa, pataasin ang
farm productivity at pababain ang polusyon at basura para maiwasan ang pagkasira ng kapaligiran.
Itinatag din niya ang composting facilities na natural na proseso ng recycling ng organic matter gaya ng kitchen at garden wastes.
Sa kanyang hometown sa Las Pinas City, sinimulan ni Villar noong 2002 ang composting program kung saan nakatitipid ang Las Pinas ng PHP300 million kada taon. Limamoung (50) porsiyento ng basura ang ginagawang organic fertilizer. May 139 composting facilities na ang naipatayo niya sa buong ng bansa, 89 ay nakatayo sa 20 barangays ng La Piñas at 50 ay nakalagay sa mga Vistaland communities sa iba't-ibang panig ng bansa gamit ang kitchen at garden wastes.
Simula naman 2019, namimigay si Villar ng libreng vegetable seeds at compost para isulong ang home, urban at school gardening tungo sa food security.
"The project touches the lives of many vegetable enthusiasts who are interested in home gardening and farmers too because of the high cost of synthetic fertilizer."
Itinuturo rin ang organic agriculture sa kanyang apat na farm schools sa Las Piñas-Bacoor, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan; San Miguel, Iloilo at Buhangin, Davao City.
Simula nang maging Chair ng Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, nakipag-ugnayan si Villar sa Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), National High Value Crops Program, National Organic Agriculture Program at kamakailan, sa National Rice Program para isulong ang composting at ipamigay ang
composting facilities sa LGUs at farmer's organizations.
Dumalo sa naturang event ang mahigit 2,000 organic advocates at practitioners ng sustainable agriculture.Pinangunahan ni Mayor Rommel C. Arnado ang event kung saan ipinakita rin ang best organic practices ng munisipalidad na ngayo'y 100 percent organic.
Nagsama-sama dito ang local governments at organic sector mula sa Asian nations at tinalakay ang main trends sa movement at methods sa pag-used ng organic agriculture.
Kinilala ni Arnado si Villar na tunay na partner ng mga samahan na may kaugnayan sa agrikultura.
Si Mayor Arnado ang Pangulo ng League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities, Cities at Provinces sa Philippines (LOAMCP) at bago ring Presidente ng Alliance of Local Governments in Organic Agriculture (ALGOA) na katrabaho ang mahigit 200 local governments sa Asia para palawakin ang organic agriculture. Co-president siya ng Global Alliance for Organic Districts, sub-organization ng International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
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