DA, NCIP validate Benguet, Ifugao native heirloom rice

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- The Dept. of Agriculture Regional Field Office in Cordillera together with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) conducted community validations in Benguet and Ifugao for research implemented from June 2017 to July 2020 under the Heirloom Rice Project (HRP) Phase 2.
    Project leader Veronica Fangasan said the community validation aims to correct errors and ensure that the data and information gathered from the research are accurate, adding the project acquired the free prior and informed consent of the concerned indigenous communities and had signed a memorandum of agreement which required the conduct of community validation.
    Myra Kalang-ad, provincial officer of NCIP Benguet, emphasized that the heirloom rice is the identity of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and it can also be their gift to the next generations. She expressed that the results of the research would benefit the IPs of Benguet.
    Milagros Limangan, NCIP Ifugao representative, also iterated on the importance of heirloom rice research as these play a pivotal role in the cultural identity of the Ifugaos. She encouraged the participants to question and correct any wrong information that would be presented.
    Meanwhile, Sarah Balloyan, HRP staff, presented the results of the participatory needs and opportunities assessment; collected, on-site agro-morphological characteristics, grain quality, and nutritional values; five studies on nutrient management strategies; three location-specific pest management recommendations; initial geo-tagged heirloom rice production areas; harvest and post-harvest technologies; product and by-product development studies; and the summary of the improved or matured technologies introduced to the farmers.
    Grouped per municipality, the participants also validated the list of heirloom rice landraces gathered during the participatory rapid appraisal of heirloom rice landraces conducted in 2019 through the HRP.
    In Benguet, the municipalities of Bakun, Kapangan and Kibungan recorded 58 heirloom rice landraces. Out of these landraces, 12 are glutinous while 46 are nonglutinous. The farmers claimed that 11 landraces are introduced from other provinces in the Cordillera and from outside but have already been cultivating them for years. The introduced landraces are Basilio, Brando, Darat, Dolpo, Intan, Kalinga, Makaranyag, Pokpoklo, Potot, Salegseg and Wagwag.
    On the other hand, the municipalities of Banaue, Hingyon, and Hungduan in Ifugao shortlisted 71 heirloom rice landraces. Out of these landraces, 26 are glutinous while 45 are nonglutinous. Six landraces are adopted from the areas of Manteka/Palawan, Tadian, Kambulu, Hagaga (Minaangan), Irik/ California/Bukid and Oklan/Hapu.
"The results presented are good. It's up for us farmers to adopt or not because these are proven by science," said Steve Baccay of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Ifugao.
    The community validations were conducted at Poblacion, Kibungan, Benguet on Oct. 18, 2022, and at Amganad, Banaue, Ifugao on Oct. 20, 2022. It was attended by the heirloom rice farmers who are members of the Benguet Heirloom Rice Farmers Agricultural Cooperative and Ifugao Heirloom Rice Producers' Cooperative, Rice Terraces Farmers' Cooperative, OMAG staff and NCIP.
    The participants from each province signed a certificate of validation signifying that they are satisfied with the content and manner of presentation of the research outputs.