Healthy Flavors of Science - pcaarrd - Department of Science and ...

■ Vol. 39 │ ■ No. 2 │ ■ APRIL–JUNE 2011 │ ■ ISSN 0116-3140 

the PCARRD 

The management system governing 

the production of this publication 

is ISO 9001:2008 certified. 

ISO 

9001: 

2008 

Quarterly Newsletter of the PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURE, 

FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (PCARRD) 

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 

Healthy Flavors of Science 

Healthier options are effective 

marketing strategies today. Higher 

accounts of obesity, increasing 

cancer mortality rates, and diabetes 

proliferation continue to alarm 

people globally. Hence, people are 

now starting to be more careful with 

their food intake. The challenge 

for producers now is to create 

innovative healthy products, which 

can satisfy the consumer’s appetite. 

However, being healthy does 

not mean depriving oneself of 

good food. Thanks to science and 

technology (S&T), innovative yet 

healthy products are now available. 

In the recently concluded 

International Food Exhibit (IFEX) 

held at the SMX convention center 

in the SM Mall of Asia in May 2011, 

a variety of processed and fresh 

commodities delighted the public. 

The event was participated by almost 

263 exhibitors from the domestic 

and international market producers. 

To showcase products proudly 

made by its Magsasaka Siyentista 

(MS), PCARRD also took part in 

the event. With the theme “Flavors 

of Science,” the Council featured 

frozen durian, coconut syrup and 

sugar, strawberry preserves, pili 

oil, and mango sauce and catsup. 

All of which have the tropical 

allure to capture the keen taste of 

health-conscious consumers. 

Guilt-free delights 

Up for serving, during the food 

expo, were blends of delightful flavors 

of science offering healthy alternatives 

that can satisfy people’s cravings. 

A sweet fruit with a pungent 

smell, Durian is probably the 

continued on page 14 ► 

NEWS MONITOR 

• Faylon opens AFNR Program 

Forum 

• Phil-Aus project will help save 

watershed in Southern Philippines 

• Of fruits and greens: A horticultural 

R&D joint venture 

TECHNOLOGY 

• GIS and IT towards environmental 

hazards management 

• Introducing the Philippine rice 

combine harvester 

• Computer vision system for milled 

rice quality analysis 

• Artificial insemination for goat in 

Region 2 

• Vermicompost and vermitea 

enhances rice grain yield

EDITORIAL 

Hope in S&T 

Again, S&T takes center stage 

in the 2011 celebration of the 

National S&T Week (NSTW). 

This year’s theme, “Nasa Syensya 

ang Pag-asa” once more reminds 

us that sustained economic growth 

can be achieved with scientific 

and technological advancement. 

World history bears this 

out. Developed countries took 

this path beginning with the 

industrial revolution in the late 

18 th century. Even the socialist 

economies flourished from the 

gains of S&T development. 

Likewise, just before the turn 

of the new millennium, some East 

Asian countries took the same 

path to development, following 

the example of neighboring Japan 

after the world war. Today, China 

is set to be the next world power 

boosted by gains in its economy 

helped in part by its advanced 

S&T sector. India is likewise a 

growing economy fuelled by S&T. 

Slowly, many of the developing 

world are catching on. Many 

see the role played by S&T in 

building strong economies. 

In the Philippines, the first 

serious look into the state of S&T 

in the country was commissioned by 

President Ramon Magsaysay, prior 

to his death, after recognizing the 

potentials of S&T to development. 

However, it was President 

Carlos P. Garcia, acting on the 

recommendation of the survey, who 

established a science development 

board to oversee the development 

of science in the country in 1958. 

In 1982, the board was 

transformed into the National S&T 

Authority with broader policymaking 

and program implementing 

functions. It eventually became 

the Department of Science and 

Technology (DOST) in 1987 in 

response to the increasing demands 

for S&T-based intervention 

in national development. 

DOST was mandated 

“to provide central direction, 

leadership, and coordination of 

scientific and technological efforts, 

and ensure that the results there 

from are geared and utilized in 

areas of maximum economic and 

social benefits for the people.” 

Since its establishment, DOST 

has continuously exerted efforts 

to promote and utilize S&T as an 

engine for national development. 

Annually, recent developments 

and achievements in domestic 

S&T are highlighted in a national 

S&T week spearheaded by DOST. 

The celebration was instituted by 

virtue of Presidential Proclamation 

2214 in 1982 and later amended 

through Republic Act 169 of 

1993 declaring the third week 

of every year as the National 

Science and Technology Week. 

PCARRD, for its part, 

contributes its share in the 

advancement of S&T in the 

agriculture, forestry and natural 

resources (AFNR) sectors. 

The recently crafted PCARRD 

Corporate Plan for 2011–2016 

lays out the Council’s goals and 

objectives in providing direction in 

S&T-led production of competitive 

agricultural and forestry products 

while keeping in sight the 

protection and conservation of 

biodiversity and the environment. 

PCARRD aims to: 

• Effect sustainable food 

production by making available 

appropriate solutions to intensify 

food production to achieve food 

sufficiency and poverty reduction; 

• Prime up the countryside 

through needed livelihood and 

improved income opportunities 

generated from research and 

development (R&D) efforts; 

• Sustain environmental 

resilience by generating sciencebased 

solutions for natural 

resource management and 

the environment including 

climate change adaptation, 

biodiversity conservation, 

and watershed protection. It 

will also support search for 

alternative energy sources; 

• Advance AFNR interest 

through policy R&D; and 

• Enhance R&D capability 

and governance through a 

enabling environment for R&D 

systems to prosper through 

progressive and participatory 

governance mechanism. 

If PCARRD achieves these 

goals then there is definitely hope 

for economic and sustainable 

development in the country, 

especially in the AFNR sector. 

2 April–June 2011

NEWS 

MONITOR 

Faylon opens AFNR Program Forum 

“Understand the root cause of 

the problem on agriculture, forestry, 

and natural resources (AFNR) 

graduates supply and demand.” 

PCARRD Executive Director 

Patricio S. Faylon emphasized this 

need during the National Forum on 

the state and future supply of and 

demand for AFNR graduates in the 

Philippines last May 3, in Makati 

City as part of the big umbrella 

program, Enhancing the Demand 

for AFNR Graduates through S&T. 

The forum was hosted by the 

Philippine Institute for Development 

Studies (PIDS) and attended by 

project stakeholders such as DOST, 

Commission on Higher Education 

(CHED), Department of Labor 

and Employment - Bureau of 

Local Employment (DOLE-BLE), 

Department of Trade and Industry 

(DTI), Technical Education and 

Skills Development Authority 

(TESDA), state universities and 

colleges (SUCs), AFNR regional 

teams, and national coordinators. 

CHED, PIDS, PCARRD, and 

the University of the Philippines 

conceptualized the policy research 

component of the program. In 

consultation with Philippine 

Association of State Universities 

and Colleges (PASUC), they sought 

to identify the factors causing 

the downtrend in enrolment 

in AFNR courses as well as the 

factors affecting the supply of and 

demand for AFNR graduates. 

During the forum, Faylon 

recognized the effort of the team in 

determining the state and predicting 

the future supply of and demand for 

AFNR graduates in the country. 

For more than a year, the team 

reviewed literature, inventoried 

human resources, traced graduates, 

surveyed employers, analyzed 

data, modeled supply and 

demand and projected the same. 

They conducted policy research 

by region and integrated the 

results at the national level. 

Partners from more than 30 

implementing institutions across 

14 regions and more than 100 

higher education institutions 


The PCARRD Monitor 3

Project partners visit part of the Inabanga watershed in Bohol. 

Phil-Aus project will help save 

watershed in Southern Philippines 

The Philippines and Australia 

project, Watershed Evaluation 

for Sustainable Use of Sloping 

Agricultural Land in Southern 

Philippines will help sloping lands in 

watershed areas that are vulnerable 

to erosion and degradation. 

In a project briefing in 

PCARRD, Project Leader Dr. 

Anthony Ringrose-Voase of 

Commonwealth Scientific and 

Industrial Research Organization 

(CSIRO) said that the project 

will help improve the planning of 

watershed development activities. 

It will be implemented in Cabulig 

Watershed in Misamis Oriental 

and Inabanga Watershed in Bohol. 

These sloping areas are intensively 

used and are often impacted 

by environmental stresses. 

Agriculture activities in the 

sloping lands are intensifying because 

of the need to produce more food 

for the growing population in the 

Philippines. According to Voase, 

while there may be technological 

recommendations to manage the 

sloping lands, “there is no point 

in introducing interventions in 

an area when the interventions 

are not suitable. Interventions 

may work differently in different 

farms,” Hence, it is important to 

have decision-making aids such 

as spatial data, maps and vital 

information that are accurate, 

useful, affordable, and accessible 

to local and national entities. 

The three-year project is 

funded by the Australian Centre for 

International Agricultural Research 

(ACIAR), with CSIRO as the lead 

implementing agency in Australia 

and the Philippine’s Bureau of 

Soils and Water Management 

(BSWM). Together with local 

partners, the project will develop 

a conceptual model of watershed 

attributes and processes and 

enhance and apply digital methods 

for predicting land attributes. 

The project takes off from 

what other local and international 

research institutions have already 

done in the project sites. It will 

complement existing research 

activities in the area and add value 

to results of previous projects. 

It will produce spatial library 

of important watershed attributes 

and efficient methods of watershed 

characterization that can be used 

in other watersheds. Digital soil 

mapping, an emerging technology, 

will be applied in characterizing the 

Cabulig and Inabanga watersheds. 


4 April–June 2011

NEWS 

MONITOR 

Phil-Aus project... (from page 4) 

This technology involves rapid 

soil measurement technique 

and statistical modeling. 

Moreover, the project will assess 

suitability of the land for various 

uses through improved approaches 

and methodologies. Data and 

information to be collected and 

analyzed will reside in local and 

selected national agencies for land 

use planning processes and as 

sound basis for decision-making. 

The Billabong catchment in 

New South Wales will be used 

as a test-bed for new methods of 

watershed characterization and 

land suitability assessment that 

will be used in the Philippines. 

Aside from CSIRO and BSWM, 

agencies which will be involved in 

the project are: World Agroforestry 

Center, Department of Environment 

and Natural Resources-Regions 

X and VII; Misamis Oriental 

State College of Agriculture and 

Technology; Landcare Foundation of 

the Philippines; Bohol Island State 

University; and local governments 

of Misamis Oriental and Bohol. 

The project evolved from a 

consultation workshop organized by 

ACIAR Philippines and PCARRD 

through its Agricultural Resources 

Management Research Division. In 

this workshop, participants agreed 

to address the issues on watershed 

characterization, land suitability 

for agricultural development, and 

land use planning. CSIRO, as 

commissioned by ACIAR, drafted 

and refined the proposal after a 

series of meetings with partner 

agencies and visit to project sites. 

An inception and planning 

meeting has already been conducted 

to lay the ground works for the 

project implementation that 

will soon start this year. 

PCARRD is the designated 

authority of the Philippine 

government to undertake 

coordination, monitoring, and 

evaluation of this project and 

other ACIAR projects in the 

country. (Ofelia F. Domingo) 

Of fruits and greens: 

A horticultural R&D joint venture 

In the southern regions of 

the country, fruit and vegetable 

farmers constantly encounter many 

threats to their livelihood. Thus, 

an immediate and a great need for 

appropriate S&T interventions to 

protect the farmers’ primary income 

source and help them counteract 

extreme weather changes, pests 

and diseases, poor soil and plant 

nutrition, and postharvest losses. 

In response, the Australian 

Centre for International Agricultural 

Research (ACIAR) in partnership 

with PCARRD is now working on 

two programs to find solutions and 

address issues that impact on value 

chains in Southern Philippines. 

These projects are: Improved 

Domestic Profitability and Export 

Competitiveness of Selected Fruit Value 

Chains in Southern Philippines and 

Australia and Enhanced Profitability 

of Selected Vegetable Value Chains in 

Southern Philippines and Australia. 

The status of the two programs 

became evident at the 3 rd Philippine 

Annual Program Review for the 

ACIAR-PCARRD Horticulture 

Program on Fruits and Vegetables 

in Davao City on April 7. 

Fruitful program 

The fruits program focuses on the 

development of supply chains, preand 

post-handling pests and diseases, 

crop nutrition, and economic and 

policy issues on selected fruits such as 

mango, durian, jackfruit, and papaya. 

Supply chain. The research 

team from the University of the 

Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) 

focused on the ‘Solo’ papaya 

domestic supply chain in Tupi, 

South Cotabato and its distribution 

in different market chains in Metro 

Manila and outlying provinces. 

Identifying the constraints and 

opportunities, partners recommended 

improving the supply chain for 

the Philippine papaya. Since the 

consumers value color and quality 

of the fruits, one way to improve the 



Of fruits and greens... (from page 5) 

chain is to enhance product quality. 

This can be done through fruit 

maturity and regulation of ripening 

and control of postharvest diseases 

through hot water treatment (HWT). 

Pest and diseases. Researchers 

from the Department of Agriculture 

– Southern Tagalog Integrated 

Agricultural Research Center (DA- 

STIARC), UPLB, and University of 

Southeastern Philippines (USeP) in 

Davao City explored the Integrated 

Pest Management (IPM) strategy 

for the mango pulp weevil. As a 

result, they proved that bottle traps 

can be used to control the weevil. 

The bottle trap effectively caught 

about 57% of the weevils. To 

ensure adoption of the IPM strategy, 

researchers ran IPM workshops 

for mango growers and local 

government unit (LGU) technicians. 

For the IPM of Phytophthora 

disease in durian, researchers 

collaborated with local farmers in 

Davao City, Digos City, Tagum City, 

and in Bukidnon. In a participatory 

action research, they showed 

that the use of organic chicken 

dung and vermicast decrease 

the occurrence of the disease. 

In jackfruit, the control of 

Phytophthora disease centered 

on improved cultural practice 

such as organic manuring. This 

practice includes the use of 

fermented organic additives 

like green silage, chicken dung, 

and effective microorganisms. 

These results prompted the 

conduct of Farmer’s Field Days 

(FFDs) where partners shared 

IPM strategies and technologies 

with the community. 

For papaya, 

researchers confirmed 

the presence of choco 

spot (Corynespora 

cassiicola), a fungus 

disease on the ‘Solo’ 

papaya variety. 

Fungicide for the 

control of the disease 

will be evaluated 

by the Bureau of 

Plant Industry – 

Davao National 

Crop Research and 

Development Center 

(BPI-DNCRDC). 

A bountiful harvest 

in the vegetables 

program 

The vegetable 

program focused 

on promoting 

more profitable 

and sustainable 

production; 

addressing problems such as damage 

brought about by pests and diseases, 

declining soil fertility; and creation of 

collaborative marketing groups linked 

to buyers for better net returns. 

Soil fertility and management. 

Alternative nutrient source inputs 

were tested on cabbage, corn, and 

tomato in several sites in Ormoc City, 

Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, 

and Bukidnon. These included swine 

manure, chicken dung, mudpress 

(sugarcane byproducts or leftovers), 

and vermicast. Furthermore, crops 

were supplemented with selected 

nutrients and also deprived through 

omission of traditionally over 

supplied nutrients like nitrogen. 

Protected cropping system. 

Vegetable growers in high rainfall 

areas of Baybay, Maasin, Bato, 

Bontoc, and Ormoc City proved 

the value of protective structures 

such as coco house, bamboo house 

(raised or vent type), and tunnel-type 

structures. Ampalaya, tomato, sweet 

pepper, lettuce, and watermelon 

grown under these structures yielded 

higher and had less damage than 

those grown in the open field. 

These can be attributed to lower 

incidence of pests and diseases. 

Under open field, the yield 

ranged from 2.23 tons/ha to 

59.79 tons/ha with 35–40% 

incidence of bacterial wilt. In 

the protective structures, yield 

6 April–June 2011

anged from 10.47 tons/ha to 

100.02 tons/ha and occurrence of 

bacterial wilt was at 20–25%. 

Management of bacterial wilt. 

The bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum 

causes wilt in solanaceous plants. 

Management of this disease, 

especially in potato, is challenging. 

Effective management hinges on the 

knowledge of its genetic diversity. 

Researchers first assessed the 

genetic diversity of the bacterial 

isolates collected from the project 

sites and compared them to isolates 

collected in other parts of the 

country. They then used the isolates 

to evaluate the susceptibility of 18 

potato varieties and 4 NOMIARC 

or Northern Mindanao Integrated 

Agricultural Research 

Center lines. 

Based on the 

evaluation done in 

Miarayon, Talakag, the 

five best performers 

for seed production 

were Igorota, Raja, 

Astra, Columbus, and 

Kennebec. In addition, 

NOM PO A, Kennebec, 

Granola, NOM PO D, 

and Atlantic showed 

potential resistance 

against bacterial 

wilt in Imbayao, 

Malaybalay City. 

Aside from 

planting less susceptible 

varieties, other effective 

management measures 

for bacterial wilt 

included bio-fumigation 

and crop rotation. 

Value chain for 

high value vegetables. 

The key buyers of high value 

vegetables are hotels, resorts, 

restaurants, and supermarkets. 

Aside from determining this, 

researchers compared the farm 

gate prices and net margins of 

traditional and institutional value 

chains in southern Mindanao. 

Project partners also enhanced 

capability of smallhold farmers 

while providing assistance. 

Aiming for more 

The fruit and vegetable program 

will remain focused on solving 

problems in crop management 

specifically IPM, postharvest 

handling, soil and nutrition issues, 

and policy constraints. Researchers 

and collaborators will continue to 

refine technologies, intensify capacity 

building, and assist in conducting 

field days and developing and 

packaging of relevant publications. 

With its completion in 2012, 

the program aims to leave a lasting 

legacy to farmers, entrepreneurs, 

policy makers, and the general 

public. However, completion of 

this program in the coming year 

will not signal the end of the inflow 

of technologies, innovations, and 

knowledge to the people. With a 

productive partnership between 

ACIAR and PCARRD, the vegetable 

and fruit growers stand to gain 

more. (Renelle Comia-Yebron) 

Faylon opens... (from page 3) 

(HEIs) attended the forum. Here 

they took stock of project results 

and findings that could guide 

their plans and activities for other 

components of the program. 

The national program supported 

a wide range of interventions 

to help and improve the quality 

of AFNR degree offerings and 

thus, to increase enrolment. 

Notably, the program promotes 

S&T-based entrepreneurship 

development in SUCs. This will 

balance the training of AFNR 

students and provide them 

with viable alternatives to wage 

employment upon graduation. 

With the program nearing its 

completion, Faylon challenged all 

present to use the findings of the 

project to address the problem of 

unemployment, especially of AFNR 

graduates. (Pia Paula P. Mateo) 


TECHNOLOGY 

GIS and IT towards 

environmental hazards management 

The formidable effects of climate 

change are undeniably causing havoc 

today. Even in the Philippines, 

erratic weather conditions 

continue to trigger flooding, soil 

erosion, forest fires, and other 

detrimental environment hazards. 

In the country, forest fires 

remain as an environmental hazard. 

Foresters, local government units 

(LGUs), upland community 

leaders, and upland stakeholders 

decry the lack of a clear preventive 

scheme to predict where and when 

probable forest fires will occur. 

Without a reliable fire hazard 

system, foresters and firefighters 

rely on inefficient “guesswork” to 

determine the direction of fire spread 

and intensity. Meanwhile, creating 

a scheme to assess land capability 

is also vital to prevent further soil 

erosion. But such schemes will be 

futile if they are not available to the 

public in the easiest possible way. 

To address these problems, 

PCARRD funded the program 

Intelligent Decision Support System for 

Environmental Hazards Management 

using Geographic Information System 

(GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). 

The program is composed of three 

projects: (1) Forest fire hazards 

assessment and risk reduction using 

geographic information system; 

(2) Development of a watershed 

and capability evaluator; and 

(3) Development of a web-enabled 

environmental geo-information 

database for hazards management. 

Project 1: GIS for forest 

fire hazard assessment 

Researchers developed fire 

hazard maps for Carranglan, Nueva 

Ecija and Itogon, Benguet to guide 

forest managers in monitoring and 

protecting forest areas during fire 

season. These models were based 

on local data, specifically effects of 

vegetation, proximity to farms and 

roads, slope, and other aspects. 

The University of the Philippines 

Los Baños (UPLB) researchers Dr. 

Enrique L. Tolentino, Dr. Arturo 

SA. Castillo, and Dr. Leonardo 

M. Florece aimed to use GIS to 

develop a forecasting and risk 

reduction system based on projected 

forest fire behavior and hazards. 

The forest fire predictor 

model takes the guesswork out of 

forecasting and enables foresters and 

firefighters to accurately forecast fire 

behavior to make detailed hazard 

assessments. With accurate forecasts, 

damage to resources can be avoided, 

policy makers can be guided, 

and people can be forewarned. 

To reduce fire hazard in forest 

areas, Tolentino and company 

also recommend the practice of 

controlled burning or prescribed 

fire. However, they caution that the 

burning should be done only until 

the fuel from the grasses can no 

longer support a detrimental fire. 

Project 2: Land capability 

assessment through GIS 

The research team led by Dr. Rex 

Victor O. Cruz aimed to develop a 

tool for assessing land capability in 

a watershed. By using an erosionbased 

land classification scheme, they 

determined the probable uses for 

the land that would reduce risk of 

erosion, as well as protect watersheds. 

To develop the tool, researchers 

used GIS to estimate soil erosion 

potential (SEP) and soil erosion 

index (SEI) of selected areas. 

They developed hazard maps for 

landslides induced by floods and 

rain and for droughts. They then 

factored in the impact of climate 

change to determine the risk 

level of selected land zones. Thus, 

land areas which are prone to soil 

erosion can easily be determined. 

The land capability evaluator 

will enhance current land use 

planning methods and aid policy 

makers and LGUs to create and 

implement appropriate policies. 

The land capability evaluator 

was tested in the Pantabangan- 

Carranglan and Itogon Watersheds. 

Project 3: Geo-information 

database for hazards management 

Dr. Nathaniel C. Bantayan 

of CFNR, aimed to make the 

technologies developed for fire and 


8 April–June 2011

GIS and IT... (from page 8) 

land capability evaluation accessible 

through the Internet using GIS. 

In this project, the information 

and geographic data from fire and 

land capability evaluation models 

were uploaded in the Internet 

through a web-enabled geodatabase 

system. The developed 

web application was called Hazards 

Decision Support System. 

The site was built with a userfriendly 

interface that allows panning 

of the generated maps for better 

viewing. Likewise, the interface 

was enhanced with various menudriven 

controls to guide users. 

Through this web application, more 

stakeholders and decision-makers 

can access the information generated 

from the environmental hazards 

model. This will make it easier to 

determine the areas’ land capability 

as well as their risk to fire ignition. 

Technology towards environmental 

hazards management 

Perhaps known environmentalist, 

Al Gore, said it best when he argued 

that “there is no way for us to stop 

climate change now; the only thing 

that we can do is to slow down the 

process.” These outputs developed 

in the program are part of the 

Council’s contribution to slowing 

down “the process” – in forms that 

can immediately be used and provide 

early gains. (Edgilyn R. Alcasid) 

MS Calilung (second from left) showing his harvests during the STBF field day. 

Vermicompost and vermitea 

enhances rice grain yield 

Vermicompost and vermitea 

provide alternative means to 

manage and sustain soil fertility to 

meet the nutrient requirements of 

rice. These results to better quality 

produce, increased productivity, 

and more income for farmers. 

However, the big challenge 

for organic agriculture advocates 

is encouraging farmers who prefer 

quick-results inorganic fertilizers to 

adopt organic farming technologies. 

Furthermore, farmers are slow to 

adopt technologies, which they 

have less knowledge of. 

Bernardo G. Calilung, 

a Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) 

of Tarlac City, proved the 

effectiveness of vermicompost 

and vermitea in attaining and 

maintaining productivity and 

quality of rice seed production. 

Vermicompost is organic 

manure produced from worm 

castings. This biofertilizer is full of 

beneficial microbes or nutrients. 



Vermicompost and vermitea.. (from page 9) 

Vermitea, on the other hand, is the 

liquid extract prepared from worm 

castings. It has some fungicidal 

and pesticidal properties. 

Best management practices 

MS Calilung proved that the 

application of the right amount of 

vermicompost and vermitea result 

in significant improvement of 

organic-based rice seed production. 

For his science and technologybased 

farm (STBF), he incorporated 

25 bags of vermicompost in the soil 

during final harrowing in addition 

to one bag of urea and one bag of 

muriate of potash basally applied 

and top dressed five to seven 

days before panicle initiation. 

Furthermore, he diluted 4 L 

of vermitea with 16 L of water 

and sprayed 16 L of this mixture 

to his 0.5-ha farm per application 

from transplanting to panicle 

initiation at 2-weeks interval. The 

vermitea was applied early in the 

morning before 9 am and late 

in the afternoon after 4 pm. 

Bountiful harvest 

The STBF study implemented 

from November 2009 to September 

2010 demonstrated the success 

of S&T intervention in terms 

of the high yield in production 

and increased income. 

With heavier and more 

filled grains produced from the 

STBF organic-based rice, yield 

increased by 28.59% from 48.76 

cavans to 62.7 cavans for a 0.5- 

ha farm. Partial budget analysis 

showed that the vermicompost 

and vermitea generated a net 

financial impact of P20,470. 

MS Calilung’s STBF study 

was conducted with the support 

of the technical staff of the Tarlac 

College of Agriculture (TCA) 

and the financial support from 

PCARRD. (Lilia G. Bayabos) 

Artificial insemination 

for goat in Region 2 

Artificial insemination (AI) is still 

one of the best technologies being 

used today in genetic improvement 

for all types of livestock. Technically, 

AI is a breeding technique in which 

semen is obtained from the male 

and introduced into the female 

reproductive tract by means of 

instruments. Thus, breeding can be 

done throughout the year through 

synchronized or out-of-season 

breeding and semen from quality 

breeders can be stored for future use. 

In the Philippines, AI is widely 

used for swine and cattle breeding 

activities. For small ruminants it is 

not well adopted due to some gaps 

between the AI technologies for 

goats and the process of delivering 

the technology to raisers. 

PCARRD funded a project 

implemented by the Cagayan 

Valley Small Ruminants Research 

Center-Isabela State University 

(CVSRRC-ISU) to showcase and 

promote AI technology for goat in 

Region 2. It also aims to improve 

semen-processing procedures and 

the AI delivery systems in the 

region including the development 

of a semen extender formulation 

ready for the market. The overall 

goal of the project is to improve the 

farmers’ stocks in the rural areas. 

With the objective to improve 

semen processing, ISU AI 

Laboratory developed a semen 

extender formulation using soy 

bean lecithin in lieu of eggyolk. 

Studies in other countries revealed 

that eggyolk protein contains an 

enzyme, phospholipase A, which 

not only reduces sperm motility and 

sperm viability but also increases the 

incidence of acrosomal damage. In 

addition, eggyolk presents potential 

risks for microbial contamination 

and production of endotoxins 

which, in turn, affect the fertilizing 

capacity of spermatozoa. 

The inclusion of soybean protein 

in the extender formulation improved 

the post-thaw semen motility of 


10 April–June 2011

Computer vision system 

for milled rice quality analysis 

Standardization is a strategy 

to improve efficiency and global 

competitiveness of the grain 

industry. Under the national 

standards on grains, milled 

rice is classified based on its 

size, degree of milling, and 

amount of broken and other 

defective grains in the sample. 

The current practice of 

classifying grains is by visual 

inspection and manual separation 

of each grain according to its 

quality category and the result 

is calculated on a percentage 

weight basis. This type of analysis 

is subjective and depends on 

the skill of the classifier and 

the working conditions. 

To provide an objective, 

accurate, and quick method of 

analyzing milled rice, a group of 

researchers led by Dr. Manolito C. 

Bulaong of the Philippine Center 

for Postharvest Development and 

Mechanization (PhilMech) developed 

the low-cost computer vision system 

(CVS). It is composed of image 

acquisition and processing systems. 

The flatbed scanner is found to be 

technically feasible as a low-cost 

image acquisition device. Using the 

flatbed scanner reduced the price 

of the computer vision system by 

94%. The set up using the flatbed 

scanner is also simpler because the 

scanner has its own light source. 

For the image-processing 

component, PhilMech developed 

the milled rice quality classification 

software. This software called 

“caliper” was developed to measure 

the length of milled rice using the 

flatbed scanner. The software is a 

faster and more accurate alternative to 

manual measurement of milled rice. 

Using the “caliper” software 

took only about two minutes to 

measure the length of about 100 

grains compared with about 30 

minutes using the manual method. 

The main menu of the windowsgraphical 

user interface (GUI) of the 

software shows the acquired image 

of milled rice and individual grain 

classification data. The software 

uses computer models for the 

following: weight prediction, grain 

size measurement, and classification 

of grains into sound and defective. 

This method is faster than 

manual analysis used by the National 

Food Authority, which takes more 

than 2 hours. The computer time 

for image acquisition, processing, 

and grain classification takes less 

than a minute. CVS also gives a 

lower average coefficient of variation 

of 0.159, compared with 0.363 

for manual analysis. The CVS 

makes the analysis of milled rice 

quality faster, more convenient, 

and more accurate than the 

conventional, manual method. 

Graphical User Interface of the “Caliper” software for measuring 

grain size, % head rice, % broken grains, and % brewers. 


POLICY 

ADVOCACY 

Developing Capabilities of 

State Universities and Colleges 

through Science and Technology (Part 4) 

Institutional capability 

enhancement of state universities 

and colleges (SUCs) is at the core 

of the “Enhancing the Demand for 

Agriculture, Forestry and Natural 

Resources (AFNR) Graduates through 

S&T” program’s Component Projects 

2 and 3. Both projects focus on 

the five major sub-components 

of curriculum enhancement, 

facilities improvement, equipment 

procurement, learning materials 

development, and training. 

Component 3 also tackles 

income and employment 

generation projects with 

high S&T content. 

Component Projects 2 

and 3 are follow through of 

the results of the completed 

Component Project 1 - 

research on the factors causing 

the downtrend in AFNR 

enrolment and in forecasting 

the future supply of and 

demand for AFNR graduates 

in the Philippines. The results 

of Project 1 were featured in 

The PCARRD Monitor July– 

September 2010 issue as Part 3 

of a series of program features. 

Overall, 58 higher 

education institutions 

(HEIs) or AFNR-SUCs 

were capacitated under the 

program via Component 2 and 3 

activities. Bicol University (BU), 

Cavite State University (CvSU), 

Visayas State University (VSU), 

Western Mindanao State University 

(WMSU), University of Southeastern 

Philippines (USeP), and University 

of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) 

implemented Component 2 activities 

separate from their Component 

3 immersion modalities. On the 

other hand, six Consortia (four 

PCARRD Consortia: ILARRDEC, 

HARRDEC, CLARRDEC, 

CVARRD and two PCAMRD 

Consortia: Zonal Center-IV, Zonal 

Center-V) implemented Component 

2 as embedded activities under 

their Component 3 projects. 

Enhancing the Curriculum 

The program’s strategy was 

to develop the entrepreneurial 

mindset of students and integrate 


entrepreneurship in various 

AFNR curricula. The curriculum 

enhancement process started with 

the review and evaluation of various 

AFNR curricula offered by SUCs. 

The review aimed to determine 

which curricula will be revised and 

or enriched. Curriculum revision 

passed through many stages, from 

the department level through to the 

board of regents for final approval. 

Any curriculum enrichments and 

revisions complied with existing 

policies and standards for various 

AFNR degree programs set by the 

Commission on Higher Education 

(CHED). These programs included 

Bachelor of Science (BS) in 

Agriculture, BS in Agribusiness 

(BSAB), BS in Fisheries (BSFish), BS 

in Agricultural Engineering (BSAE), 

BS in Food Technology (BSFT), 

BS in Forestry (BSFor), and Doctor 

in Veterinary Medicine (DVM). 

Of the 107 curricula reviewed, 89 

were enriched and 49 were revised. 

Curricular enhancements took 

various forms such as the integration 

of entrepreneurship in technical 

subjects (e.g., CvSU); integration as 

a new subject in the curricula (e.g., 

UPLB); and integration in On-the- 

Job Training or students’ practicum 

(e.g., CLSU). In UPLB, a new 

course on entrepreneurship is now 

being offered as a general education 

subject – the first of its kind among 

public HEIs in the country. 

Improving the Facilities 

Majority of the facilities 

improved were on structures that 

house various Technopreneurial 

Learning Projects (TLPs) and 

Educational-Income Generating 

Projects (E-IGPs) (e.g., Tissue 

Culture Laboratory of VSU) while 

some support training activities such 

as training centers (e.g., USEP’s 

Farmers Training Center) and audiovisual 

rooms (e.g., CvSU AV Room). 

Through the program, SUCs met 

or even surpassed the minimum 

standards for campus infrastructures 

and facilities set by CHED. 

Overall, 207 AFNR facilities 

in 36 SUCs were enhanced. This 

included 4 offices, 7 training centers, 

4 audio-visual rooms, 20 laboratories, 

165 production- and 7 processingrelated 

facilities. (Jose Tomas M. 

Cabagay and Melvin B. Carlos) 


PROFILE 

From the Consortia 

Dr. Jesus Antonio G. Derije 

With the stewardship transfer 

of the Cotabato Agriculture and 

Resources Research and Development 

Consortium (CARRDEC) to the 

University of Southern Mindanao 

(USM), Dr. Jesus Antonio G. 

Derije, USM president now heads 

the consortium as the chair of the 

Regional R&D Board (RRDB). 

Derije is a Doctor of Veterinary 

Medicine from the Central 

Mindanao University (CMU) in 

Musuan, Bukidnon and a licensed 

veterinarian. He also has an MS 

degree in Animal Science and PhD 

in Agricultural Sciences major in 

Animal Science from USM. 

After graduation in 1987, he 

was employed as livestock inspector 

of the Department of Agriculture 

in Region XI based at Digos City. 

He was later absorbed by USM as 

a faculty member of the College of 

Veterinary Medicine (CVM). With 

his inherent leadership and exemplary 

performance, he was designated as the 

Dean of CVM from 1995 to 2000. 

Among his major functions 

then was to lead and coordinate the 

review for the Veterinarian Board 

Examinations, which helped increase 

USM-CVM passing percentage. 

In fact, during his term, USM 

ranked 2nd among the colleges 

and universities in the country in 

terms of performance in the Board 

Examination in 2000; 3 rd in 1997 

and 1999; and 4 th in 1996 and 1998. 

In the 1997 Board Examination, 

USM produced a 4 th placer. 

He worked as a consultant to 

San Miguel Foods, Inc. (Feed and 

Animal Health Division), Novartis 

Animal Health Philippines, Inc., 

Cotabato Agri-Business Development 

Technology Center, Inc., and to 

many livestock and poultry owners 

throughout the country. He authored 

the handbook in Zootechniques, “A 

Primer on Gamefowl Production 

and Health Management.” 

Derije took his oath as university 

president on January 5, 2009, 

succeeding Dr. Virgilio G. Oliva. 

In his inaugural speech, he stressed 

that his administration would work 

towards realizing the vision, mission, 

goals and objectives of the University 

with emphasis on transparency 

and accountability as well as 

professionalism and moral values. 

In his 2 years as president, USM 

received various recognitions for 

excellence in different categories, 

such as Center of Excellence in 

Veterinary Medicine, National 

Center of Excellence (College of 

Agriculture); Center of Development 

in Agricultural Biotechnology 

and in Biology; and the granting 

of Level IV accreditation of 

the Bachelor of Sciences in 

Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural 

Chemistry, and Agriculture. 

R&D in CMU was also 

strengthened through increased 

budget; sustained links with national 

and international institutions for 

funding support and collaborative 

research undertaking for technology 

generation; and attendance to 

national and international scientific 

conferences for technology updates. 

In October 2010, Derije was 

given the Soka Award and Award 

of Highest Honor on October 

9, 2010 by Dr. Daisaka Ikeda, 

founder, and Dr. Hideo Yamamoto, 

president, of Soka University, 

in recognition of his invaluable 

contributions to higher education. 

During his installation as 

chair of the Regional R&D 

Board of CARRDEC, Derije 

assured member-agencies that 

he would continue the efforts of 

his predecessor in pushing the 

consortium towards an outstanding 

level of performance through 

cooperation and collaborative 

effort. (Criselda C. Bangoy) 

Healthy Flavors... (from page 1) 

most popular fruit raised in 

Davao. However, its distinct odor 

discourages most consumers. 

Through freezing which lessens 

the strong odor, the sweetness of 

durian can finally be enjoyed in 

cold-preserved durian and jams. 

The coconut sugar is a healthy 

alternative to table sugar. With 

a low glycemic index (GI) of 

35, coconut sugar is considered 

safe for people who are watching 

their blood sugar level. 



Healthy Flavors... (from page 14) 

Another healthy choice for 

diabetics is the strawberry preserve 

with lower sugar content. The 

amount of sugar used in the 

strawberry preserve is lower than 

regular strawberry jams or preserves. 

As for salad dressings, a 

cheaper yet high quality product 

that Filipinos can truly be proud 

of is the pili oil – an affordable 

alternative to the imported olive 

oil. Aside from cooking, it can 

also be used as body massage oil. 

Mango ketchup and sauce, 

anyone? Although its color might 

seem strange and different than the 

usual, its taste can surely compete 

with that of the tomato and banana 

ketchup. What’s good is that it 

is rich in vitamin C and does 

not contain artificial coloring. 

From the TechnoMart Kitchen 

to consumer’s dining tables 

The spotlights shone even 

brighter on these products during 

the PCARRD media launch, 

bearing the same theme “Flavors 

of Science”, held at the Hotel 

H2O in the Manila Ocean Park. 

The media event was part 

of PCARRD’s TechnoMart 

Program which aims to fast track 

the movement of S&T products 

from source to the markets, 

increase product value, establish 

and implement business match, 

synchronize strategies with other 

sectors involved, and track the road 

towards the commercialization of 

the S&T products. It also intends to 

provide a dynamic venue where S&T 

products are promoted, markets are 

assessed, and feedback mechanisms 

are established and initiated. 

Although PCARRD has 

previously hosted similar events 

with S&T-beat news reporters, it 

was the first time lifestyle and food 

magazine writers were invited. 

Their keen taste and expertise with 

food provided a great avenue to test 

the acceptability of the products 

and underscore the importance 

of S&T behind each product. 

The guests tasted five carefully 

planned dishes of delectable delicacies 

that brought out the distinctive tastes 

of the products. As an appetizer, a 

vegetable salad tossed with a dressing 

enriched with pili oil was served. The 

nutty essence from the pili oil added 

more flavor to the usual salad taste. 

A pizza with mango sauce instead 

of tomato sauce was served next along 

with spaghetti with mango ketchup. 

The melted cheese above a layer of 

mango sauce was noted to be a good 

complement to the tangy mango 

taste. Noting the overpowering taste 

of cheese, some guests suggested 

that a thicker layer of mango sauce 

would give pizza a new twist. 

For the finale, strawberry tarts 

along with a serving of frozen durian, 

were served to the guests. First-time 

tasters of durian were delighted 

that its sweetness was preserved 

without its pungent smell. Likewise, 

strawberry tart gave the sweet 

experience a good complement. 

Representatives from Yellow Cab 

Pizza, one of the most popular pizza 

chains in the Philippines, pointed 

out that with proper marketing 

strategies, the use of mango sauce and 

catsup as an ingredient for spaghetti 

and pizza would undoubtedly 

create its niche in the market. 

With the success of the media 

launch, bringing the products 

closer to consumers can open more 

opportunities for agri-based products. 

Indulge without the 

guilt through S&T 

These food delights prove that 

science is not just about hard facts, 

theories, and numbers. It can likewise 

allow one to enjoy the goodness 

of delicious food. People can now 

indulge without the guilt, satisfying 

their sweet tooth and cravings 

through the succulent flavors of 

science. (Edgilyn R. Alcasid) 

ERRATUM 

In the January–March 2011 issue, 

in the Policy Advocacy section featuring 

the paper, “Facing the Challenges: Policy 

Issue and Directions for Improving the 

Grains Supply Chain,” a portion of the 

original manuscript was inadvertently 

omitted due to limited editorial space. 

The omitted portion should read, “Dr. 

Flordeliza A. Lantican of UPLB-College 

of Economics and Management and the 

project leader, together with Dr. Arnold 

R. Elepaño and Ms. Karen P. Quilloy, 

authored one of the project’s policy 

paper, “Policy Issue and Directions for 

Improving the Grains Supply Chain.” 

Additionally, on page 13, last 

paragraph of the second column 

pertaining to research findings in 

Isabela and Bukidnon, all statements 

and statistics referring to Cagayan 

should instead refer to Bukidnon. The 

specific statement concerning this 

should read, “Isabela and Bukidnon 

farmers also received small shares of 



Artificial insemination... (from page 10) 

the spermatozoa from 30% to 

50% thereby proving that it is 

indeed effective. Under refrigerated 

storage, the semen is viable for 110 

hours as compared to 90 hours 

using eggyolk-based extender. 

These results paved the way for 

the development of SemEx, a semen 

extender for goat formulated by 

the project for commercialization. 

Ensuring the delivery of 

the technology to the raisers in 

rural areas, systems of delivery 

were also tested in Region 2 in 

collaboration with the Department 

of Agriculture – Regional Field 

Unit (DA-RFU) 2 and different 

participating local government units 

(LGU). As such, ISU-CVSRRC-AI 

Laboratory produced goat semen 

to be stored at DA-RFU 2 for later 

distribution to participating LGU. 

This system benefited farmers from 

18 municipalities across Region 2. 

Moreover, private inseminators 

are charging for insemination 

services and using processed 

semen from the laboratory. 

To spread this activity to other 

areas, the project also conducts 

capability building for possible 

AI service providers in the region. 

To date, there are 64 trained 

inseminators coming from other 

regions aside from Region 2. 

Indeed, through AI, farmers 

are ensured that their stocks will 

be upgraded at a faster and more 

efficient way without the need of 

maintaining quality breeder bucks. 

Erratum... (from page 15) 

the total net income at only 9.4% 

and 11.3%, respectively due to the 

low prices they received and the high 

production costs they incurred. In fact, 

they had the largest shares in the total 

cost of marketable corn (28.6% for 

Isabela farmers and 40% for Bukidnon 

farmers). In addition, it was observed 

that Bukidnon farmers had higher net 

income shares than Isabela farmers 

since they sold their produce in dried 

form, which received better prices.” 

We apologize for the errors and any 

confusion this may have caused. 

The PCARRD MONITOR is the newsletter of PCARRD-DOST, Los Baños, Laguna, 

Philippines. It highlights policy issues, developments, and breakthroughs pertaining 

to Philippine agriculture and natural resources research and development efforts. 

Manuscripts, particularly from members of the national research system, are welcome 

and will be considered for publication. The views of the authors do not necessarily 

reflect those of PCARRD. 

Editors ............................................................................. Joel Eneristo A. Joven 

Paul Jersey G. Leron 

Editorial Assistants ...................................................... Carmelita B. Alamban 

Layout Artist ..................................................................... Paul Jersey G. Leron 

Photographers............................................................................ Victor V. Oro 

Paul Jersey G. Leron 

Editorial Advisers....................................................... Dr. Patricio S. Faylon 

Dir. Richard M. Juanillo 

Dr. Lily Ann D. Lando 

Re-entered as second-class mail matter at the Los Baños Post Office on 11 February 

2011, Permit No. 2011-05. 

PCARRD-DOST 

Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines 4030 

Tel. Nos. (63-049)536-0014, 536-0015, 536-0017 to 536-0020; 536-5907; 

536-2330; 536-2305; 536-2383; 536-1956; 536-6980 

Fax Nos. (63-049)536-0016; 536-7922 

E-mail: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph 

Website: http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

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