Friday, December 13, 2024

Awareness seminar on food safety, regulations held

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), staged an awareness seminar on food safety and regulations on August 15 at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC), in this city

During this time, the agency apprised almost 50 local farmers and agri-enterprises from the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte on key concepts and relevant laws on food safety.

On behalf of DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, AMAD Assistant Division Chief Ferdinand F. Caraballe emphasized its importance for local stakeholders engaged in producing agricultural commodities and food products.

“[The DA] conducts this seminar annually because we handle food, and therefore, it is our commitment to our consumers that what we deliver is safe and free from foodborne diseases,” Caraballe said.

Through Republic Act No. 10611, otherwise known as the ‘Food Safety Act of 2013’, the DA and its attached regulatory agencies, bureaus, and corporations are identified as food safety regulatory agencies (FSRAs) responsible for the implementation of laws, standards, and programs on food safety in the primary production and post-harvest stages of the food supply chain.

Said regulatory agencies include the Bureau of Animal Industry, National Meat Inspection Service, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Plant Industry, Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and the National Dairy Authority.

Underscoring the role of the local government in the implementation of food safety laws, Andrew M. Calimutan of the Office of the DA Assistant Secretary for Policy and Regulations said that the Department, through the aforementioned regulatory agencies, continues to engage and assist LGUs in the formulation of local ordinances on food safety.

Further, he said that the agency is presently revisiting its regulatory policies to ensure that they are retrofitted to current industry and trade standards and remain in service to consumer and food safety interests.

Under RA 10611, DA conducts training for local producers and food business operators on food safety to ensure their compliance with industry standards, including the Code of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Code of Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).

Market Specialist IV Irish O. Ativo from the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service said that these standards and compliance certifications provide a competitive advantage for food business operators, as they allow for market expansion and build consumer trust and confidence in their products.

During the session, the farmers were also kept abreast of practical food handling practices for agricultural produce, salient information on the Participatory Guarantee System, and a comprehensive review of the activities and services offered by the Food Safety Operations Unit of the BPI-Plant Product Safety Services Division.

They were also briefed on the strategies for marketing GAP-certified products through the Department’s KADIWA marketing program.

In closing, Caraballe urged the participants to apply what they had learned throughout the session to their respective enterprises and agricultural production, highlighting its implications in building public trust, consumer safety, and food quality and nutrition.

The said activity is in line with the Department’s refined thrusts toward a ‘Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas’ under the leadership of Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. and President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (GDA)

Mt. Kitanglad gipanghingusgan nga maprotektahan

“𝐴𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎ℎ𝑖 𝑠𝑎 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑎 𝐵𝑢𝑘𝑖𝑑𝑛𝑜𝑛, 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑛ℎ𝑜𝑛 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑔-𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑘𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑎 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑖𝑦𝑎ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑛”, kini ang mensahi ni Bae Adelina ‘Inatlawan’ Tarino, usa sa mga Mt. Kitanglad Council of Elders

Nasulti niya kini atol sa gipahigayon nga 27th Aldaw Ta Kitangalad, Nobyembre 7-9, 2023, Barangay Capehan, lungsod sa Libona, Bukidnon, sa tema nga “Preserving Water: Sustaining Life, Honoring Heritage”.

Gipasabot ni Bae Inatlawan nga ang Mt. Kitanglad unang gitawag nga “Buntod Ta Lumuluyaw”, nga buot ipasabot, usa ka sagrado nga lugar nga kung maalimahan, anaa diha ang kaluwasan.

Ang maong kabukiran binilin sa katigulangan nga adunay balaod, nga ginganlan ug Palayaga Ha Batasan, Pagunguta Ha Batasan, Kaub ha Binalingan Ha Batasan, Makapundog Lumabunog Ha Batasan, Ug Minamaun Ha Batasan, nga kung dili matuman ug masunod, moagi ang mga katalagman.

“𝐴𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑘𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑦 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔-𝑢𝑏𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑖ℎ𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑘𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝑢𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑎 𝑀𝑡. 𝐾𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒, 𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑜𝑛 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑢ℎ𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑏-𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑎𝑔𝑖 𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑦, 𝑎𝑘𝑜 𝑛𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑜𝑡 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑤𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑔-𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑠𝑢𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎 𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑦𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑦𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐿𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑤’𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑎ℎ𝑢𝑚 𝑜 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑦𝑎”, mao kini ang gipaabot nga mga panghinaot ni Vice Governor Clive D. Quiño.

Gidugang ni Vice-Governor Quiño kinahangalan hingusgan ang mga programa sa Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) nga mao ang pagpanalipod sa Kitanglad, pagpadayon pagpa-edukar sa katawhan, padayon nga pag-monitor sa kalasangan ingon man pagdugang sa mohon o demarcation sa protected areas, diin gipanghinaot nga mamahimo kining nominado alang sa United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) nga naila isip ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP).

Mipaabot usab sa mensahe si Benjamin M. Maputi. Sr, ang Kitanglad Guard Volunteer (KGV) Federation President,“Salamat kaayo nga nakasabot na ang tanan ilabi na sa atong mga LGU, sa Province, sa Munisipyo, sa Barangay kay nakasabot na ang tanan nga angayan nga ato gayud protektaran ang Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park kay maoy tinubdan sa hangin, sa maayong panahon sa kabugnaw ilabi na sa 28 ka barangay nga nagpalibot niini, salamat usab sa Ginoo, ang Ginoo ra ang nasayod, kay sa pagsugod sa Kitanglad, naa nako dira gwardiya sa kinaiyahan nga ma-protektran og mapadayonon”.

Ang Mt. Kitanglad Range adunay 380 ka guard volunteers diin gilangkuban sa mga lungsod sa Lantapan, Impasugong, Sumilao, Talakag, Baungon, Manolo Fortich, Libona og syudad sa Malaybalay diin maoy naglibot sa Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park.

Gikoronahan isip Laga ta Kitanglad si Ms. Michelle P. Calupe gikan sa lungsod sa Lantapan ug Maama KGV si Mr. Peter John Paul Ganiahan gikan sa lungsod sa Talakag. (LGU Bukidnon)