ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Positioning eco-friendly farming as a vital driver for public health and regional climate resilience, Western Visayas has emerged as a frontrunner in sustainable food production. The Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas (DA-WV) officially launched the 11th Regional Organic Agriculture Congress (ROAC) at the historic Casa Real de Iloilo in Iloilo City.
The three-day congress, which runs until Friday, brings together organic practitioners, smallholder farmers, and local agriculture officials during the nationwide celebration of Farmers and Fisherfolks Month.
A primary highlight of the congress is the region’s standout performance in land conversion metrics. While the transition from chemical-heavy cultivation to natural methods presents ongoing operational hurdles, local enforcement has broken past baseline legislative mandates:
- The 7 Percent Edge: Around 7 percent of the total effective agricultural footprint in Western Visayas is now fully engaged in organic agriculture.
- Surpassing the Law: This milestone comfortably exceeds the 5 percent minimum benchmark strictly mandated by national Philippine law.
- The Security Buffer: DA Regional Executive Director Buen Mondejar noted that Western Visayas’ strong self-sufficiency—particularly in baseline rice production—affords the region the unique economic stability required to scale organic technologies without threatening local food supplies.
[ WESTERN VISAYAS ORGANIC LAND PROFILE ]
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[ ACTUAL PERFORMANCE ] [ MANDATED BASELINE ]
• **7%** of effective regional farm • **5%** minimum organic land share
land is strictly chemical-free. required by national law.
Despite expanding market opportunities, agriculture officials were highly transparent about the severe short-term risks that scare smallholders away from chemical-free cultivation.
Zarlina Cuello, DA-6 Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations, detailed the distinct timeline and productivity dips associated with organic conversion:
[ THE ORGANIC TRANSITION TIMELINE ]
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[ SYNTHETIC DEPENDENCY ] [ THE 10%-30% YIELD GAP ] [ THE YEAR 5 RECOVERY ]
Excessive reliance on fast-acting Switching to natural inputs triggers Regular crop yields only stabilize
synthetic fertilizers temporarily an immediate **10 to 30 percent** and improve by the **fifth year**,
masks declining soil vitality while drop in harvest volume as the giving nutrient-deficient, barren
creating long-term toxicity risks. barren soil slowly recalibrates. soils time to recover naturally.
To bridge this critical five-year yield gap, the DA is aggressively rolling out structural safeguards and localized financial mechanisms designed to lower the high cost of compliance.
[ DA STRUCTURAL SUPPORT PIPELINE ]
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[ DEMOCRATIZING CERTIFICATION ] [ ₱5-MILLION DIRECT GRANTS ]
• Assisting farmer groups with the **Participatory Guarantee • Under the Organic Agriculture Livelihood Program (OALP),
System (PGS)**—a peer-led, community organic verification. accredited PGS groups can qualify for up to **₱5 million**.
• Eliminates the thousands of pesos needed for commercial • Funds directly cover bio-fertilizer infrastructure, farm
third-party testing, keeping smallholders competitive. machinery, and specialized land-suitability data tools.
Alongside high-level policy panels exploring crop technologies and natural animal feed production, the event features a vibrant public trade fair spotlighting the innovative “trash to cash” concept—converting standard agricultural waste into nutrient-rich vermicast and organic fertilizers.
[ PARTICIPATING ORGANIC COOPERATIVES ]
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[ VEGETABLE LEADERS ] [ PROVINCIAL NETWORKS ] [ ISLAND FORERUNNERS ]
The *Tubungan Vegetable Producer The *Aklan Provincial Organic Dedicated micro-farmers from the
Association* and *Pototan Organic Producer Association* scaled up *Guimaras Organic Forerunners*
Practitioners* led direct-to-market processed snacks, native spices, exhibited specialty chemical-free
fresh commodity logistics. and organic wellness beverages. fruits and high-value niche crops.
“The mindset of many farmers is focused on immediate output, but the long-term effects on soil health and human health must also be considered. After all, health is wealth. The bottom line is healthy food, healthy production, and sustainable income.” — Buen Mondejar, DA Regional Executive Director
Moving forward, the DA-WV plans to aggressively expand its consumer education campaigns, building on growing urban preferences for food safety to turn the region’s 7 percent environmental footprint into an unassailable domestic powerhouse for sustainable agriculture.