KASC Sends Entries to Internat’l Conference

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

Three researchers from the Kalinga-Apayao State College were sent by College President Eduardo Bagtang to Ilo-ilo City for a three-day conference from February 27-29. Simply dubbed as The International Research Conference, the activity highlighted the response of higher education and research institutions to the challenges of globalization through research. Hosted by the Western Visayas State University, it gathered research papers from different higher education institutions, both private and government-run, both from the Philippines and other countries. The activity reviewed the state of the art of researches in seven areas: Science, Math and Technology; Medicine and Health; Agriculture and Allied Fields; Media and Communication; Information Technology and Engineering; Teacher Education; and Humanities and Social Sciences.

KASC submitted a number of research papers and three of them were admitted for oral presentation: “Project Development Through GIS and Developing Based Maps Using DEM Satellite Image, “GIS-Based Agroforestry system of Kalinga” by Forester Emerson Barcellano (admitted under the Agriculture and Allied Fields Cluster), and Rural Communication channels Utilized for the Promotion of Agricultural Technologies in Tabuk” by Marciano Paroy Jr. (under the Media and Communication Cluster).

The KASC team, along with other presenters from Cordillera, was able to give other big universities a feeler of the research atmosphere in this region.

As additional highlight of the activity, plenary sessions were interspersed into the simultaneous oral presentations in the different clusters. Dr. Thao Le, Director of Linguistics University of Tasmania in Australia, discussed the power of language in shaping culture; Dr. Amin Sarkar, Professor of Economics from the Alabama A & M University in USA discussed the changing patterns in world economics; Dr. Jaime Z. Galvez Tan, from University of the Philippines, discussed medicine and health trends; Dr. Mina Ramirez, President of the Asian Social Institute, looked into emerging social problems encountered in the world today; Dr. Roland Buresh, from the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, dissected problems on food scarcity and the role of rice; Dr. Florangel Braid, from the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, ended the sessions with the potent role of communication in advancing development.

The Laga Gala: A Review

THE LAGA GALA: A Review

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

First things first: Laga 2008 was a hit.

But then, it should be. With our very Filipino nature of allowing ourselves to be automatically gripped by any display of spectacle and pageantry, there is no need to find explanation behind the people’s coming in big droves.

As a run-through, Laga was first held in 1995, when Mrs. Natividad Sugguiyao played with the idea of holding a fashion show of clothes with the Kalinga woven fabric as the main material. It was paired off with the search for Ms Kalinga. And since then, the two shows went on to be staged year after year.

Except this year for Ms Kalinga.

Laga outdid Ms. Kalinga as to the continuity of both shows. Ms. Kalinga was shelved, and Laga may have even suffered the same fate had it not been for the enterprising spirit of DTI-Kalinga, which then decided to take on the responsibility of producing the show. DTI Director Grace Baluyan was right in saying during her opening remarks that the province should look into establishing a solid market for the Kalinga native fabric – not only here in the Philippines but in other parts of the globe as well.

Compared to previous versions of the show, Laga 2008 was made highly competitive. Whereas in previous Laga shows, the models were simply required to show off clothes made either entirely or at least displaying some percentage of the Kalinga fabric, this year has a title at stake – complete with a question and answer portion where the participants suddenly transformed from models into contenders in a beauty pageant.

And that is where the Laga Fashion Show went wrong.

A fashion show is an event put on to showcase a line of clothing. A beauty pageant is an event where participants vie for a title. A beauty pageant is a fashion show in itself because the contestants get to wear different attires – but a fashion show should not be touched by elements of a beauty pageant.

When the word “Laga” comes to mind, we immediately think of the dresses that would be paraded before the audience by models. As originally conceptualized by Mrs. Sugguiyao, the clothes (i.e., the Kalinga native fabrics) are supposed to be the real treat during the show, reminding us how the designers went through all the whole process of design, fabric selection, color consideration, cutting, sewing, beading, accessorizing, fitting, and last-minute enhancements.

Models are secondary to the clothes. They are used to show off the merits and good points of the dresses. Otherwise the show should have easily been packaged as a model search. The Laga Show did right in giving out awards such as Best in Casual Wear up to the Best in Formal Attire (Evening gown for ladies and tuxedo for males). The organizers could have then summed up the scores and determined the models who got the most number of awards and bestow on them the titles Ms. Laga and Mr. Laga – which would mean that they were the models who most effectively showed off the given clothes. Had that been the case, we would have left the venue reflecting on how beautiful the clothes were, and how efficiently did the models convey the proper situation in which the apparels should be worn.

But the show took a turn and subjected the models to a Q and A round – with one question running this way: Do you know any Kalinga pattern?

Again: the Laga Show was supposed to have been a showcase of clothes touched by the Kalinga native fabric, with models parading them down the ramp – not the usual search for title-bearers. But as it turned out, the title-bearers became the focal points, and – as is always experienced after a search – uproar of bitterness from the losing camps amplify its way back to the organizers.

Which is not fair. Okay, the show may have turned out differently than what it should have been, but inasmuch as the organizers have decided to bestow titles upon the models, we have to live with it. The question, therefore, is: were the judges right in their choices for Ms. Laga and Mr. Laga 2008?

Answer: Ms. Lorraine Earl and Mr. Dexter Batalao deserve to wear the titles. Ms. Earl managed to win three of the minor awards (School band uniform, bridal gown, and evening gown), while Mr. Batalao consistently performed well on the ramp (he was, in fact, one of the few male models who exuded a confident aura).

So it has become a sort of wonderment why there are people in the community who had the gall to question why – let us be specific here – Ms. Earl was even permitted to participate in the first place.

In the world of fashion, skin color has never been one of the criteria. That is why fashion activities the world over are filled with young men and ladies who hail from diverse backgrounds. Some are imported from as far as the African continent – like Waris Diri, Alek Kwek; the Southeast Asia – like our very own Ana Bayle. The 1990’s saw the very white Cindy Crawford sashaying down the ramp side by side with the very black Naomi Campbell. Models are chosen on the basis of their built and their ability to display the clothes.

The participation of Ms. Earl, who is of Filipino and Australian descent, and her winning performance while garbed in the Kalinga native fabrics, are proofs of the quality of the fabric as a wearable material, regardless of one’s ethnicity. She herself pointed that out in the Q and A round when she talked about the viability of the fabrics in the global market.

The forum and open-chat sections of the Kalinga Tambayan website of Nathaniel Dalanao were filled with differing views on the above-mentioned subject. One chatter said “Kunak man nu pang Kalinga lang ti laga. Apay ngay nga adda simmali nga puraw.” The individual, who was not brave enough to identify himself/herself, may learn a lot by visiting the DTI office and look into the guidelines that the organizers have formulated for the contest. The standing rule was “open entry” – single or married, Kalinga or non-Kalinga, professional model or not.

The administrator of the website, Nathaniel, had to text us to ask for rescue in answering the barrage of messages littering the chat room of Kalinga Tambayan website. This writer logged in and, after answering a few of the negatively tinged messages that border on ethnic discrimination, he logged off and sadly shook his head for the propensity of some people to be closed minded.

This writer, however, maintains that the Laga Fashion Show should have been bare of beauty contest ingredients, particularly the interview portion. If the organizers were really that hell-bent in finding out who among the models would turn out to be the brightest mentally, then they should have proceeded with the search for Ms. Kalinga - but requiring the contested attires to be made of Kalinga native fabrics.

Still, congratulations to DTI Kalinga. We all get better from initial ventures – as they themselves know that in the entrepreneurial training activities that they conduct. Given some lapses in the preparatory stages of the show (like the announcement that sponsors await the prospective models; some early contenders had to withdraw participation upon finding that no sponsors await them), Ms. Benita Mangadap still needs to be lauded for her passion to push through with the show. Along with choreographers Marlon Carbonel and Aquino Gonayon.

Congratulations to the winners again: Lorraine Earl and Dexter Batalao (Ms. And Mr. laga 2008); Mariz Lao-ang and John Paul Balbin (1^st runners-up); Magnolia Duyan and Ryan Gabriel Reyes (2^nd runners-up); Loraville Diocares and Romel Ciano (3^rd runners-up); Clarisse Aowat and Almani Dimmang (4^th runners-up).

Lastly, congratulations to the winning creations of Joon Ascaño who ran away with the Best Designer award for his School band uniform, bridal and evening gown creations for Ms. Earl. Joon received formal training in fashion design at the Cora Doloroso Career Center – the first one to attend that school, and soon followed by Ariston “Chit” Reyes, Marlon Carbonel, and this writer (who did the winning office and casual wears for Ms. Diocares).

Laga, we hope, would learn from the important details that the organizers have overlooked, so that by next year, we will not have chatters quarreling again at the Kalinga Tambayan website - a bad thing for a province itching to join the global community.

SILK DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

1. Rationale

Sericulture is a booming industry. It is the major supplier of good quality cocoons. In fact, the Cordilleran region has long been engaged in silk production, with its favorable agro-climatic condition and labor endowment. Sericulture has good potential for raising living standards, among the rural poor, particularly women, through household-based production.

It is because of this vision that this project has been designed as a

pilot operation to facilitate the introduction of improved technology on sericulture. It is anticipated that the project will help to establish Kalinga sericulture into a technically up-to-date, economically and financially viable sector.

It is also envisioned that silk research, training and extension would slowly be handled by autonomous entity controlled by the stakeholders when the project is ready to be packaged and transferred to recipient barangays. The profits from sericulture activities will help to transform the lives of many poor rural families.

Fiber Development Authority (FIDA) reported that 70 percent of the 1,500 kilos of cocoons produced in Regions 1 and Cordillera last year came from Benguet. If a sericulture industry would be established in Kalinga, there is no doubt that the province can duplicate, if not surpass, that of Benguet.

This is the vision towards which the initial project is aimed.

2. Objectives
1. To establish a sericulture research and development in KASC, targeted to be a resource center, while utilizing vermin-compost as major ingredient in the growing of mulberry trees;
2. To package and disseminate the technology to cooperating recipients in the community;
3. To establish an income-generating-project for KASC

3. Expected Output

1. A Kalinga sericulture center located within and maintained by KASC;
2. Technology transfer by way of campaigns to popularize the technology – in the form of training activities and IEC undertakings;
3. A financially viable project for KASC

4. Potential Impact

The industry will have far-reaching impact on KASC as it will establish itself as a sericulture center. Research and development activities related to sericulture help in the build-up of knowledge pertaining to the technology.

As the project will directly open up a new industry for the province, farmer-rearers shall benefit a great deal in economic terms as well as infuse in them the use of organic inputs like vermi-compost.

5. Milestones

Under this proposal, KASC will prepare the plans and programs of the silk processing center and send for training a number of technicians on mulberry propagation and silkworm rearing.

Laborers will be trained to undertake cocoon processing into raw silk, coordinate the distribution of silkworms to farmer-rearers in cooperation with the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) and other institutions undertaking silkworm rearing and egg production, and also push for marketing the raw silk.

Development of KASC Farming Technologies for Poverty Alleviation

Ernesto T. Miguel
Jovita E. Saguibo
Marciano A. Paroy Jr.

Given the rain-fed agricultural situation in the province of Kalinga, farmers have a tendency to resort to means by which they can address their immediate needs – with little regard to environmental issues.

Clearly, there is a need to solve the pressing subsistence needs of the farmers while taking into consideration the practices that would pose no harm to the environment.

This study focuses on the optimized management of natural resources in the dry areas, resulting to sustained productivity while preventing soil degradation. It is targeted to pre-selected agro-ecologies and socio-economic environment in three municipalities in the province of Kalinga – namely, Rizal, Tanudan, and Pinukpuk.

It introduces a rational use of land-based technologies derived from the farming systems conducted at the Kalinga-Apayao State College, with the involvement of farmers.

Prior to the piloting of cropping systems and improved production techniques developed in KASC is a four-way methodology:

(1) Collection, assembly and analysis of data on soil, climate, crops and inputs;

(2) Assessment of major production constraints to sustainable crop production;

(3) The development of a farm model; and

(4) Dissemination of the technologies generated.

This research undertaking was able:

(a) To increase the knowledge of farmers;

(b) To put in place better land preparation methods; and

(c) To transfer to the farmers’ level the better farming methods resulting to higher income.

This study further establishes the willingness of farmers to take risks when they are fully convinced with the viability of technologies – regardless of their simplicity or complexity.

Development of KASC Farming Technologies for Poverty Alleviation

Ernesto T. Miguel

Jovita E. Saguibo
Marciano A. Paroy Jr.

Given the rain-fed agricultural situation in the province of Kalinga, farmers have a tendency to resort to means by which they can address their immediate needs – with little regard to environmental issues.

Clearly, there is a need to solve the pressing subsistence needs of the farmers while taking into consideration the practices that would pose no harm to the environment.

This study focuses on the optimized management of natural resources in the dry areas, resulting to sustained productivity while preventing soil degradation. It is targeted to pre-selected agro-ecologies and socio-economic environment in three municipalities in the province of Kalinga – namely, Rizal, Tanudan, and Pinukpuk.

It introduces a rational use of land-based technologies derived from the farming systems conducted at the Kalinga-Apayao State College, with the involvement of farmers.

Prior to the piloting of cropping systems and improved production techniques developed in KASC is a four-way methodology:

(1) Collection, assembly and analysis of data on soil, climate, crops and inputs;

(2) Assessment of major production constraints to sustainable crop production;

(3) The development of a farm model; and

(4) Dissemination of the technologies generated.

This research undertaking was able:

(a) To increase the knowledge of farmers;

(b) To put in place better land preparation methods; and

(c) To transfer to the farmers’ level the better farming methods resulting to higher income.

This study further establishes the willingness of farmers to take risks when they are fully convinced with the viability of technologies – regardless of their simplicity or complexity.

KASC Boosts its Research Priorities

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

Being the prime research institution in the province of Kalinga, the Kalinga-Apayao State College sets new targets to be accomplished this year. Having made impressive developments in agricultural and Science-and-Technology (S&T) research, the agency has identified a number of priorities to delve on.

“One of the upcoming projects is the Tissue Culture Lab to be established in the Bulanao Campus,” Dr. Jovita Saguibo, Research Director, said. “Of course, the school has an existing tissue culture lab, but it only shares space with the Research and Extension building. For us to really prosper in the field of tissue culture, we really need a separate station devoted solely for the purpose.”

The school’s endeavor on tissue culture has yet to gain its big leap. Currently, the tissue culture undertaking of the school is in the hands of Dr. Hazel Buslig who, along with Ms. Cyrila Bawer, has been trained for the laborious task. Ms. Buslig’s first venture was into the culturing of lacatan.

The lacatan tissue culture apparently gained the attention of Congressman Manuel Agyao, who proposed the construction of a tissue culture laboratory for the province of Kalinga.

“It is with pleasure that we acknowledge the interest of the Congressman to construct his proposed tissue culture lab inside KASC,” College President Eduardo Bagtang said. “Not only will it create income opportunities for the school, but will also establish KASC and the province of Kalinga as one of the tissue culture leaders in the region.”

The Bureau of Plant Industry–CAR then visited KASC last Februray 5-6. According to Jesus Aspuria, Center Chief, “The purpose of our visit is to verify and look into the viability of possible construction of a Tissue Culture for mushroom in the area and eventually for recommendation to the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture.”

The Cultural Component of the Ullalim Festival

Marciano A. Paroy Jr.

Culture. The very fabric that weaves every aspect in the life of a community. Songs, dances, livelihood practices, belief systems, values, creative forces expressed in crafts. Yet these things are but a manifestation of the identity of a people fighting hard to maintain their identity. Culture is a way of life – if not life itself.

Time and time again, the province of Kalinga has emphasized the beauty and uniqueness of its unblemished culture through the annually celebrated Ullalim Festival. Began in 1995, the festival has matured into a celebration looked forward to by the populace, and visited by a growing number of tourists – Filipinos and foreigners alike.

This year, as it was in previous festivities, the Ullalim Cultural Festival will have the following elements: the cultural and float parade; the cultural presentations; the indigenous games and cook fest; the street dancing; and the indigenous choral competition.

The festivities will become a rendezvous of the distinct festivals celebrated in the different municipalities, including the city of Tabuk: Unoy Festival for Tinglayan; Pinikpikan Festival for Rizal; Manchachatong Festival for Balbalan; Salip festival for Pasil; Amung Chi Bochong for Lubuagan; and the Matagoan Festival for Tabuk.

Local Government Units, headed by their mayors, are expected to participate – what with the “No Mayor, No Award Policy” in place. Garbed in their native attires, the participants must showcase, through their floats, the priority commodities that their towns are promoting. The business sector, as well as other government offices and organized tribes are enjoined to join the parade.

Winners would be judged as to the adherence of their float’s theme to the One-Town-One-Product scheme, the number of participants, attire, and the sounds generated by their accompanying band using indigenous instruments.

The parade will be made livelier by the street dancing that would ensue – open only to colleges and secondary schools, with one entry per school. As in the LGU representation, the “No Head of School, No Incentive” Policy applies. Limited between 30 to 50 participants, the street dancers may choose for their performance any ethnic grouping found in the Philippines, and they are restricted to using indigenous musical instruments.

Considerations for the street dancing competition shall depend on the costumes; number of delegation; orderliness; significance of the performance; choreography and performance; time; sounds; ethnicity.

As for showcasing the musicality of the Kalinga people, an indigenous choral competition shall be conducted – a first time for the festival. Open to chorales from colleges and secondary schools with 10 to 15 members, the competition shall only welcome Salidummay songs.

The message of the song, the melody, ethynicity, stage presentation, originality and audience impact are the main considerations for the judging.

But the Kalinga culture is not steeped in song and dance alone. For the Kalingas, the performing arts are as important as the culinary arts – hence the holding of a cookfest. Participants, who must attend orientations and prior to the contest, will be given 30-40 minutes for both preparation and cooking. As the cookfest must capture the indigenous way of meal preparation, banga, paok and binarsig must be used, along with genuinely Kalinga ingredients and recipes.

Palatability/taste; healthy nutrients; presentation; and ethnicity will comprise the criteria for the cookfest.

And finally, to display the playful spirit of the Kalinga people, the indigenous games shall be played: Tuk-tukkuy (individual pot-balancing, for women only); Whut-hut-ut (tug of war, 6 players/set); A-mack (wrestling); Sanggor (arm wrestling); Torse (middle finger wrestling); Lappi-it (hand wrestling); Bitbit-nag (thigh slapping. men only); Pakuy (longest shout) ; Binungur eating; Kadang-kadang; Botbo-tak ni banga; Dinne-ot (firewood cutting); Todtoddak (fun run); and Bayu.

These activities further lend legitimacy to the Kalinga culture which has somehow managed to escape the harsh influence that it could have evolved into, courtesy of hundreds of years this country’s being under foreign rulers. Whether onstage, or on the dining table, or in the playing field – the Kalinga culture remains intact, unique, un-tarnished.

Ullalim Cultural Festival

2008 Ullalim Festival

Celebrating the 13th Kalinga Foundation Day

February 13-15, 2008

Tabuk, Kalinga

• Ullalim Agro-Industrial Fair
• Cultural Fair
• Laga Fashion Show
• Skills Competition
• Street Dancing
• Ullalim Musical Play
• “Love the Chico” Rafting Challenge
• The Grand Civic Parade

February 13, 2008
Ullalim Agro-Trade Fair and Cultural Affair

February 14, 2008
Anniversary Day

February 15, 2008
Schools' Day

AACCUP Leaves KASC With Positive Impressions

The accreditation season for a number of degree programs wrapped up last January 18. A team from the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines, Inc. (AACCUP) arrived last January 15 to scrutinize, inspect and evaluate the present standing of the following programs: Bachelor of Secondary Education, Bachelor of Elementary Education, Bachelor of Arts in History, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master in Public Administration, Master of Arts in Education, and Doctor of Philosophy in Development Education.

Three days of in-depth and thorough assessment by the team were summed up in their reports – portions of which were shared with the KASC community during the exit conference and closing program on the 18^th – thereby providing KASC with a glimpse into its capacity to address the recommendations listed down by the accreditation rounds in 2006.

Gilbert Arce of the University of Northern Philippines headed the accrediting team for the Secondary Education program, while Marcelina de Guzman of the Nueva Vizcaya State University and Estrella Perez headed the teams for the Elementary Education and AB courses respectively.

For the graduate degree programs, Salvador Eder of UNP led the team for the PH.D. Development Education program, Dr. Nenita Magno of Isabela State University for the MAED program, and Ronnie M. Parica of the University of Rizal System.

“We would like to re-iterate that we are here to help you,” Dr. Arce said during the exit conference. “and that our findings shall reflect the present status which the school has laboriously attained since the last accreditation round.”

Mariano J. Guillermo was the Overall Coordinator, while Dr. Manuel T. Corpus served as the Survey Consultant for the just-concluded KASC task. A distinguished educational leader, he was once President of the Cagayan State University, the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) .

On a related note, Vice President for Academic Affairs Carmelita Ayang-ang and Hazel Buslig, AACCUP accreditors, are also slated to be part of the AACCUP teams to be sent to Philippine Normal University – Alicia Campus this last week of January.

AACCUP Re-visits KASC

by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.

The Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines, Inc. (AACCUP) re-visits the Kalinga-Apayao State College on January 14-19, 2008 for the third time as the school bares open the documents that AACCUP would pore over for scrutiny – the results of which would lead to the conferment of a corresponding level attained by the program subjected for evaluation.

So far, the programs that KASC has submitted for accreditation include Elementary Teacher Education, Secondary Teacher Education, Arts and Social Sciences (Histoy & Pol. Sci.), Commerce (Management), Agriculture (Ani. & Crop Sci.), Forestry, and Agricultural Engineering.

Having been the first programs to be submitted to AACCUP in 2006, the two Teacher Education programs have until Februray 15, 2008 to comply with the requirements needed to move up from their present status. All the other programs, subjected to scrutiny last December 16, 2006, have until December 15, 2008 to comply.

The Institute of Teacher Education (ITE), the Institute of Arts and Sciences (IAS) and the Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS) – under Dean Elsie Coyoy, Dean Joy Grace Doctor, and Dean Marymina Odiem, respectively – are the departments all set to face the team of accreditors.

“The actual accreditation survey visits are conducted by groups of accreditors usually composed of five (5) members per team for each program staying in the host institution for a number of days,” Dr. Carmelita Ayang-ang, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, explained.

At present AACCUP has already trained over 900 senior faculty members with different specializations from different state universities and colleges. More than 500 have qualified, and 323 are active members of the Pool of Accreditors. Dr. Ayang-ang and Dr. Hazel Buslig of KASC are both members.

“Schools with accredited curricular programs will have a rational basis for (a) budgetary requests from DBM and normative financing (b) SUC leveling (c) complying with requirements for the conversion of a college to a university and (d) matching-fund schemes with CHED funding scheme,” Dr. Raymond Balbin, Executive Dean further explained.

Out of the total number of 111 state universities and colleges in the Philippines, 98 (or 88%) are members of AACCUP; 81 (or 83%) of the members have already been reached by accreditation.

KASC has already undergone the Preliminary Survey Visit, which is the evaluation of the programs for the first time by external accreditors. Passing the assessment entitles the program to be awarded a Candidate status(Level I) valid for two (2) years.

The ITE and IAS are now ready for the Formal Survey Visit – the evaluation of the program which has attained Level I. If a higher level of quality is attained, the program is awarded an Accredited status (Level II), good for three (3) years.

Organized in 1987, though officially registered and recognized under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 4, 1989, it is the youngest of the four (4) accrediting agencies in the country until late 2003.AACCUP is now closely allied with the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation, Inc. (ALCUCOA), organized only in the later part of year 2003.

The AACCUP is a member of the: National Network of Quality Assurance Agencies, Inc. (NNQAA), formed by AACCUP and ALCUCOA, the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) with AACCUP as member of the Steering Group based in Hong Kong, China, and the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) based in Dublin, Ireland.

Dr. Rosario Pimentel, President of Bulacan State University, is the President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of AACCUP.

Agricultural Research Agencies in CAR Coordinate Databases

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

The Regional Agricultural Research Development and Extension Network-Cordillera Administrative Region (RRDEN-CAR) in collaboration with the Highland Agricultural Resources Research and Development Consortium (HARRDEC) recently launched its compendium on agricultural and natural resource researches.

The compendium is a collection of published and unpublished works of researchers in the different institutions in the Cordillera. It centers on the following commodities : rice, root crops, livestock, vegetables, plantation crops, cut-flower/ornamentals, fruits, corn, and post-harvest/agricultural engineering.

As the leading member agency in both RRDEN and HARRDEC, the Kalinga-Apayao State College lays open, through the compendium, the various research undertakings that it has conducted through the years, as the concept underlying the RRDEN-HARRDEC project is the sharing of the vast amount of knowledge amassed and produced by way of research.

“KASC is both a member of RRDEN-CAR and HARRDEC,” Dr. Jovita Saguibo, Research Director of KASC said. “thus we are somewhat obliged to share what we have stored in our research database.”

Agencies that are members of both RRDEN and HARRDEC include: Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFU-CAR), Agricultural Training Institute-Cordillera Administrative Region (ATI-CAR), Bureau of Plant Industry-Baguio National Crop Research and Development Center (BPI-BNCRDC), Northern Philippines Rootcrops Research and Training Center (NPRCRTC), Benguet State University (BSU), Abra State Institute of Science and Technology (ASIST), Apayao State College (ASC), Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC), Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry (ISCAF), Mountan Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC).

RRDEN members include the PLGU-Abra, PLGU-Apayao, PLGU-Benguet, PLGU-Ifugao, PLGU-Kalinga, PLGU-Mt. Province.

Agencies that are only part of HARRDEC include the Bureau of Agricultural Research-CAR, Department of Agrarian Reform-CAR, Department of Science and Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region-CAR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ERDS- DENR-CAR, Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau-CAR, National Economic and Development Authority-CAR, Philippine Textile Research Institute-CAR, Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development-CAR

With the coordination among the member-agencies, it is expected that information-sharing would be systematized, without sacrificing intellectual property, of course,” Dr. Saguibo emphasized.

WHEN WOMEN CONVERGE AND THINK. Experts in research management, these women from various gaencies in the region sit together to map-out how each one's agency can help in the build-up of knowledge derived from agricultural and natural resource research: Julia Solimen (BSU), Juliet Ochasan (DA), Conie Wangdali (PLGU-Mt. Province), Teresita Mangili (BPI), Jovita Saguibo (KASC).