4th National PhilGAP Summit Highlights Achievements and Farmer Empowerment

The 4th National Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) Summit was held on September 22–26, 2025 at the Benguet Sports Complex, La Trinidad, Benguet, gathering government leaders, farmer groups, and private seed companies including Rijk Zwaan, Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, Ramgo International Corporation, East-West Seed Philippines, Syngenta, Enviro Scope Synergy Inc., Haverson Enterprises, Allied Botanical Corporation, and Pilipinas Kaneko Seeds Corporation.

With the theme “Bida ang Magsasaka: Pagdiriwang ng Kahusayan sa Bawat Ani, sa Gabay ng PhilGAP,” the summit showcased milestones in food safety, sustainability, and farmer empowerment. Updates from the Bureau of Plant Industry reported over 4,400 PhilGAP certificates issued nationwide, highlighting Cordillera, Region 2, and Region 3 as top-performing regions.

Plenary sessions featured innovations such as smart greenhouse technology, highland vegetable value chain studies, and RiceBIS 2.0, while certified farms and farmers shared success stories on improved yields and stronger market access.

The summit concluded with a call for continued partnership, collaboration, and service to strengthen GAP adoption, uplift farmers’ livelihoods, and ensure safe, sustainable, and globally competitive Philippine agriculture.