The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 7 (DA-7) and the Biodiversity, Environment and Natural Resources Research Center (BENRC) of Cebu Technological University–Argao Campus have formalized a strategic partnership aimed at advancing climate-resilient livelihoods in Central Visayas.
The collaboration was sealed through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on April 7, 2026, during the 1st Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Central Visayas Regional Congress held at a hotel in Mandaue City.
Representing DA-7 were Regional Executive Director Angel C. Enriquez and AMIA Regional Focal Person Fabio G. Enriquez, while BENRC was represented by its Director, Dr. Rosalyn P. Alburo.
Under the agreement, both institutions will jointly implement the project titled “Collaboration on Commodity Value-Added Development for AMIA Villages in Central Visayas.” The initiative seeks to support AMIA-assisted communities across the region by enhancing product development, food processing, packaging, quality improvement, and enterprise development.
The regional congress brought together representatives from AMIA-supported villages in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. Among the resource speakers, Dr. Alburo highlighted BENRC’s successful efforts in translating research into practice through sustainable livelihood training, as well as its ongoing work in food innovation using indigenous plant resources.
Through this partnership, DA-7 and CTU-BENRC aim to further strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods, empower local communities and enterprises, and deliver research-driven capacity-building support to Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) across Central Visayas./Melvin Trazona Benemerito
