March 29, 2024

The Department of Science and Technology will aid the soybean and cacao sectors in Ifugao and Bukidnon, officials said.
DOST-Cordillera has chosen three community-based projects in Ifugao with the following beneficiaries: Saint John Organic Farm Families Organization and the local government unit of Barangay Nayon in Lamut for the establishment of a cacao processing facility; Nalbu Women’s Organization and Barangay Nalbu in Mayoyao for soybean processing; and Jireh Organization and Barangay Poblacion in Banaue also for soybean processing.
“The beneficiaries shall ensure the implementation and completion of the project and attainment of the project’s objectives and expected output. We recently signed a memorandum of understanding with them. They are also set to provide the site and building or processing area to accommodate all the equipment to be acquired,” DOST-Cordillera Director Nancy Bantog said.
Apart from assistance on equipment acquisition, the DOST will also provide technology trainings and assistance on packaging and product labeling, she said.
The agency has allocated more than P732,000 in grants for the three projects.
Bantog said the projects will provide additional livelihood to the beneficiaries and also add value to their products.
“Those organizations tried to process soybean before, and they want to upgrade their skills and equipment, both in production and processing,” she said.
Bantog said these organizations have approached the DOST to express interest to apply the technology learned from a soybean processing training they attended in March 2020.
That training, she said, was jointly organized by the DOST-Cordillera, the Department of Agriculture, and PhilMech. – PNA