San Jose de Buenavista vies for second Galing Pook Award

The Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista is vying for its second Galing Pook Ten Outstanding Local Governance Programs. The Municipality’s Farmville project was shortlisted for site validation in this year’s national search for innovative practices of local government units.

In 1999, San Jose de Buenavista already won the award for its Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme in rebuilding its town public market -- now San Jose Business Park, razed by fire.

This 2015, Mayor Rony L. Molina is hopeful that San Jose de Buenavista will clinch another Galing Pook Award with Farmville. Farmville is an integrated farm owned and managed by the local government unit inspired by a popular farming simulation game on a popular social media networking platform. The project aims to establish an environment-friendly integrated model farm which shall serve as a show window for technology transfer to encourage take up of modern farming techniques and make farming relevant to the young generation.

Galing Pook Award is a program that recognizes innovation and excellence in local governance. Selection of winners is based on positive results and impact, promotion of people’s participation and empowerment, innovation, transferability and sustainability, and efficacy of service delivery.

Site validation is on June 23-24, 2015. 

Farmville hosts training on food processing for women

San Jose LGU's Farmville hosted a three-day training on food processing and fishery product development.

The training was organized by the Municipal Agriculture Office of San Jose de Buenavista,  under the helm of OIC-Municipal Agriculture Officer Florante Q. Moscoso, in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources - Regional Fisheries Training Center.

Participants of the training were from barangays San Pedro and Mojon. They were women who are already into cooking and food processing and were identified through their punong barangays.

San Pedro and Mojon were chosen for there is no existing Rural Improvement Club (RIC) organized in the area.

The technology transfer training aims to increase productivity of the agri-fishery sector and encourage self-sustained growth. At the same time, aims to organize the women into an RIC.

Aside from learning different methods and principles of preservation and processing of various farm products, the participants were taught gender and development concepts and issues and were introduced to basic entrepreneurship.

Farmville is a one-hectare demo farm of the municipal government, located in Sitio Lugutan of San Pedro, using the Integrated Framing Approach and focused on organic farming. It is a venue for learning and center of technology transfer for farmers and students.

Farm mechanization to boost San Jose dB agri productivity

Agrricultural Technicians, OIC Municipal Agriculturist Florante Moscoso, Mayor Rony Molina with the leaders of the beneficiary farmers associations.

Two farmers' organization in the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista received facilities for farm mechanization to boost rice production.

Pantao Farmers Association received a water pump and engine while Division A Irrigators Association received a rice drum seeder in a simple turn over ceremony in front of the town's hall.

These machines were issued as part of the Farm Mechanization Program (FMP) of the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Municipal Agriculture Office.

Under the program, qualified farmers groups and cooperatives, and irrigators’ associations, and local government units receive equipment and machines under a fund counterparting agreement.

DA covers 85% of the cost of the farm machine while the recipient, for the case of San Jose is through the LGU, pays the remaining 15%. 

The program aims to increase the present farm mechanization level of the Philippines and facilitate the increase of agricultural productivity in the country.

210 farmers receive post harvest facility

(Above) Mayor Molina together with representative of other Department of Agriculture agencies presenting the laminated sack dryer to farmers with OIC-Municipal Agriculturist Florante Moscoso on the mic. (Bottom left) Farmer asking experts during the Usapang Palay farmers forum. (Bottom right) Mayor Rony Molina giving a message during the distribution ceremony.

Two hundred ten farmers of San Jose de Buenavista received laminated sacks as post harvest facility.

Beneficiaries were farmer-members of Pantao Farmers Association (35), Lugutan-Igbonglo Farmers Association (69),  Cansadan, Atabay, Maybato, Supa, Tubudan Irrigators Association (35), Division A Irrigators Association (36), Bugarot, Igbonglo, Supa, Tubudan, Odiong Irrigators Association (35).

The project aims to increase supply of good quality rice through reduce post-harvest losses especially in drying operation.

The project is part of the Drying Program: Improving Drying Capabilities of Farmers Associations/ Organizations through provision of appropriate drying facilities of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the local government of San Jose de Buenavista thru the Municipal Agriculture Office.

It is in line with the department's Post-harvest Roadmap for 2011-2016 which intends to increase the quality of produce and farmers' income through interventions intended to reduce post-harvest losses; provision of post-harvest and infrastructure requirements and encourage use of efficient post-harvest facilities including drying and other facilities extending the shelf-life of agricultural products.

A forum dubbed "Usapang Palay" was also held during the distribution ceremony on October 16 at Brgy. Supa, San Jose de Buenavista.

Representatives from National Food Authority, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Agriculture Regional Office VI and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

PBs, brgy secs and field interviewers trains for agriculture registry system

Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) 4th Level Training at La Vita Park September 24-27.

Punong Barangays, secretaries and hired field interviewers of the 28 barangays of San Jose de Buenavista attended the 4th level training for the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) at La Vita Park, September 24-27.

RSBA is the compilation or database of basic information on farmers, farm laborers and fishermen.

The project was aims to establish a comprehensive and systematic information system to address the data and information needs of economic development planners, policymakers, and project implementers.

President Benigno S. Aquino III has included the database or registry of farmers in its list of key programs under the Digitization and Information Technology in Government Sub-cluster. 

Through RSBA, the government hopes to formulate significant and effective policies and programs for agricultural development of the country.

San Jose dB turns over drying facilities to farmer groups

Mayor Rony L. Molina with Mr. Florante Moscoso, OIC of Municipal Agriculture Office turns over collapsible dryer to farmer associations.

The local government of San Jose de Buenavista turned over 30 units of collapsible dryers to five farmer associations of the Municipality in an simple turn over ceremony at the town's hall on September 24.

Beneficiaries of the post-production facility were Bugarot, Igbonglo, Supa, Tubudan, Odiong Irrigators Association (BISTO), Division A Irrigators Association, Lugutan-Igbonglo Farmers Association (LIFA) and Cansadan, Atabay, Maybato, Supa, Tubudan Irrigators Association (CAMAST)

The project aims to increase supply of good quality rice through reduce post-harvest losses especially in drying operation.


Report from the Municipal Agriculture Office says that lack of post-production facilities results to loss and wastage in rice production and the total losses of palay.

In the Philippines, an average of 5% of the total losses in rice production is attributed to lack of drying facilities.

Drying is the most important method in minimizing post-harvest losses. It directly affects storage, transportation, distribution and processing quality. 

The situation also affects income of farmers as traders usually rejects or buy at a low price the improperly dried palay.


The project is part of the Drying Program: Improving Drying Capabilities of Farmers Associations/ Organizations through provision of appropriate drying facilities of the Department of Agriculture and the local government of San Jose de Buenavista.

It is in line with the department's Post-harvest Roadmap for 2011-2016 which intends to increase the quality of produce and farmers' income through interventions intended to reduce post-harvest losses; provision of post-harvest and infrastructure requirements and encourage use of efficient post-harvest facilities including drying and other facilities extending the shelf-life of agricultural products.