The Palawan Research Experiment Station (PRES) recently marked its 125th anniversary with a series of activities aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and supporting local communities.
The celebration brought together all employees from PRES, including those from the Satellite Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (SDDL), Palawan Agricultural Center (PAC) and Soils Laboratory, Livestock Resource Center (LRC), and Dairy Production and Development Center (DPDC).
One of the highlights of the anniversary celebration was a tree-planting activity within the compound of the Department of Agriculture-PRES. Employees came together to plant rambutan, kalamansi, trichantera, and other tree species, emphasizing the station’s commitment to environmental conservation.
The program also featured special guests, including solo parents from Barangay Irawan and farmers from the towns of Sofronio Española and Narra. As part of the event, four vegetable growers’ associations were awarded various farm supplies and machinery to enhance their crop yield and income.
The Narra Vegetable Growers Cluster Association received a contribution in the form of a four-wheel drive tractor worth P1.495 million. Meanwhile, the Purok Mabuhay Vegetable Growers Association in Barangay Panitian, Sofronio Española, was given a Pump Irrigation System for Open Source (PISOS) valued at P90,000. The Panitian Vegetable Farmers Association in Brgy. Panitian, Sofronio Espanola, received 80 plastic crates worth P79,904, while the Piatan Vegetable Farmers Association in Brgy. Labog, Sofronio Española, was provided with five grass cutters worth P75,600.
These contributions amounted to a total value of P1.75 million, funded by the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).
To engage the community further, PRES organized a pizza-making activity for children and conducted a seminar on making peanut brittle and a demonstration on asexual plant propagation for solo parents. The Palawan Agricultural Center hosted an organic agriculture training session for intern students from Palawan State University-Brookes Point.
At the Livestock Resource Center, farmers were given a demonstration on the proper dosage of vitamins for livestock animals. Additionally, the Dairy Production and Development Center dispersed a lactating sow and an organic pig to Bienvenido Degillo of Barangay Irawan, as well as 100 free-range chicken stocks for a multiplier farm in Rizal.
The Dairy Production and Development Center also organized a milk feeding program for 25 undernourished children between the ages of two and six, as well as 60 students from Iratag Elementary School in Sitio Iratag, Barangay Irawan.
In a bid to support farmers, PRES distributed seedlings and conducted tree planting activities at the Rural Agricultural Center (RAC) in Abo-Abo, Sofronio Española. (R. Rodriguez)
