LUCENA CITY, Quezon – The coconut -- the “tree of life” -- took center stage as the three-day Southern Tagalog Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources, Research, Development and Extension Consortium (STAARRDEC) Fiesta 2018 culminated here Thursday.
“Sipag ang pangunahing puhunan tungo sa tagumpay ng mga magsasaka (Hard work is the greatest capital for the success of farmers),” Senator Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, told the huge crowd of farmers, fisher folks, local government officials, barangay leaders, students, and the academe who gathered at the Quezon Provincial Capitol grounds.
Villar said the success of the agriculture sector also hinges on the various stakeholders who should address the concerns and problems confronting the agriculture industry and providing solutions to help improve their lot.
“There are a lot of things we can do upang matulungang umasenso ang ating mga (to help achieve progress among our) coconut and pig farmers. Let us continue to discover ways and means to support the agricultural sector of our country,” the solon said.
The three-day festive celebration held Feb. 20 to 22 adopted the theme “STAARRCoco at Piggy Winnie, Makikisaya sa FIESTA dala ang mga Produkto ng Agham at Teknolohiya” and featured various science and technology-supported products.
The event showcased various products from the provinces of Calabarzon -- Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon -- and Mimaropa -- Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.
Besides the product displays, parallel sessions, investment forums, competitions on the STAARRCoco and Piggy Winnie Challenge and STAARRSarap Cooking Fest were held.
The technology fora centered on the coconut industry and native pig farming and technology demonstrations that amazed scores of millennials and students.
Quezon Governor David C. Suarez, with wife ALONA Partylist Representative Anna Marie Suarez, welcomed the hundreds of participants and visitors who participated in the three-day event and felt honored to host the science and technology events.
Suarez also commended the event organizers for highlighting the coconut as an extraordinary crop, especially in Quezon, which claims to be the country’s largest coconut-producing province, and for promoting other crops to achieve sustainable inclusive development.
“The coconut is slowly unraveling its true value worldwide at nararapat lamang na ang unang makinabang para dito ay ang pinanggalingan nito, ang lalawigan ng Quezon (and it is fitting that the first to benefit from this product is its major source, the province of Quezon),” Suarez said.
He also underscored that “in hosting STAARRDEC, this will serve as a catalyst in our agricultural programs that we wish to put in place in 2018, tulad na lamang ng pagtatayo ng kauna-unahang (like the establishment of the first) Coconut Research and Development Center in Calabarzon”.
Leading the occasion were STAARRDEC and Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) president Dr. Milo Placino and STAARRDEC ex-efficio and Cavite State University (CvSU) president Dr. Hernando Robles, as scores of students and faculty members from the SLSU, CvSU, Quezon Science High School and other educational institutions participated in the celebration. (Gideon Belen/PNA)
