Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. on Wednesday commended the Bureau of Soil and Water Management for 73 years of hard work and commitment to advance agriculture, a backbone of the Philippine economy vital to achieve food security and job generation.
“In your more than seven decades of service to the nation, you made a mark on the lives of farmers and fisherfolk. This was done through, among other programs, small-scale irrigation projects, adaptive balanced fertilization strategy under the National Soil Health Program, and establishment of a composting facility for biodegradable wastes,” the DA chief said in a speech during the celebration of the BSWM’s anniversary.
He cited BSWM’s agenda primarily aimed at ensuring soil vitality to support sustainable agriculture and increase food production even in times of adverse weather patterns such as El Nino and La Nina.
Sec. Tiu Laurel said that through the partnership between BSWM and the National Irrigation Administration on weather intelligence, DA and other agencies could take better action, intervention and adjustments in cropping patterns and calendars.
The wealth of data at BSWM’s disposal also allows the agency to better design water resources development projects like small-scale irrigation, early warning system and runoff control management, rainwater harvesting, cloud-seeding, adaptive fertilization and soil health restoration.
“Combined with satellite technology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, BSWM’s repository of information will enable it to push for better crop yields, improved productivity, and increased farmers income,” the DA chief said.
Sec. Tiu Laurel urged BSWM officials and staff to continue innovating, adapting and evolving for the modernization of Philippine agriculture and the government’s push for increased food production and food security.
