The NCPC personnel with Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. and CAFS Dean Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr. (Photo by VRManingas)
The National Crop Protection Center (NCPC) held a 4-day celebration of its 47th founding anniversary on May 22-25, with the theme “Fast Forward: Resilient Crop Protection Solutions towards Sustainable Food Systems.”
Anniversary Celebration and Recognition of Outstanding Personnel
NCPC kicked off its anniversary week with the Anniversary Celebration and Recognition of Outstanding Personnel on May 22 at the NCPC Auditorium.
In her opening remarks, NCPC Director Barbara L. Caoili expressed gratitude towards the private and government partners of the Center and the NCPC personnel. She also conveyed her optimism that NCPC will be able to address the challenges of different futures and will continue to be relevant in crop protection.
CAFS Dean Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr. also addressed the attendees during the program. He acknowledged NCPC’s efforts in keeping with the latest trends and technologies in agriculture and challenged the Center’s personnel to ensure that NCPC will always be on top of its game and will continue to serve the nation and its people.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor for Administration Rolando T. Bello delivered a message on behalf of Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. Chancellor Camacho recognized NCPCs’s role in empowering and developing the agricultural sector and challenged the Center to provide support and assistance to farmers and stakeholders amidst constantly evolving disruptions. “While challenging, I am confident that NCPC is up to the task, especially with such fine and exemplary members filling their administrative, research, and extension ranks,” he added.
In a virtual message, Senator Pia S. Cayetano, the event’s guest speaker, thanked NCPC for its contributions in food security and agricultural sustainability. She urged NCPC to join in the work for the future generation. “The future is something we can prepare for, adapt to, but most especially, thrive in, if we all work together,” she said.
In another message delivered by Senior Undersecretary for Agriculture Domingo F. Panganiban, he remarked how NCPC has continued to remain relevant to the country’s goal of ensuring sufficient food supply even after 47 years. He then called on the Center to lead the way in helping the national government through generation of new scientific knowledge in crop protection.
For the second part of the program, NCPC recognized its outstanding personnel and loyalty awardees. The following personnel were awarded for their invaluable contribution to the Center and their exemplary performance in their respective ranks:
- Jane Paula Q. de Roxas, Outstanding Administrative Personnel
- Paulo M. de Chavez, Outstanding Technician
- Jowell M. dela Cruz, Outstanding Blue-Collar Personnel
- Jasper A. Sarmiento, Outstanding Researcher (Junior Category)
- Marita S. Pinili, Outstanding Researcher (Senior Category)
- Marcela M. Navasero, Outstanding Extension Personnel (Senior Category)
- NCPC Onion Armyworm and Fall Armyworm Biology and Microbial Biological Control Team (Dr. Barbara L. Caoili, Sci. Marcela M. Navasero, Ms. Melissa P. Montecalvo, Ms. Sylvia M. Calderon, Ms. Maricon DP. Javier, Ms. Maria Teresa V. Atienza, Mr. Randolph N. Candano, Mr. Adrian M. Avila, Mr. Genaro A. Katimbang, Mr. Albert D. Sanfuego), Outstanding Research Team
Moreover, 15 researchers and 18 administrative personnel received loyalty awards for their dedicated service to the Center for 5 years or more.
In closing the program, NCPC Deputy Director April N. Alviar expressed her hope that the recognition given to the awardees has served as a reminder for their contribution towards the fulfillment of the Center’s mission and as inspiration for all the personnel. She ended her speech by encouraging the strengthening of partnerships and working together towards a future of sustainability and resilience in crop protection.
Also present during the program were Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. and Dr. Ruben L. Villareal, former UPLB chancellors; Dr. Fernando F. Sanchez, Sr., Dr. Romulo G. Davide, and Mr. Melvin D. Ebuenga, former NCPC directors; Dr. Lilia M. Fernando-Corpuz, CAFS associate dean for research and extension; Dr. Dormita R. del Carmen, PHTRC director; Engr. Emmanuel Q. Amatorio, CES station manager; and Mr. Elmer E. Enicola, IPB deputy director.
Anniversary Webinar: eMIR App
On May 23, NCPC held its anniversary webinar via Zoom titled “eMIR app (Electronic Management of Insecticide Resistance App): Tool for Resilient Crop Protection.”
Ms. Karen P. Ardez, NCPC researcher and the resource person, presented the background of the project and its conceptual framework. According to Ms. Ardez, eMIR is an Android and IOS application for Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) that does not require a stable internet connection and offers text message alerts to users with no smartphones. “It will also offer data from grey literature of macro and microbiological control options,” Ms. Ardez explained. She discussed how this app could help strengthen the farmers’ ability to implement holistic decision-making in Integrated Pest Management. She also highlighted in her presentation the three keys of IRM and the application’s main features.
The three main features of the applications are the eMIR Calendar, eMIR Map, and eMIR Learn. The proposed usage of the eMIR Calendar is to provide a spraying interval guide on the frequency of insecticide use. The eMIR Map includes the list of effective and ineffective insecticides per site. It would be possible to use the application to map areas with fall armyworm infestation in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The project team is working on including the list of available insecticides per area. The eMIR Learn contains information about insects and their recommended management strategies.
More than 250 participants nationwide attended the webinar.
Interested users may download the eMIR app for free via the Google Playstore, then later in the AppStore.
The app was soft launched on 13 December 2022.
NCPC Talent Show 2023: Dancesport Edition and NCPC Family Day: Amazing Race
The NCPC personnel engaged in friendly competition for the remaining two days of the anniversary celebration. The personnel were divided into four groups: red, yellow, green, and blue teams.
The third day saw the Center’s personnel clad in their dance outfits for the NCPC Talent Show 2023: Dancesport Edition held at the NCPC Auditorium.
The four groups gave riveting and energetic performances of a combination of dances such as rumba, cha-cha-cha, among others.
Serving as judges during the event were Dean Agbisit; former Director Ebuenga; and Dr. Merites M. Buot, Department of Human Kinetics professor.
Finally, on May 25, the personnel came together at the NCPC lobby for the NCPC Family Day. The groups competed in an amazing race which tested their physical and mental abilities, communication, and teamwork.
The Green Team emerged as the overall winner of the dancesport competition while the Blue Team prevailed during the amazing race.
(First published at the Aggie Green & Gold newsletter, May 2023 issue)
