The San Florentino Food Garden Association (SaFFGA), a farmers’ association assisted by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program, formally received its Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) Certificate during a turnover ceremony held on July 23, 2026 in Barangay San Florentino, San Rafael, Iloilo.
The turnover marks another milestone for the association after becoming the first farmers’ association in Iloilo’s 5th District to earn PhilGAP certification, affirming its compliance with the Department of Agriculture’s national standards on food safety, environmental management, product quality, and the health and welfare of farm workers.
Leading the turnover ceremony was Mr. Ryan V. Rasgo, Chief of the Field Operations Division, together withMs. Charmae Antipatia, DA-SAAD Alternate Assistant Focal Person, Ms. Ellen R. Banda, Agriculturist II and Ms. Gemma G. Lazarte, Agriculturist I of the Regulatory Division, and Ms. Joy Torreverde, Staff, Municipal Agricultural Office of San Rafael. They personally handed the PhilGAP certificate to the officers and members of the San Florentino Food Garden Association.
In his message, Rasgo congratulated the association for achieving the prestigious certification and encouraged the members to sustain their compliance with PhilGAP standards to ensure the continuous production of safe, quality, and marketable agricultural products.
The PhilGAP certification is the culmination of months of technical preparations, capacity-building activities, farm improvements, documentation, and on-site inspections conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) through the Plant Product Safety Services Division Food Safety Operation Unit (BPI-PPSSD FSOU), with support from the DA Regional Field Office 6 Regulatory Division.
SaFFGA President Arnold Balairos earlier described the certification as a significant achievement for the association, noting that it provides opportunities to access institutional markets, command premium prices for their produce, strengthen partnerships with government and private institutions, and continuously improve members’ farming skills and workplace safety practices.
“Ang ini nga certificate is a collective effort. Indi lang sa aton, indi lang sa amon diri. Kundi sa Regulatory, kila Ma’am Cha, Sa Kay Sir Riczan, kag sa MAO man nga nagabulig sa aton pirmi diri, sa ila nga support nga mapadayon naton kag mapauswag ang aton asosasyon. So, ini nga certificate naga pakita lang sa aton pag-isa sa pag lambot sang aton nga mga katuyuan,” Balairos shared.
“So for now, we are proud nga kita ang pinakauna sa Fifth District diri sa Iloilo nga PhilGAP-certified nga association. Kag gina look forward naton nga in nga certificate naga padayon Kay may regular monitoring ini siya, padayon nga gina monitor kita kung padayon kita nga naga comply sa requirements sang PhilGAP kag at the same time kabay nga ini nga aton pagka certified sa PhilGAP will be an inspiration so salamat gid Kay ma’am joy Kay tungod may Isa na ka association nga gusto man mag PhilGAP tungod sa aton example,” he added.
[This certificate is the result of a collective effort. It is not only because of us or our group here, but also because of the support of the Regulatory team, Ma’am Cha, Sir Riczan, and the MAO, who have always been helping us. With their continued support, we hope to sustain and further improve our association. This certificate symbolizes our unity in achieving our shared goals.]
[As of now, we are proud to be the first association in the Fifth District of Iloilo to become PhilGAP-certified. We also look forward to maintaining this certification because it involves regular monitoring. We will continue to be assessed to ensure that we comply with the requirements of PhilGAP. At the same time, we hope that our PhilGAP certification will inspire others. Thank you very much, Ma’am Joy, because through our example, another association has already expressed interest in becoming PhilGAP-certified as well.]
The program recognized the achievement as a testament to the commitment of the association and the sustained technical assistance provided to empower smallholder farmers through improved production practices and enhanced market opportunities.
The turnover of the PhilGAP certificate reinforces the government’s commitment to promoting safe food production, sustainable farming, and increased competitiveness among farmers’ organizations in Northern Iloilo. ###
