Author: Melody Mendoza-Aguiba

Twelve agri-tourism sites to be promoted, integrated into traditional sites to boost farmers’income, rural economic activity

Twelve agri-tourism sites have been identified for integration into traditional eco-tourism sites as part of boosting farmers’income and stirring up rural economic activity. In a move to put into effect the Farm Tourism Development Act (Republic Act 10816), farm tourism sites will be promoted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in a way that will maximize use of resources through integration, according to Rebecca Villanueva-Labit, DOT Regional Director Region 4-A. “The envisioned integration of tourism and farming allows more efficient resource utilization which can provide jobs, increase income, business opportunities, and reduce urban migration,” Labit said in a farm...

Read More

Sterling Group ventures into e-commerce with acquisition of Amazon-like Galleon.ph and apps development Openovate Labs

  Sterling Vice President Michelle Lim Gankee, Chairman Henry Lim, Corporate Officer Hazel Lim, and Sterling Model Pauline Lim The Sterling Group has ventured into e-commerce with its acquisition of online shopping site Galleon.ph and apps development firm Openovate Labs.Galleon.ph, a local version of Amazon, boasts of selling more than 500,000 products which can come from anywhere outside of the Philippines, but efficiently serves Philippines’ 100 million population through convenient payment system and delivery. “Galleon.ph already receives 240,000 visitors per month,” said Sterling Vice President Michelle Lim Gankee. On the other hand, the buyout of Openovate brings into Sterling...

Read More

Philippines to revive garlic production as plant breeders use tissue culture to boost garlic production

IPB Breeder Dr. Lilian F. Patena  develops tissue culture for garlic The Philippines will revive its apparently demised garlic industry as the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) comes up with “mass micropropagation” and “tissue culture” of virus-free garlic planting materials that can boost garlic production. Breeders have partnered with Ilocos Norte local government unit (LGU) led by Governor Imee Marcos for the technology development on garlic planting materials production. IPB-University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) has put up the capacity to distribute virus-free planting materials in pilot provinces, according to Dr. Emil Q. Javier, IPB co-founder. “MMSU and...

Read More