Animal science and veterinary medicine experts gathered for a 3-day congress in Bohol. The members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Philippine Animal Science Association (JOCV-PASA) held their 28th Annual Consultative Meeting and Continuing Education here in the province.
Themed “JOCV-PASA: Supports the National Organic Livestock and Poultry Industry through Upgrading Program in the Advent of Climate Change, the congress was venue for collaborative sharing of knowledge and expertise of some 160 academicians, veterinarians, agriculturists, Filipino and Japanese experts from all over the country.
Gov. Edgar Chatto, who was guest speaker during their opening program, shared Bohol’s own experience in accounting for and managing livestock and poultry during the course of the disasters that hit the province in the past 2 years.
He also imparted Bohol’s own programs geared towards increased production as livestock and poultry are vital for food security, and congratulated JOCV-PASA for opportunities to expand technology and expertise to respond to challenges of times, expecting to bring the expertise and technology shared in the forum to the community through JOCV-PASA’s sphere of influence.
According to Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 7 Field Office Technical Director for Research and Development Joel Elumba, climate change mitigation and adaptation is a tall order for the animal industry.
The challenge, he said, is to educate farmers on new approaches, new technologies, new strategies and modalities in order to enhance productivity. He went on to recommend integrated farming and native animal raising as among key climate resilient strategies.
The JOCV-PASA, ably led by current president Jhonny Samson, is a group of animal science and veterinary medicine practitioners, who have undergone training in Japan, which supports the livestock development goals of national government through technical expertise exchanges.
In other animal intervention programs, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, appealed to dog owners to take advantage of the dog vaccination program to prevent and eliminate rabies.