DMMMSU-SRDI, led by its Exec. Director, Dr. Cristeta F. Gapuz and Ms. Evangel M. Barrameda, Knowledge Management Officer, were among the country’s representatives to the 3rd Meeting of the National Focal Point Working Group on Sericulture of the ASEAN Cooperation in Agriculture and Forest Products Promotion Scheme 2021 on June 28, 2021.
Incidentally, they also serve as the two Focal Points on sericulture, as assigned by the ASEAN Working Group and as endorsed by the Department of Agriculture. Other attendees from the Philippines during the virtual meeting were Ms. Rowena Genete, Ms. Leonora Gabriel, and Ms. Leny Pecson of the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness and Marketing Services; and Ms. Concepcion Jocson and Engr. Ramil Barcelona of the DA-PhilFIDA.
The meeting featured country reports of the ASEAN sericulture member-countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, the host country. The country reports that bared the status of sericulture or silk industries in the said countries served as bases for the initial drafting of the ASEAN Silk Roadmap 2021-2025 which was consolidated and presented by Dr. Gapuz. Other highlights of the meeting were the presentations of the ASEAN Sericulture Network Website and the Strategic Plan of Action for the ASEAN Sericulture Cooperation 2021-2025.
SRDI also actively participated in the ASEAN NFPWG meetings organized by the Queen Sirikit Department of Sericulture in 2018 and 2019 held in Bangkok, Thailand. With this ASEAN collaboration and engagement, SRDI hopes to establish a more defined character and identity of its silk products and uplift the Philippine silk industry as a whole.
Photos & words | Evangel Menguita Barrameda