VSU Receives Php 1M worth of Agricultural Inputs through DA-NUPAP
The Visayas State University, in the Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension and Innovation and Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) and National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (DA-NUPAP), held an Information Caravan and Project-Turnover Ceremony to officially hand over different agricultural inputs on 25 April 2025.
The activity was conducted at the PhilRootcrops Booth, Oval Ground, Lower Campus, VSU, and was one of the calendared activities in the 101st founding anniversary of the university. VSU was a recipient of a total of Php 1,025,892.00 worth of Agricultural Inputs from the partnership with DA-BPI and DA-NUPAP. The agricultural inputs include the basic tools and materials such as hydroponics setup, multicultivator, vegetable seeds, and garden tools that are anticipated to augment academic cooperation and community-based learning.
VSU President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes thanked the partnership, citing the need for infusing urban agriculture into the university’s curricula. “This project not only increases our research capacity but also teaches our students and the community to practice sustainable agriculture,” she added.
The partnership with DA-NUPAP and BPI forms part of a larger effort to promote localized food production as well as community awareness on food security issues. In the ceremony, DA-NUPAP and BPI representatives stressed the importance of the inputs in promoting urban agriculture in the country. “We look forward to seeing how these resources will be used to enhance food production systems within our urban areas,” stated a DA-NUPAP official.
First Validation of the DA-NUPAP to VSU
In 2024, DA-BPI and DA-NUPAP wanted to enter into a partnership linkage with Visayas State University. The program is especially interested in pursuing potential opportunities for the development of an edible landscaping project as well as other projects on indoor farming and protective farming.
A schedule of validation was done through the VSU Research Office on November 14, 2024, at the OVPREI, White Room. The meeting considered how VSU would deliver invaluable knowledge and make a valuable contribution to the development of sustainable food production systems for cities. In addition, faculty members whose research and expertise match the subjects of interest were engaged in the discussion, e.g., Department of Horticulture, Department of Animal Science, Department of Business Management, Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering, and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Series of Research Proposal Workshops
As a stepping stone, the VSU Research Office and DA RFO 8 had a workshop on writing the Research Proposal on December 13, 2024. During the activity, proponents were able to prepare the proposal with the DA-NUPAP focal person and its technical staff’s assistance. On 31 January 2025, the Research Office held a repeat of the workshop that acted as the polishing stage of the proposal. All the involved researchers were invited to join the workshop for a more collaborative discussion. Additionally, each proponent was also asked to present their outputs for validation and feedback.
Courtesy Call and Project Site Visit
Within the partnership, the Department of Agriculture RFO 8, NUPAP Program Management Office (PMO), the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) did a site visit at Visayas State University last February 27, 2025. This project was intended to further discuss the partnership in developing a model farm focused on sustainable urban agriculture. Activity details include completion of the research proposal with the central offices and VSU researchers; courtesy visit to the VSU President, Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, and brief re-orientation of the DA-NUPAP program; and finally, site visit to all the sites identified—Ecological Farm and Resource Management Institute (Eco-FARMI), Department of Animal Science (DAS), and Advanced Research and Innovation Center (ARIC).
Finally, agricultural input turnover is another leap towards improving VSU’s sustainable food production capability, community outreach, and research-driven innovation in VSU’s continuous efforts to collaborate with government offices and non-government organizations to enhance innovation and grassroots implementation of agricultural programs in Eastern Visayas. As VSU continues to build its research and instructional programs, the university continues to be passionate about developing partnerships that improve agricultural productivity and sustainability in the region.
