PROSPERIDAD, AGUSAN DEL SUR (MindaNews/ December 1)— Agusan del Sur is breaking new ground on December 5, becoming the first province outside Metro Manila to host the national World Soil Day (WSD) 2025 celebration.
For a decade, the Bureau of Soils and Waste Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture has hosted WSD in Metro Manila, largely through conferences and exhibitions.
Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza, of the province’s 2nd District, who spearheaded the event, said this year’s WSD isn’t just a ceremonial milestone but a wake-up call for Philippine agriculture.
At the heart of the celebration is the province’s new state-of-the-art soils laboratory, managed by the Provincial Research Development and Innovation Office (PRDIO).
Unlike conventional laboratories, Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. said this facility doesn’t just test soil fertility—it analyzes nutrients, water properties, trace minerals, and even carbon credits, positioning Agusan del Sur as a hub for climate-smart, data-driven farming.
Cane said Agusan del Sur is now taking the science straight to the source—its farmers.
From December 3 to 5, a three-day Stakeholders’ Forum on Soil Testing Protocols and Information Systems will bring together scientists, farmers, and policymakers to ensure that innovation translates into real, actionable benefits for communities, according to a PRDIO statement on WSD 2025 celebration.
“This lab is future-proofing our farms,” said Dr. Tricia Goloran, PRDIO head.
“We are not limited to soil fertility alone. This lab positions Agusan del Sur to become a leader in environmental analytics, supporting agriculture, water resource management, and geoscience,” Goloran said in a statement.
As PRDIO strengthens science and technology adoption across farms and communities, Goloran said Agusan del Sur aims to emerge as a Mindanao hub for sustainable agriculture research, advancing global soil health goals while securing a productive future for the province’s farmers.
Opening statements will be delivered by Gov. Cane, Rep. Plaza, Rep. Alfel Bascug of the 1st District and DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora, highlighting that innovation is worthless unless farmers can use it to improve yields and income.
On December 5, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla will lead the national delegation marking his first official visit to Caraga Region, together with Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, as well as several undersecretaries and agency directors who will witness Agusan del Sur’s shift toward climate-smart agriculture.
Inaugurated on June 24, the soils laboratory can assess 50 to 100 samples per day, enabling precise fertilizer recommendations and crop suitability planning — a crucial step away from guesswork and overuse of farm inputs.
“The stakes are high”. According to Rep. Plaza, dubbed the “father of the soil health fertilization initiative,” science-based soil management has already delivered a 263% increase in net income in five model rice fields in Agusan del Sur, doubling yields to 6.6 tons per hectare while cutting fertilization costs by 45%.
These results outperform the national average, yet only a fraction of farmers nationwide have access to such technology, he said.
“The clock is ticking,” Plaza warned during his privilege speech in Congress in August. “70% of Philippine farmlands are already affected by soil acidity. Soil degradation is no longer abstract—it threatens the livelihoods of our smallholder farmers and the nation’s food security.”
The WSD event will also showcase Agusan del Sur’s commitment to youth-led agricultural innovation through programs like the Upland Sustainable Agroforestry Development (USAD).
With the soils laboratory capable of analyzing 50 to 100 samples daily, Agusan del Sur is proving that precision farming is possible—and profitable.
But as Plaza stressed in his privilege speech, without a comprehensive, national soil health strategy, the country risks leaving millions of farmers behind while soils degrade and climate change accelerates. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
