More than 300 professional agriculturists from the Cordillera Administrative Region gathered in Baguio City for the Philippine Association of Agriculturists regional convention, a three-day event focused on continuous professional development and technology updates in food production. The convention covers new tools and approaches including artificial intelligence in farming, digital agriculture systems, updated crop variety selection, and current best practices in fertilizer and pesticide use.

Gerardo Banawa, regional PAA president and recently retired Department of Agriculture agriculturist, framed the event's purpose directly: professional agriculturists connected to LGUs across the Cordillera need current knowledge, because they are the link between new technology and the farmers who actually use it.

Why This Convention Matters Beyond the CPD Units

The formal requirement driving attendance is straightforward. The CPD law requires professional agriculturists to complete 30 units of continuing professional development to renew their PRC licenses. The convention provides a structured path to earn those units while staying current on the technologies reshaping the sector.

But Banawa is clear that the CPD units are the minimum, not the goal. "Computer-based agriculture is now going towards digitalization, which is a combination of updated technologies and strategies to increase the yield of crops," he said. For agriculturists working with municipal and provincial LGUs across the Cordillera — where they serve as the primary technical link between government programs and farming communities — that knowledge gap has direct consequences on farm productivity and food security.

The convention's focus on AI in farming reflects where the sector is heading. Precision agriculture tools, climate-adaptive crop selection, and data-driven input management are no longer emerging concepts. They are active practice in competitive agricultural systems. Cordillera agriculturists who leave this convention with a working understanding of those tools return to their LGU posts better equipped to guide the farmers they serve.

The Organization Behind the Convention

The PAA Cordillera regional chapter has been active for about nine years and holds accreditation as both an integrated professional organization and a civil society organization. In that time it has organized three face-to-face conventions and two online conventions during the pandemic years — a track record that reflects institutional continuity even through disruption.

Banawa, who spent his career as a DA agriculturist before retiring in January 2026, made a point worth holding onto. "Agriculture and farming is a profession that will never be phased out but will continue to be in demand while there are people who eat. We need to make sure that despite challenges in the industry like changes in climate, food production and sustainability is required."

That framing — agriculture as a profession with permanent relevance that nonetheless requires constant updating — is the core argument for why conventions like this need to keep happening, and why the organizations that run them deserve more visibility than they typically receive.

What This Means for Northern Luzon

The Cordillera's food production systems feed not just the region but a significant portion of the lowland markets in Northern Luzon and Metro Manila. The vegetables, root crops, and highland produce that move out of CAR every week depend on the technical competence of the agriculturists advising the farmers who grow them. A convention that updates 300 of those professionals on AI, digitalization, and modern production techniques has a multiplier effect that extends well beyond the event itself.

For LGUs across the Cordillera, the takeaway is practical: invest in the continued professional development of your agriculture staff. The knowledge they bring back from events like this translates directly into better guidance for farmers, better crop decisions, and stronger food production outcomes for the communities they serve.

Professional agriculturists in CAR interested in joining the Philippine Association of Agriculturists regional chapter or participating in future conventions can connect with the PAA Cordillera chapter directly.

Source: By Liza Agoot, PIA