A monitoring activity from March 11 to 14, 2025, was conducted by the DA-BAFS Organic Agriculture Division and DA-Regional Field Office Region I Regulatory Division Monitoring Team to target certified core PGS group farmer-members in Pangasinan. The activity aimed to ensure continued compliance of these farmer-members with the Philippine National Standard applicable to organic agriculture and to ensure compliance with the execution of corrective action plans to address findings of previous inspections. The Pangasinan Provincial Agriculture Office and Mangatarem Municipal Agriculture Office offered technical support in the monitoring activity. #OAmonitoring #OrganicAgriculture #PGSforOA #BAFSonthemove #DABAFS  Monitoring of Certified Core PGS Farmer-Members March 25, 2025 Raising the Bar for Philippine Honey with the Philippine National Standards (PNS) on Honey — Product Standard — Specifications (PNS/BAFS 185:2022) March 25, 2025 Surveillance Assessment of PGS Group for Accreditation as Organic Certifying Body March 20, 2025 DA-BAFS Standards Research Division (SRD) and Standards Development Division (SDD) conducted in-person interviews, coordinated with DA-Regional Field Offices in Central Luzon and SOCCSKSARGEN. March 20, 2025 Field Compliance Assessment of Ongoing Efficacy Trials March 19, 2025 Preinspection to Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Core Farmer-Members March 18, 2025 New Employee Oreintation and Reoreintation March 14, 2025 Surviellance Assessment of PGS Group for Accreditation as Organic Certifying Body March 13, 2025 Other Post

The adoption of Philippine National Standards (PNS) on Honey — Product Standard — Specifications (PNS/BAFS 185:2022) has provided a milestone to the honey industry, which set of guidelines and parameters to interested parties helping distinguish pure honey from adulterated products.One of the key challenges in the honey industry is adulteration of honey by mixing it with sugar cane or corn syrup compromising its quality and misleading the consuming public. The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) conducted a study which used stable carbon isotope ratio analysis to detect such adulteration. The stable carbon isotope ratio analysis is a nuclear-based technique that identifies the unique isotopic “fingerprints” of authentic honey versus the commonly used adulterants such as sugar cane and corn syrup. Authentic honey comes from C3 plants (such as nectar-producing flowers), which have a carbon isotope fingerprint ranging from -33% to -22%. while sugar cane and corn syrups originate from C4 plants, which have a δ¹³C value between -16‰ to -8‰. Through the analysis of these isotope fingerprints, the purity of honey can be determined, protecting both the consumers and producers from fraudulent claims.In collaboration with the DOST-PNRI, Bureau of Animal Industry, Apimondia Regional Commission for Asia, academe and industry representatives, the said technique was officially adopted in PNS/BAFS 185:2022. Further, FEATR, a platform dedicated to showcasing Filipino agriculture and sustainable practices, has featured the importance of honey quality standards and the role of carbon isotope analysis in ensuring authenticity, raising public awareness and appreciation of this endeavor. WIth these mainstreaming efforts, we are confident that we are moving closer to a future where every sweet drop of Philippine honey is pure, traceable, and proudly local.You can watch the full segment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8lKy6fNiIIIf you want to learn more about this PNS on Honey — Product Standards — Specifications (PNS/BAFS 185:2022) click here: https://bit.ly/4j3yPQV #bafs #directorscorner #pns #honey  Raising the Bar for Philippine Honey with the Philippine National Standards (PNS) on Honey — Product Standard — Specifications (PNS/BAFS 185:2022) March 25, 2025 Surveillance Assessment of PGS Group for Accreditation as Organic Certifying Body March 20, 2025 DA-BAFS Standards Research Division (SRD) and Standards Development Division (SDD) conducted in-person interviews, coordinated with DA-Regional Field Offices in Central Luzon and SOCCSKSARGEN. March 20, 2025 Field Compliance Assessment of Ongoing Efficacy Trials March 19, 2025 Preinspection to Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Core Farmer-Members March 18, 2025 New Employee Oreintation and Reoreintation March 14, 2025 Surviellance Assessment of PGS Group for Accreditation as Organic Certifying Body March 13, 2025 Surveillance Assessment of PGS Group for Accreditation as Organic Certifying Body March 13, 2025 Other Post