Sta. Margarita, Samar — The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (DA-BAFS) conducted the initial assessment of a core Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) group based in Sta. Margarita from August 26 to 29, 2025 to verify the group’s compliance with accreditation requirements as an Organic Certifying Body (OCB).
The assessment covered an office-based review and the witnessing of the group’s peer review to evaluate whether the group demonstrates competence, impartiality, and consistency in carrying out its Manual of Operations.
The DA-BAFS Assessment Team noted that the group still needs to strengthen the implementation of its Manual of Operations. However, the group was commended for its openness and willingness to learn, reflecting its readiness to improve and align with organic certification standards. The activity was carried out with the support of technical personnel from the DA Regional Field Office (RFO) and the DA Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) of Eastern Visayas, alongside representatives from the Sta. Margarita Local Government Unit (LGU).
