Alangalang, Leyte— The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (DA-BAFS) conducted its first surveillance of the Alangalang Agri-preneurs Services Farmers Association (ALASFA) Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Group on April 1-3, 2025 to assess its continued compliance as an accredited Organic Certifying Body (OCB).

 

The surveillance aimed to ensure that ALASFA, which received its accreditation as a PGS OCB in May 2024, remains competent, impartial, and consistent in its certification activities. The assessment covered office-based evaluation and a witness audit of the group’s peer review process. This is a critical step in verifying the integrity of ALASFA’s certification system and its adherence to accreditation standards.

 

Technical personnel from the DA Regional Field Office-Eastern Visayas assisted in the conduct of the surveillance.

 

While specific findings of the assessment remain confidential, DA-BAFS noted that ALASFA showed openness to improvement and a strong commitment to enhancing its certification system. The group must address the identified findings to maintain its accreditation and continue operating as an OCB.

 

This surveillance is part of DA-BAFS’ ongoing efforts to strengthen the implementation of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) in the Philippines, ensuring that organic certification bodies operate with credibility and effectiveness in supporting the country’s organic agriculture sector.

 

For PGS groups like ALASFA, accreditation is not just a compliance requirement but a commitment to upholding the integrity of organic certification and building trust among farmers and consumers.