Thirteen (13) parliamentarians of the Prefectural Government of Hiroshima, Japan conversed with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 8 to benchmark the banana production in Eastern Visayas on March 19, 2025 at the DA-RFO 8, Kanhuraw Hill, Tacloban City.

During the meeting, Mr. Rodel Macapañas, Field Operations Division (FOD) Chief, provided an overview and updates on banana production, its uses, challenges and marketability.

“I hope that the knowledge gained in this visit will be utilized in formulating policies to the prefectural government. And that this opportunity will lead to development of international exchange between Hiroshima and the Philippines,” says Mr. Hidenori Kobayashi, one of the Japanese delegates.

As a strategic move to further upscale the banana industry in the region, the DA-RFO 8 sees an opportunity to team up with the Japanese government as they offer to extend technical assistance from various Japanese institutions.

Japan developed a pathogen that can help eradicate the “bugtok”, a bacterial disease common on bananas that significantly affect the production yield of this commodity.

“We came here to give our support so that the damage on banana production will be minimized,” Mr. Kobayashi gladly announced.

In response, OIC-ARD for Research and Regulations, Jenny Lyn R. Almeria, expressed the DA-RFO 8’s appreciation for the visit and collaboration.

“We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your visit. This is not the last, but this will be the first of our partnership and collaboration. We hope you can extend to us the best we can do for our banana industry,” she said. Through these initiatives, DA-RFO 8 aims to make the banana industry in Eastern Visayas more competitive, resilient, and sustainable, ultimately improving the livelihoods of local farmers and contributing to the region’s economic development.###