Marking a historic milestone for food security in Eastern Visayas, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially inaugurated the Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (HSRIP) today, April 30, 2026, signaling a transformative shift for thousands of local rice farmers.

The Department of Agriculture Regional Office VIII, through the RCPC and the National Corn Program, successfully conducted a specialized training on utilizing earwigs as biological control agents on April 22–23, 2026, in Brgy. Campiyak, San Sebastian, Samar.

Just as ube is taking the world by storm, a young farmer from Ormoc City has risen to the top when his ube enterprise conquered the national stage of the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Program.

The Department of Agriculture Regional Office VIII, through the RCPC and the National Corn Program, conducted an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Training on corn on April 23-24, 2026, at the Training Room of the Baybay City Hall, Baybay City, Leyte.

In a tribute to the backbone of the regional economy, the DA RFO8 OIC Regional Executive Director, Rodel G. Macapañas, served as the Keynote Speaker for the Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Day.

The DA RFO-8, through its HVCDP, recently convened agricultural extension workers from Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran in a coordination meeting aimed at charting a brighter course in the delivery of high-value crop initiatives in the region at the Leyte Provincial Capitol, Palo, Leyte, on April 27, 2026.

In its commitment to supporting the livelihoods of countryside heroes, the Department of Agriculture RFO 8 implemented the PAFFP for eligible rice farmers in Basey, Samar.

A total of 2,000 beneficiaries in Isabel, Leyte gained access to affordable rice through the government’s “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program, rolled out on April 23, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to cushion low-income and economically disadvantaged households from escalating food prices.