The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM) represented the Philippines at the 13th Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) from June 3 to 5, 2025, at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The head of the delegation is Dr. Gina P. Nilo, the director of the BSWM and Chairperson of the Asian Soil Partnership, along with her technical staff, Ms. Marjorie Jean E. Tao, as one of the lead authors of the FAO-GLOSOLAN Standard Operating Procedure on Bulk Density.
The three-day assembly is part of the commemoration activities for the FAO’s 80th Anniversary, celebrating achievements and outstanding partnerships in land and soils. The FAO acknowledges the Philippines’ role in promoting sustainable land and soil management, which is crucial for overcoming the current significant environmental and development challenges. The FAO further appreciates the country’s political will and commitment to providing soil health and restoring degraded agricultural land.
During the opening day of the Plenary Assembly, Dr. Nilo participated in the high-level roundtable on Impactful Solutions on the Ground. She highlighted the partnership and accomplishments of the FAO and BSWM over the years. Dir. Nilo highlighted the collaboration and achievements of the FAO and BSWM. The landmark partnership between FAO and BSWM is the Technical Cooperation on Land Degradation Assessment and Digital Soil Mapping in the mid-2010s, as well as the implementation of the National Soil Health Program. Dir. Nilo presented its forward-looking vision to FAO, including the co-development of the GEF 8th Cycle project under Food Systems and Integrated Programs, and explored strategic collaboration through the implementation of Technical Cooperation Programs that focus on two critical areas: rainwater storage for enhanced water efficiency and water quality improvement through reuse for agriculture.
On the second day, the Philippines actively participated in the discussion on the status of implementing the GSP Six Action Framework. The Philippines expresses its support for establishing the Soil Erosion Network and intends to participate in its Technical Working Group, highlighting the need for action, as around 45% of the soil is directly affected by soil erosion.
During the last day of the event, Dir. Nilo, as the regional soil partnership chairperson in Asia, presented the 2025 Report of the ASP, outlining its accomplishments and ways forward. She highlighted the contribution of the Philippines and BSWM, such as: (1) Hosting the two international event: the SOIL+ Project Evaluation Workshop in the Philippines with 13 participating members of the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) in June 2024, and the Eighth Asian Soil Laboratory Network (SEALNET) meeting with 18 participating countries that took place in July 2024; (2) launching of the 2024 SEALNET interlaboratory comparison with five key fertility parameters and included particle size analysis for the first time under GLOSOLAN endorsement. The PT samples were prepared and distributed to the participating countries by the BSWM; (3) advancing the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Soil Laboratories (CESLab) by presenting the framework during the SEALNET meeting. (4) Presentation of the prototype of the Global Soil Information System (GloSIS) for the Philippines at the 10th International Network of Soil Information Institutions (INSII), (5) recognized as the most outstanding, along with Uzbekistan as the outstanding principal investigator, (6) Submission of one Sustainable Land Management practice to the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) and CESRA collaborated to build a regional database of SSM practices.
In her capacity as Chair of the ASP, Director Nilo proposed the establishment of a Regional Program or Action Framework for Soil Health in Asia as a definitive measure to advance the objectives of the Global Soil Partnership. Through initiatives such as CESLab, it aims to enhance the capabilities of our laboratories to generate high-quality data and do so using globally harmonized and standardized testing protocols.
The Philippines has extended an invitation to all nations within the Asian region that are currently preparing for the GEF 9 programming cycle. The aim is to consider joint activities under the National Soil Health Program that can collectively support the regional goals of the FAO Global Soil Partnership and foster synergies through shared methodologies and pooled expertise.
During their visit to Rome, Dr. Nilo and Ms. Tao also formally visited the Embassy of the Philippines. This engagement strengthened diplomatic relations and fostered collaboration between the BSWM and embassy representatives.
(Marjorie Jean E. Tao, LSD)
#DA #BSWM #MasaganangAgrikultura #MaunladNaEkonomiya #BagongPilipinas #ParaSaMasaganangBagongPilipinas
