Tublay, Benguet – The Bio+Mine Eco Team research assistants Janna Andalan, Alissa Jane Mondejar, Kryzzyl Maulas, David Guilingen, and Jethro Guilingen collected plant and soil samples from privately-owned sayote farms in the Sto. Niño legacy mine site in Brgy. Ambassador, Tublay on 8 December 2023. The samples were collected with consent from farm owners Gregorio Panico, Rolando Panico, Joel Basity, Reynaldo Pilando, and Marites Garcia.
Apart from the farm owners’ consent, the Bio+Mine has secured a gratuitous permit from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources – Cordillera Administrative Regional Office to transport the collected samples for analysis of possible heavy metal accumulation.
As large number Tublay’s agriculture produce is sayote, which is a major economic player (Philippine News Agency, 2021), findings from the analysis will be used, together with insights from the on-going mesocosm experiment (Bio+Mine, 2024), in developing sustainable strategies to improve farming practices, food safety, and economic activities in the area.
References
Philippine News Agency. (2021, February 2). Benguet farmers to benefit from TESDA agri training hub. (2021). https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129330
Bio+Mine. (2024, January 28). Bio+Mine eco team’s mesocosm experiment reaches Day 60 milestone. https://bioplusmine.earth/?p=2796
