The Department of Agriculture (DA) has increased by almost six times the proposed budget of its agricultural research agency in 2016 to push for the promotion of science-based agricultural development in the country. From P240 million this year, the proposed budget of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) will become P1.4 billion next year. DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said it is important to match the agricultural research and development programs and projects with the actual needs of the agriculture sector, especially small farmers and fishers. “We need to identify specific areas where the results of researches will be actually used for the betterment of the lives of our farmers and fishers. We do not want these to remain in research journals and gather dust in libraries,” he said. BAR Director Dr. Nicomedes Eleazar said with increased funding support and improved governance, the agency has been motivated to conduct research and development that redound to improving the lives of the Filipinos, particularly those living in the countryside. He added that the bureau, in consideration of the ASEAN economic integration, has implemented responsive research and development programs to improve both productivity and competence, delivering relevant technologies where and when they are needed most. “With a more competitive ASEAN market, we do not only aspire to increase productivity, which merely focuses on production quantity, but also improve our competence, highlighting improvement of product quality, too,” Eleazar said. William Dar, BAR’s pioneer director and former DA acting secretary lauded the current DA and BAR leadership’s achievements in agriculture research and development and proposed that these milestones should be complemented with agribusiness incubation programs.