PHILIPPINES’ BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY CONDUCTS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON THE USE OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION PORTAL

Publication date

23-04-2013

Description of the mark

The Bureau of Plant Industry, the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the Philippines, is responsible in implementing the guidelines of the International Plant Protection Convention. In adherence to the principle of transparency, it is responsible for sharing information on its phytosanitary issues through the International Phytosanitary Portal. Through the BPI Plant Quarantine Service, it has taken the initiative to disseminate the information and encourage the BPI personnel to utilize the available information in the IPP through the “Training Workshop on the Use of the International Phytosanitary Portal” last March 14-15, 2013 at the Department of Agriculture Information Technology Center for Agriculture and Fisheries Building, Quezon City, Philippines. The BPI PQS is the office under the BPI which participates in most of the activities of the IPPC in terms of standards setting, review and adaptation, which gave the impetus to conduct this training. The training is informed participants on how to utilize the IPP. This training updated participants on how to effectively use the IPP portal in browsing for NPPO’s organizational information, changes, developments or amendments of regulations relating to phytosanitary measures. The participants were also exposed to the revisions of pest lists of other NPPOs, interception of pests, progress of PRA, emergency actions, development of contingency plans, change of IPPC official contact and the editor of NPPO in the country, establishments of pest free areas, etc. The Philippines’ Plant Protection Profile was discussed and reviewed in this workshop in order to update the information in light of the upcoming APPPC meeting in August of 2013. The Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission, in which the Philippines is a member, was also discussed. Hands-on exercises were done for the participants to individually browse and use the features of the websites. After the workshop, the fifty-one (51) participants gained more knowledge on the information and were more confident to use the IPP. They also realized the ease of downloading the information in the IPP to help them in the conduct of their plant quarantine duties. They also realized how the IPPC works as the standards-setting body that is recognized by the World Trade Organization under the SPS Agreement. They were updated on how ISPMs are developed and were made aware of the phytosanitary procedures that take place in the global trading environment such as Risk Assessment, Appropriate Level of Protection and Scientific Justification. The work of the local Department of Agriculture SPS Focal Group was also discussed so that the participants can appreciate the coordination efforts of the different agencies of the DA in the field of SPS. The vast pool of information available that complement the information in the IPP, such as the APPPC and WTO website, was also opened to the participants so that they can also freely share the information to the clients and stakeholders that they serve in their capacities as Plant Quarantine Officers and staff of the BPI. A very important result of the workshop is the commitment from the management and the participants to more actively participate in the future activities related to the IPPC.

Author

Issue keywords

Commodity keywords

Report files

En

Website