Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV-CALABARZON Regional Director Engr. Arnel V. de Mesa joined the celebration of World Egg Day with the theme “Eggs, Much More Than the Perfect Protein” via teleconference spearheaded by the Batangas Egg Producers Cooperative (BEPCO) on October 9, 2020.

The BEPCO-led meeting is an opportunity to promote the Batangas egg industry and to discuss its collaboration with private, public, and academic stakeholders to improve the production of eggs in the province.

Director de Mesa said in his message that eggs are “small but incredible” and one of the greatest sources of protein, good cholesterol, and other vitamins and minerals that play a vital role in human’s nutrition, despite being small.

“The strength of the egg in terms of its nutritional value reflects the capability and endurance of the egg farmers of Batangas. I witnessed the signing of the order by Secretary William Dar to name San Jose as the Egg Processing Capital, and I know for sure that the municipality deserves this recognition. May our farmers continue their hard work in boosting the industry,” Director de Mesa said.

According to CALABARZON Regional Development Council (RDC) Chair and Batangas Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas, today’s World Egg Day is a very significant celebration because eggs are important not only for livestock production but also for consumption.

“I am very grateful to everyone who has taken part in the campaign to develop the egg industry in Batangas. We all know how healthy eggs are, that is why it is necessary for us to ensure the quality and quantity of egg production in Batangas. The government is providing its full support to the improvement of the egg industry in Batangas,” Governor Mandanas said.

DA Undersecretary for Operations Engr. Ariel T. Cayanan said that eggs are equally important in our daily lives. He expressed his gratitude to BEPCO for organizing this meeting to celebrate World Egg day.

“Let us celebrate the value of eggs in our everyday nutrition. Apart from that, we should also challenge ourselves to increase the value added in the egg industry. May this meeting bring us together to keep the industry locally and globally competitive. May we all have an egg-citing and egg-cellent celebration because I can only see a better and brighter future in the egg industry in Batangas,” USec. Cayanan said.

During the meeting, BEPCO recognized public stakeholders in the egg industry, including DA, interior and local government, science and technology, trade and industry, health, social welfare and development, and education departments; and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, as well as private sector stakeholders, including the Philippine Association of Breeder Layers, Inc., the Philippine College of Poultry Practitioners, Inc., and the National Federation of Egg Producers of the Philippines.

BEPCO also presented its proposed Roadmap for Resilient and Sustainable Philippine Chicken Egg Industry that promotes local egg production and egg by-products through the cooperative. ● (MAP, DA-RAFIS)