DA acquires 2 unmanned aerial vehicles

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently acquired two unmanned aerial vehicles.

The scientific equipment were turned over by the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation Inc. (UPLBFI).

SEARCA and UPLBFI handed over the drones to the DA-System Wide Climate Change Office (SWCCO) during the presentation  of the draft final report of the project titled “Strengthening Implementation of Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture (AMIA)” project at the Torres Venecia in Timog Avenue, Quezon City.

Among those who received the UAVs during the program were SWCCO director Alicia Ilaga and DA regional executive directors. Present during the turnover ceremony were Lope Santos III, SEARCA program specialist and officer-in-charge of project development and technical services; Rex Victor Cruz, former UPLB chancellor and now AMIA acting team leader; and Rogel Mari Sese, drone specialist of UPLBFI.  

Developed by Sese, the unmanned aerial vehicles are expected to be used by DA for damage assessment, as well as in field and project monitoring.

The aerial vehicles are the outputs of the project titled “Disaster Risk Reduction Management: Sub-component: Utilization of Drones in Disaster Assessment and Other Agricultural Purposes of AMIA.”