Empowering Registered Agriculturists: PAA Hosts Virtual Convention

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The 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐈𝐧𝐜. (𝐏𝐀𝐀) 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬’ 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 themed, “The future of agriculture: Empowering agriculturists through artificial intelligence, microcredentials, and transdisciplinary approaches” was held last 13 to 16 July 2026 via RingCentral, a leading online platform for business communications.

Attended by more than 1,000 Filipino Agriculturists, the virtual convention was well-represented by the seven (7) Associate National Professional Organizations (ANPOs) affiliated under the PAA, its 18 regional chapters from all over the nation, and its partners and stakeholders within the Philippine agricultural sector.

PAA Chairperson Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr. welcomed the participants to the Philippine Agriculturists’ Summit, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift to address the current challenges confronting the agri-food system. This year’s convention recognized the major challenges facing the Philippine agriculture industry and moved for empowerment of registered agriculturists as agents of change in addressing these challenges.

In the Congress Declaration delivered by Dr. Analiza Henedina M. Ramirez, PAA Vice President and 2026 Convention Chair, she presented the highlights of the plenary and learning sessions and introduced the SMART RA (Strategic, Multidisciplinary, Agile, Resilient, and Tech-driven Registered Agriculturist) Framework as an integral solution to addressing these complex and systemic challenges.

“The SMART RA Framework presents the core pillars of recent times that can help leverage our competencies as Registered Agriculturists,” she mentioned.

The framework emphasizes the need for registered agriculturists to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI), pursue relevant microcredentials, and adopt transdisciplinary approaches to research and practice.

“We acknowledge that agriculture now stands at the intersection of various challenges…[and] we should place agriculturists at the center of agricultural innovation, ensuring that technology serves farmers, farm workers, researchers, extension personnel, and rural communities first,” she added.

To wrap up the convention, Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., incumbent PAA President, led the ceremonial turnover of leadership for the 2027-2028 administration. Dr. Sanchez’s leadership will continue until December 2026, in time for Dr. Ramirez’s official assumption to office in January 2027.

Meanwhile, incoming 2027 PAA Convention Chair and Philippine Extension and Advisory Services Network, Inc. (PhilEASNet) representative Dr. Rolando V. Maningas announced that the next PAA National Convention will be held in Mindanao.