📋 Tender Overview
BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) aims to implement digital trading and profiling at the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The BAPTC located in La Trinidad, Benguet, serves as a major hub for the trade of highland vegetables, which are distributed to various markets in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Leisley Deligen, OIC Assistant Division Chief of DA-CAR Field Operations Division, said that DA aims to fully implement the digital trading and profiling for the next two to three years. For now, they are starting to publish the names of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified farms sending their produce at BAPTC for traceability. Nag-start pa kami sa Good Agricultural Practices. Plano sana ng DA na ma-introduce ang mga GAP-certified naproduce sa BAPTC para at least man lang, may traceability, Deligen said during the 2025 Development Policy Research Month North Luzon Media Kickoff on August 20, 2025. For the digital profiling of the products at the trading hub, Deligen said they will start the initial stages next year. He said DA is partnering with universities that have already developed an application for this will fast-track the implementation of the project. Dun mag-start ang digitalization ng mga produce. May QR code yung produkto, malalaman mo kung saannanggaling, sino yung nag-produce, kailan na-harvest. And then malalaman mo rin yung pesticide residue na na-introduce sa product na yun, Deligen elaborated. He added that they already tried the identification of pesticide residue with the help of the University of the Philippines Los Banos but it is not yet institutionalized. Arlene Sagayo, Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulation, said that AI matters in agriculture because it offers a powerful opportunity for transformation, from smart farming practices to data-driven policymaking and efficient market operations. Sagayo said AI can transform the trading areas by market intelligence and price forecasting. AI analyzes historic and real-time data for forecast prices and demand at BAPTC and other markets enabling farmers and cooperatives to plan harvest and sales for optimal profits, Sagayo said. She added that AI-powered platforms can facilitate direct matching of supply and demand, provide purchase alerts to farmers, and suggest the best-selling points within BAPTC and beyond. Sensors in AI-driven dashboards can also monitor inflows, outflows, and quality conditions at BAPTC, aiding market managers in making timely decisions. The DA-CAR recommended strengthening digital infrastructure at BAPTC and other trading posts, providing training on AI tools for market managers, farmers, and cooperatives, establishing AI dashboards for LGUs and DA-CAR to monitor market activities, piloting AI-powered trading and logistics platforms in BAPTC, and upholding data privacy and empower farmers in decision-making. The agency also recommended investing in rural digital infrastructure, especially in key trading hubs like BAPTC; the upskilling of farmers, extension workers, and LGUs on AI and digital literacy; developing inclusive AI governance policies respecting indigenous rights; piloting AI-driven market, logistic, and governance tools to test solutions; and partnering with local universities and indigenous groups to co-develop AI tools. AI is not a silver bullet but a powerful enabler to reimagine agricultural governance in the Cordillera, making it more responsive, inclusive, transparent, and resilient. By blending tradition and innovation, and with key support for trading hubs like BAPTC, we can co-create governance systems that honor our heritage while embracing the future, Sagayo said. (DEG-PIA CAR)
