Japan aid to boost Ilocos Norte’s black garlic production

MANILA, Philippines — Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko hosted and witnessed the signing ceremony of an SDGs business verification survey with the private sector for the value chain of black garlic in Ilocos Norte at his official residence yesterday.

The agreement was signed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will fund the business verification survey, and Takara Inc. and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), which will implement the project.

In his speech, Koshikawa expressed confidence that the project would boost Ilocos Norte’s competitiveness as the top garlic producer in the Philippines.

As the garlic capital of the Philippines, Ilocos Norte accounts for 60 percent of domestic production.

In 2019, JICA funded a feasibility study to test the adaptability of Ilocos Norte to Japanese garlic production technologies.

In the same year, Takara Inc. donated a black garlic processing machine to MMSU to help in the university’s bid to be the first local agency to commercialize the production of black garlic in the country.

A demonstration farm will be established at the MMSU campus in Batac City and in three towns in Ilocos Norte.