The Philippines
February 23, 2026
Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) Director Remelyn Recoter (seated, left), MNSA, CESO III, and East-West Seed Philippines General Manager Rachel Lomibao (seated, right) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen partnership for farmer training and extension services in the Philippines. Witnessing the signing were Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Aukje de Vries and Dutch Ambassador to the Philippines Marielle Geraedts (standing right and left, respectively).
East-West Seed Company, Inc (East-West Seed) strengthens its partnership with the Department of Agriculture, through its attached agency, the Agricultural Training Institute, (DA-ATI) to further promote and enhance agriculture extension services in the Philippines.
The DA-ATI and East-West Seed signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing their partnership in joint planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of agriculture extension, training, and related farmer capacity-building programs, consistent with national agricultural priorities.
DA-ATI Director Remelyn Recoter, MNSA, CESO III, and East-West Seed Philippines General Manager Rachel Lomibao signed the MOU in the presence of Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Aukje de Vries, Dutch Ambassador to the Philippines Marielle Geraedts, East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Manager Jane Llanera, and East-West Seed Group Head for Partnerships and Alliances Dr Mary Ann Sayoc.
East-West Seed, through its Knowledge Transfer initiative (EWS-KT), is a long-standing partner of the DA-ATI and already an accredited Private Agriculture and Fisheries – Extension Service Provider.
EWS-KT is the farmer capacity-building arm of East-West Seed, a Dutch-founded company with a strong presence in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, EWS-KT works to professionalize smallholder vegetable farming by equipping farmers with the knowledge, skills, and systems needed to operate as credible, market-ready producers.
EWS-KT’s programs focus on farmer training on good agricultural practices, crop management, climate-resilient production, improving crop quality and productivity, and linking to buyers and value chains. Through these programs, EWS-KT helps smallholder farmers transition from subsistence production to viable agri-entrepreneurship, improving incomes and livelihoods.
“The signing of this MOU demonstrates East-West Seed’s and DA-ATI’s joint commitment to public-private collaboration in agricultural extension. Through this partnership, we will continue to work together to help improve farmer productivity, increase adoption of climate-smart and market-oriented practices, and facilitate stronger integration of farmers into value chains,” East-West Seed Philippines General Manager Rachel Lomibao said.
Through the partnership, East-West Seed, through its non-profit initiative Knowledge Transfer, and DA-ATI aim to empower more Filipino smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable and climate-resilient vegetable practices. EWS-KT brings practical horticultural expertise and proven capacity-building systems that develop farmers’ skills and confidence and support extension workers in sustaining productivity, while DA-ATI provides the institutional reach to scale these efforts nationwide. At its core, the partnership seeks to translate innovation into farmer-led results, strengthening livelihoods and building more resilient vegetable farming communities.
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