By JUNE S. BLANCO
REP. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) says his study visit to Israel to familiarize himself with drip and other alternative and modern forms of irrigation was “informative”.
The solon is expected to be home tomorrow – in time to vote during the barangay elections.
He says he will meet agriculture and irrigation officials shortly to relay the lessons he learned from his visit, and to brainstorm on how to replicate the Israeli technology for the use of farmers especially those in his district.
Aumentado said he was most impressed with his visit to the Volcani Center in the Israeli capital Tel Aviv where he and fellow Philippine delegates met with Associate Director for International Relations Dr. Shamuel Assouline, Ph.D.
He said they discussed the plan of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to send scholars for Masters in Science (MS) and Doctor in Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs to do their theses and dissertation writings in The Volcani Center. The Center is the Agricultural Research Organization under the Ministry of Agriculture of Israel.
Meanwhile, Aumentado said, after 18 years, he again met his friend and schoolmate in the University of San Carlos (USC) – Randy Arquiza – who is now the First Secretary and Consul General of Israel at the welcome dinner tendered for the Agritech 2018 participants hosted by Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel of Israel.
The solon considers this as another channel for technology transfer – on top of incoming Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz who earlier invited him and his fellow delegates to a lunch meeting at the latter’s official residence in Manila.
The solon said the ambassador had asked how his can country be help the Filipino farmers. He said the ambassador expressed interest in visiting Bohol and see what assistance in terms of agricultural technology inputs they can give to the farmers.
