Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya visited Negros Occidental on 1 and 2 December, touring Bacolod, La Carlota, and Bago cities to promote joint agricultural research and sustainable development initiatives.

On 1 December, Endo attended a symposium and research presentation organized by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) on the “Sustainable Development of Sugarcane Cultivation in the Philippines.” Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona also attended the event.

Later that day, the envoy visited the JIRCAS and SRA demonstration farm in Bacolod City to observe deep planting cultivation technology. This innovative method is an integral part of their collaborative research and aims to enhance and stabilize sugarcane production, particularly under extreme weather conditions.

The Ambassador also visited the La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center, an SRA research facility in La Carlota City. He then proceeded to the Organization for Industrial, Spiritual, and Cultural Advancement Training Center in Bago City. OISCA, a Japanese nongovernmental organization, implements projects funded by the Government of Japan, including those focused on enhancing the sericulture, or silk production, industry in Negros Occidental.