Project KABILIN+, the newly launched joint initiative of CCCR and NBSC, is gaining strong support from local leaders and national legislators as it seeks to transform agricultural practices in Bukidnon. The project builds on NBSC’s earlier Project MOCHA (Management of Coffee, Honey, and Adlai), expanding the vision from product management to a holistic organic farming approach that links ecological protection with livelihood growth.
The Local Government Unit of Manolo Fortich, guided by Hon. Mayor Rogelio N. Quiño’s 10-Point Agenda, prioritizing agricultural development, has expressed its full commitment to the initiative. The Municipal Agriculture Office, led by Ms. Gemma G. Cania, emphasized the need to strengthen and reintegrate local farming systems to address issues such as declining productivity and deforestation. Supporting this collaborative effort is Dr. Mary Koren Witting-Acuesa, Director of the Research, Development, and Innovation Division at NBSC, who has played a key role in leading and shaping the institutional partnership behind Project KABILIN+.
The event, themed “Pista ng Nayon” (Community Festival), was graced by Hon. Mayor Rogelio N. Quiño, whose address emphasized the vital role of collaboration in advancing the municipality’s agricultural development agenda. Dr. Azizur Rahman, President and CEO of CCCR and A.R. Environmental Solutions (ARES), captured the spirit of unity and shared purpose driving the initiative.
Dr. Rahman, who leads the project under ARES, an innovation venture incubated at ICUBE, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), underscored the importance of integrating science with cultural heritage. He presented CCCR’s plan to implement the “Food as Medicine” technology in Bukidnon, promoting soil restoration,
biodiversity conservation, and the production of safe, chemical-free food. “Our vision is to make farming a source of both nourishment and healing,” Dr. Rahman said. “By treating food as medicine, we ensure that every harvest supports not only the body but also the planet that sustains it.”
For CCCR, the project exemplifies a comprehensive sustainability framework where science, policy, education, and indigenous heritage intersect. Dr. Rahman highlighted that the initiative is “a movement to restore harmony between people, food, and the environment,” representing a legacy of innovation rooted in cultural inheritance and designed to support future generations.
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