Study Tour from North Eastern India to the Philippines (18-22 March 2024, Manila)
Posted on: April 01, 2024 | | Back | Print
Embassy of India
Manila
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Press Release
Study Tour from North Eastern India to the Philippines (18-22 March 2024, Manila)
A four member delegation comprising the following visited Philippines from 17-23 March 2024 on a study tour with focus on Agri based handloom and handicrafts:
a) Brig. Rajiv Kumar Singh (Retd.), Managing Director, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC)
b) Cmde. Rajiv Ashok (Retd.), Managing Director, North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd. (NERAMAC)
c) Shri SD Meena, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)
d) Shri Mangsatabam Iboyaima Meitei, Adviser (Horticulture), North Eastern Council (NEC)
2. During the visit the delegation undertook the following visits and interactions:
a) 18th March 2024: Visit to Department of Trade and Industry – Design Center of the Philippines (DTI-DCP). The delegates met with the officers of DTI-DCP led by their Executive Director, Ms. Rhea Matute. The team shared their programs, practices, and toured the delegates around their Pop-Up exhibits including the Material Connexion Innovation Wall, Smart Material, Bakon, and their notable award-winning ‘Pinyapel’ project.
b) 19th March 2024: Department of Science and Technology – Forest Products and Research Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI). Delegation met Dr. Rico Cabangon, OIC-Director of the DOST-FPRDI, and the team who toured them around their two main facilities, the Forest Products Innovation Center and Bamboo Musical Instrument Processing Center.
The delegation also paid a visit to Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) under the College of Agriculture and Food Industry, University of the Philippines Los Baños. The delegates also met with Ms. Lea Villavicencio, researcher and representative from IPB.
En route from Los Baños to Manila, the study delegation also toured the Pineapple Textile factory of Ananas Anam Philippines in Calamba, Laguna that manufactures Piñatex, a sustainable vegan textile made from pineapple leaf fiber.
c) 20th March 2024: Department of Agriculture – Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (DA-PhilFIDA). With further focus on the fiber and textile industries, the delegates toured around PhilFIDA’s Fiber Processing and Utilization Laboratory.
Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI). They also visited the chemical, physical, and microbiological laboratories of PTRI the same day.
d) 21st March 2024: The delegation visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna and the Metropolitan Museum to see the textile exhibits and to have a glimpse of the rich history of the Philippine Arts & Culture. Later they also visited the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
In the afternoon, the delegates made a courtesy call on Ambassador Shambhu S. Kumaran, at the Chancery of the Embassy of India, Manila.
3. During the interactions with above institutes/departments/agencies, the delegates had mutual learning sessions ranging from best practices in development of handicrafts and handlooms, and study of extraction/processing of various types of natural fibers that would help in environmental sustainability.
The study tour concluded on 22 March, 2024.
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Link to the Photo Gallery: https://eoimanila.gov.in/event_detail.php?eventid=589