The provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya, headed by Gov. Atty. Jose V. Gambito, on Monday,January 5, handed over two checks totaling PHP 5.7 million to Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), represented by President Dr. Wilfredo A. Dumale Jr. The funds, drawn from the 2025 Provincial Development Fund provided by Oceana Gold Philippines, will be used to boost agricultural productivity and strengthen the province’s climate change resilience.
“This funding reflects our administration’s priority to support our farmers and academic partners in adopting technologies that increase productivity and protect livelihoods against climate risks,” Gov. Gambito said. “We expect these investments to translate into concrete benefits for local farmers, MSMEs, and the broader agricultural value chain.”
Ms. Katalina K. Acpal, Provincial Planning Officer IV of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, said the first check, worth PHP 3.9 million, is the first tranche of provincial funding for the “Upgrading of Equipment for the Nueva Vizcaya Coffee Processing and Innovation Center” under NVSU’s College of Human Ecology. The equipment upgrade is part of a project with a total budget of PHP 9,949,117.50; the remaining balance is expected to be released within this year from the 2026 Provincial Development Fund.
The coffee center upgrade aims to enhance coffee research, processing, innovation, and technology transfer to support local farmers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and other stakeholders across the province’s coffee value chain.
The second check, valued at PHP 1.8 million, will fund improvements to the Nueva Vizcaya Climate Change Center through the installation of additional Field Monitoring Systems (FMS) for microclimate monitoring under NVSU’s Climate Change Research and Development Program in the College of Engineering.
Gov. Gambito said the funding shows the provincial government’s strong support for NVSU and local farmers, especially as coffee has become a booming industry in Nueva Vizcaya. These efforts will be closely tracked to make coffee processing faster and more efficient, help small businesses and farmers improve their practices, and protect local incomes. RMI
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