The virtual kick-off meeting for the San Gabriel, La Union pilot site was held in cooperation with another DOST-PCAARRD funded project titled “Integration of Traditional and Modern Bioproduction Systems for a Sustainable and Resilient Future under Climate and Ecosystem Changes (ITMoB)” with a total of 58 attendees from the project implementers, municipalities surrounding the Baroro Watershed, Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), and representatives of the invited regional offices. This event aimed to introduce and discuss the convergence of the two instrumental projects from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Governor Francisco Ortega III, the College of Forestry and Natural Resources Dean Marlo Mendoza, and Vice Governor Mario Eduardo Ortega were among who gave their opening and welcome remarks while San Gabriel Municipal Mayor Herminigildo Velasco delivered the closing remarks.

Some of the issues discussed in the meeting included the involvement of DPWH in the synergy and addressing the problem of counterproductive projects as several projects from the DPWH are not aligned with the existing projects in Baroro. Dr. Rex answered that DPWH is part of the key players in WILUP and by National Government Agencies (NGAs) working together at a CLUP level with watershed as the framework. The project leaders had also discussed that the development of CLUP can be done together with the development of Watershed plan. Map outputs will be shared and the determination of traditional and modern bioproduction systems will be in consultation with the PGLU and other stakeholders.