Together with the Indigenous Bayawan Seed Savers (IBSS) and the Office of the City Agriculturist of Bayawan City, we gathered in the community of Bollos, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. The day marked three important activities: the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the distribution of Home-Based (HH) Seed Library Boxes and toolkits, and an orientation on the Seed Inventory Tracking System (SITS).
Although only a portion of the IBSS members were recipients of the seed libraries and toolkits, the orientation on SITS was attended by all members. The system is designed to help document seed distribution, germination, and exchange which are practices that are often underreported yet crucial for strengthening local seed access. The discussion was also an opportunity for members to learn how monitoring systems can support their community’s long-term seed-saving goals.
One of the key points raised during the meeting came from City Agriculturist Sir Ken, who expressed support for the IBSS and acknowledged their potential in supplying organic seeds for Bayawan. His input also affirmed the importance of including both seed recipients and non-recipients in capacity-building sessions. The activities helped set a collaborative tone for planning future work in the area and reinforced the value of collective seed stewardship in building food sovereignty from the ground up highlighting our community-driven work!