Tarlac College of Agriculture
Camiling, Tarlac
Tel.: (045) 934 0716
Telefax: (045) 934 0216

BRIEF HISTORY 

The Tarlac College of Agriculture (TCA) Board of Trustees Res. No. 52 of December 11, 2000 provided for the merges of the Institute of Forestry and the Institute of Agriculture . The merger envisions to rationalize and professionalize the curricula offering in agriculture and related disciplines.

The merger, conceptualized in 2000 during the incumbency of President Feliciano S. Rosete was only given effect and implemented upon the ascendancy of Dr. Philip B. Ibarra as TCA President in 2002.

On May 2002, Dr. Ester L. Mercado was designated Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Dean. Dr. Mercado's leadership marked IAF's transformation to become a Tissue-culture mini-center and demo area for farming system technologies.

IAF occupies 2 h-shaped two storey buildings; one located east at the TCA Main Boulevard and the other building located west of the TCA hatchery Pond.

IAF has a staff complement of 41, 15 are Ph. D. and 16 MS holders.

Institute of Agriculture and Forestry
Tarlac College of Agriculture
Malacampa, Camiling 2306 Tarlac,
Philippines
(045) 934 0216 loc 115

VISION

TCA as a center of excellence in tertiary education research extension and training for sustainable agro-industrial development

MISSION

The College has s mission of providing tertiary education reared towards the:

• Pursuit of a better quality of life through suitable agricultural and food security
• Acquisition of knowledge, skills, ideas and values to make students productive, effective and competent in agro-industrial development
• Acceleration of the development of professionals to provide leadership in various discipline
• Appreciation for knowledge to harness the bio-diversity resources of the Region

Projects

• Palayamanan Project
  • A farming system integrating HVCCs along with traditional crops and livestocks as rapidly being adopted among barangays in Tarlac.

• Mushroom Production Project
  • Edible mushroom production at TCA was started on January 2006 with CHEDs funding of P1M. The project produces three species of mushroom: Ganoderma, Pleurotus and Volvariella.
    • Pleutorus - Commonly known as oyster mushroom, popular for culinary purposes.
    • Volvariella - or banana mushroom is the much preferred mushroom among households.

• Papaya-based Farming System
  • With "Sinta" as the main crop, it is intercropped with Aloe Vera and other cash crops.

• Hybrid Rice Seed Production
  • Mainly funded by DA-BAR, the project produces hybrid rice seeds with the technology being transfered to farmers.

• Tissue Culture
  • The Tissue Culture Project is being funded by the Provincial Government of Tarlac with additional support from CHED for its expansion. Its main product is Lakatan banana. Other plantlets such as Aloe Vera and Papaya are also produced in the laboratory.

• Banana-based Farming System
  • An integrated farming system with tissue cultured Lakatan banana as the main crop along with other HVCCs such as eggplant, okra and pineapple.