Officials of the Kyoto University (KU) ASEAN Center paid a visit to the laboratories of the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC) last January 14, 2025, as part of their preparation for the upcoming KU and UP’s joint conference in February that will be hosted by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). 

The guests conducted an ocular visit to UPLB, including AMTEC, to identify possible venues during the conference which will be held at the SEARCA headquarters. The said event is organized for the second time since its first joint conference in 2019 which convened at the PICC in Pasay City.

During the visit to AMTEC, they had an opportunity to know more about its technical operations and public service activities. It included a brief tour of the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Studies (AMaTS) laboratory, and the Sample Analysis Laboratory (SAL). With the assistance of the Center’s resident test engineers, the visitors also learned about the available testing setups and technologies operated in the laboratories. 

Moreover, technical experts from the UPLB Center for Agri-Fisheries and Biosystems Mechanization (UPLB-BIOMECH) also featured the country’s first open-design tractor, Ronnie Baughn (formerly Oggun) to visitors. The guests were also accompanied by some UPLB officials, including Dr. Haerold Dean Z. Layaoen (UPMO Director), and Dr. Omar F. Zubia (IABE-AMPED Chair), to name a few.

This year, the meeting was co-organized by the Nepal Agricultural Engineering Research Centre (NAERC), Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), and the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). 

Engr. Reyes and Engr. Aying are the current managing engineers of UPLB AMTEC’s main laboratories, the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Studies (AMaTS) Laboratory and the Sample Analysis Laboratory (SAL) respectively. Both of them are also active members of ANTAM technical working groups for the development of harmonized testing codes for the region.

KU ASEAN Center, established in 2014, aims to support accelerating research, education, and international collaboration in the region by expanding joint activities with ASEAN universities and research institutions. 

The upcoming conference is expected to strengthen the partnership between the two universities and expand research advancements, especially toward agricultural development and food security. AMTEC, as the country’s premiere testing center for agricultural and fisheries machinery, is committed to participating in these partnerships to promote a more holistic mechanization in the Philippines.

Moreover, the delegates also discussed the results of the round-robin test for power tillers, in which UPLB AMTEC has actively participated, and the ways forward including the quality manual, and accreditation of ANTAM testing centers.