In the northernmost province of the Philippines, production of Ivatan Beer, the first and only locally brewed beer in Batanes, has started. Dr. Alfonso Simon, Batanes State College (BSC) president, has stated that the technology used for producing the beer using sweet potato was developed by the research and development department of the BSC.
The BSC, through Simon, and trader Dennis Lim of Tawsen Agri-Ventures, signed the Technology Licensing Agreement (TLA) of the said beverage.
In an interview, Simon emphasized the significance of the Ivatan Beer to the people of Batanes: "The fact that the Ivatan Beer is made from the locally-grown 'wakay' or sweet potato, which is abundant in the province of Batanes, the product becomes even more interesting and appealing to the locals of Batanes," he told.
The Department of Science and Technology-Cagayan Valley through Regional Director Sancho Mabborang has issued the Fairness Opinion Report (FOR) on the licensing agreement's terms and conditions.
BSC received a PHP400,000 fund from the DOST to develop the beverage in 2018. The following year, the native beer made its public debut during the Science and Technology Caravan in Batanes.
