STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan – The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Region I continues to perform its mandate despite the COVID-19 pandemic thru aggressive campaign for e-Learning (#stayathome), food and nutrition (#FightCOVID), among others in social media platforms. Likewise, ATI-RTC I supports the campaign of the Department of Agriculture’s call for “Plant, Plant, Plant” – posting contents on its corporate social media accounts @atiilocosregion about planting fast crops, urban agriculture, square foot gardening, and other topics pertaining to agriculture.
The following ATI-accredited Learning Sites and Schools for Practical Agriculture are also taking part to assist the community and the frontliners:
1. IBITs Farm, owned by Mr. Manuel Gurion Acosta, plants, sells and donates vegetables to hospitals in San Fernando City, La Union for the frontliners. So far, the farm donated more than 600 kg of various vegetables to Ilocos Training Regional Medical Center (ITRMC), Lorma Hospital, and Bethany Hospital at a minimum of 200 kg each. God bless our frontliners.
2. Our Farm Republic (OFR), owned by Ms. Lea Astrude Santiago, is living the life of an organic farmer – happily harvesting lots of fruits and veggies, sharing it to the families of their workers and frontliners, and planting non-stop. This time, Ms. Santiago is planting different seeds not just for the farm but for distribution to communities (per household), and influence them to set up their own backyard food gardens. OFR is supplying the families of its workers from three (3) different barangays of Mangatarem, Pangasinan.
3. Center for Bamboo Development Incorporated (CBDI), owned by Ms. Betty Ramos, assisted trader of vegetables to get a food pass so they can deliver their vegetables. It also coordinated with Provincial Local Government of La Union to consolidate orders of vegies. It also sells vegetables with its honesty stores in two (2) barangays in Pugo, La Union. The farm also gives away papayas and camote to their community.
4. Dr. Jannette Visayan who owns the Center for Resources on Education and Advocacy Management Services (CREAMS), does volunteer work as alternative doctor in the Province of La Union. She started helping the family of Mayor Philipp Caesar Crispino and wife who recuperated from Covid-19. CREAMS continues sharing food for Covid-19 medical and security volunteers in Agoo, La Union. It distributed 25 meals to police in the highway of Agoo and Aringay. CREAMS also gave away Vitamin C to its neighbors.
5. Aradana’s Farm, owned by Mr. Loreto Aradanas and Ms. Leah Aradanas, shares harvested vegetables and fruits to their neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Loreto Aradanas’ son takes part in giving foods to their barangay frontliners.
6. Lomboy Farms (LF) and uVas Café, owned by Ms. Grace Lomboy, share free snacks to the frontliners in Bauang, La Union, including barangay workers, PNP and PA (40pax) during Sundays. They donated grapes thru the local government unit of Bauang for the frontliners. They also deliver grapes within La Union with "bagsak presyo", and provided financial assistance/food packs to all workers of LF in La Union and Nueva Ecija.
7. Piddig Food Factory and Agritourism Farm, owned by Mr. Cresencio Figuracion, bought tomatoes from their farmers, gave alcohol and snacks to the frontliners, prepared around four (4) drums of ethanol in case the enhanced community quarantine will be extended due to Covid-19. The farm also shared seeds to the community.
8. Roheim Farm and Wellness Resort, owned by Dr. Manolita Navarro, gave away bread, biscuits and choco to frontliners in Dinalaoan and San Fabian. The farm-resort provided rice to poor families in Colisao, and gave rice and farm products to their workers at Dinalaoan (LitzCare). It also sees to it that their workers are not worried about their daily needs.
9. Reotutars Garden Farmschool Inc., owned by Pastor Dominador Ubaldo and Dr. Joy Ubaldo, donated face masks, PPE, and plastic covers for boots to frontliners (believing that plastic-covered boots are needed while taking care of their patients). The farm’s produce serve as part of their food since 17 of the farm staff stayed with them during the enhanced community quarantine.
10. Refmad Farms, owned by Ms. Editha Dacuycuy, distributes every now and then snacks like dragonfruit bake goodies, dragonmansi juice, and dragonfruit coffee brew as immune booster to frontliners in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
11. L.G. Agri-Tourism, owned by Ms. Gaudelia Villanueva, gives all its vegies for free to neighbors with its “pick and no pay” service during the pandemic.
12. Teraoka Family Farm, owned by Mr. Rey Dacones, continuous to grow tasty organic produce and bravely delivers it fresh to customers’ doorsteps no matter what obstacles come along. The farm donates food to the warriors of BGHMC, SLU Hospital Sacred Heart, Pines City Doctor's Hospital, and Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital in Baguio City.