Cagayan de Oro City --- Refreshed and renewed commitments are the reasons why the Agricultural Training Institute- Regional Training Center –X ( ATI-RTC X) gathered the FITS Center Managers in the region to attend the activity “ Refreshers: Farmers Information Technology Services (FITS) Assessment on February 26-28, 2018a at De Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

The activity aims to monitor, evaluate and update the FITS centers performance in the delivery of services to their clients. It also aims to realign their plans to the new direction and program of ATI in the region.

There are thirty-two (32) participants of the training coming from the different parts of the region. They were mostly composed of FITS Managers, and some FITS staff who represented their FITS Center. Majority of the participants are from Bukidnon.

Topics discussed during the activity include: Techno Gabay Program in Northern Mindanao: Through the Years given by Ms. Noemi Beth Macario, the Chief of the Information Services Section (ISS). In her lecture, she traced the history of the program, from PCAARRD to ATI and the current status of the program. Another topic is the Relevance of FITS in Extension by the Ms. Antonieta Arceo, Chief of the Information Services Division of ATI-Central Office. Ms. Arceo encouraged the FITS to innovate and go beyond their function as an information resource center. She also emphasized action, and working for the sustainability of the program. She quoted “what we are doing goes beyond Information, it needs action, and we want to see action from our clients”. Special topics on Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy were also included to capacitate the participants and encourage them to venture in business. As extensionists, they were told that you cannot convince farmers that there is money in farming if they themselves cannot prove it. Mr. Maynard Bongcayao of Oroquieta FITS also shared the programs of their FITS which led to their 2 year successive award as Best FITS Center in Region 10.

Participants were required to report their accomplishment, and their action plans for 2018-2019. It was expected that from the reporting, new FITS centers could learn and be able to incorporate it in their action plans.

There are already 48 FITS Center in the region. There are plans of establishing twenty-four more FITS this year under the Tier II Program. This is in support to the goal of the Techno Gabay Program, to establish a FITS Center in every municipality in region 10.