MALAYBALAY CITY, BUKIDNON, February 16, 2021.– The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center X kicks off its preparation for the Fiscal Year 2022. A provincial consultation for the Training and Extension Needs and Planning Workshop is being at Veranda, Casisang, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. Participants to the consultation are the Local Government Unit (LGU) representatives of the Municipal and City Agriculture Office, and the Farmer/Operators of ATI assisted Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSAs) and Extension Service Providers (ESPs) from the Districts 1 and 2 of Bukidnon Province.

In her message, OIC Center Director Maria Lydia A. Echavez expressed her gratitude for the continuous support for ATI, which made RTC X accomplish 100 percent of its target for the year 2020. Director Echavez also presented ATIs policy directions. She emphasized the role of ATI in the Local Government Code which will be fully implemented in year 2022 by virtue of the Mandanas Ruling, where ATI is to train the Agricultural Extension Workers, while it is the LGU who will conduct the training for farmers. That it is only the role of ATI to capacitate the AEWs, assist in module development, training and extension needs assessment and planning and monitoring.

Director Echavez further emphasized on the importance of the LGUs in regulating the current problem on African swine fever (ASF). She mentioned that one of the identified source of the disease are those traders who directly visit the small swine raisers in the interior areas. Hence, strict implementation of inspection and checkpoints are very much needed.

The series of consultations will continue for the second set of district 3 and 4 of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental and for Misamis Occidental, until February 23, 2021. Due to the health restrictions in the Province of Camiguin, a virtual consultation will be conducted.