“Ang saya po ng training na ito dahil naranasan naming magturo at nalampasan namin ang aming takot sa pagsasalita sa unahan at sa harap ng maraming tao”.

This was according to Mr. Antonino Dote, one of the farmer-scientist graduates who attended the “Refresher Course for Farmers-Scientist Training Program (FSTP) Phase III” at the ATI-RTC MiMaRoPa on March 15-17, 2022.

The activity aimed to prepare the FSTP Phase I and II farmer-scientist graduates from Naujan, Oriental Mindoro for the Phase III implementation at the barangay level. This will employ farmer-to-farmer training wherein the farmer-scientist will facilitate the FSTP activities and serve as resource persons to discuss specific topics in the corn-based production system.

During the training, the participants learned the factors to consider in Microteaching which was discussed by the resource speakers from the University of Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). As part of the hands-on activity, they enthusiastically presented the topics assigned to them and were able to incorporate their experiences relative to their topics.

Moreover, in preparation for the FSTP Phase III, a planning workshop was also facilitated in which they identified the target site, date, and participants for the next phase of FSTP.

“Nakakatuwa at ako ay nakapagtuloy nito. Alam ko na mas marami pa ako matututunan sa Phase III. Salamat sa ATI at UPLB sa pagtuturo sa amin”, Mr. Francisco Arellano shared.

The FSTP is an integrative and holistic three-phase agricultural research, development, and extension methodology involving primarily the development of appropriate values of farmers engaged in crops such as corn, rice, vegetables, and livestock in a corn-based production system to adopt scientific and sustainable methods of farming.

A total of 18 participants completed the said refresher course spearheaded by Mr. Joel Ryan R. Pagdato, Development Management Officer I, and Ms. Shaina A. Casapao, Project Development Assistant I under the Corn Program of the ATI in MiMaRoPa.