Negros Oriental – The Agricultural Training Institute, as the capacity builder, knowledge bank, and catalyst of extension, is mandated to train agricultural extension workers and lead in the delivery of extension services for agriculture and fisheries. The ATI continues to organize capacity development strategies for AEWs. This includes soft skills training around organizational management and leadership. Further, with the implementation of Mandanas Ruling, which will provide opportunities for improving service delivery through enhanced decentralization, the role of the local government units in providing agricultural extension and on-site research services and facilities, through the provincial, city and municipal agriculture offices, will be deepened. With this, leadership development programs are crucial to the long-term success within the local government units, specifically in the agriculture offices.

On April 5 – 7, 2022, the Agricultural Training Institute Regional Training Center 7 conducted the Dare to Lead: An Organizational Management Training in Hotel Essencia, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The said organizational management training was participated by 20 agricultural extension workers – with majority are heads of the agriculture offices in the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor. LGUs include Amlan, Ayungon, Basay, Bayawan City, Bindoy, Dumaguete City, La Liberta, Manjuyod, Siaton, Tanjay City, and Zamboanguita from Negros Oriental; and Enrique Villanueva, Larena, Lazi, Maria, San Juan, and Siquijor from the province of Siquijor.

This training aims to capacitate the participants to become competent leaders through organizational management in order to function effectively, manage and influence other employees in the workplace. In the course of the three-day training, participants learned about transformational leadership, values formation and community relations, organizational management concepts, operational risk management strategies, monitoring of staff performance, and how to manage and resolve conflict situation

Karina Mae Uy from LGU Tagbilaran City, Bohol; Atty Alma E. Aparece from Friends Peace Teams-Asia West
Pacific; and Alfie D. Mahumot from TESDA Bilar, Bohol shared their expertise on the topics discussed as resource persons while Angelie B. Mencede supported the training as a member of the training management team.

“The training was very applicable to the participants as leaders in our respective offices. It provides us with additional technologies and strategies on how to manage our office and on how to resolve the different problems present in our organizations/offices. It also enhances our personal skills in organizational management,” said Rhandee Kim V. Otodera from Office of the Provincial Agriculture in Negros Oriental – one of the training participants.

Should there be any clarifications or inquiries around this training, you may contact Maryjane Flor Patulilic, Project Officer, through her email at mfpatulilic@gmail.com.