Twenty four (24) agricultural extension workers completed the AGRIDOC, a new breed of Agricultural Development Officers in the Community on November 23, 2017 at Kew Hotel, Dao, Tagbilaran City. These first batch of graduates for Region VII are from the provinces of Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor.

AGRIDOC is a season long training under the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI)that runs from July to November this year for Region VII. Generally, it aims to improve promotion and delivery of extension services by enhancing the capability of the next generation of rice extension professionals.The training was divided into six (6) modules that were creatively titled as Be Transformed, AgRICool, AgRiSurvivors, PalaYcheck and PalaYamanan v2.0, Rise with Rice, and Be RICEponsible. The activities includes lectures, workshops,on-site visits, demonstration, immersion and the crafting of project proposal and defense.

The closing ceremony was attended by Anthony Damaleriorepresentative of Governor Edgar M. Chatto, and Mr. Alvin Luis Alcosar as representative of Mayor John Geesnell Yap.ATI 7 staff headed by Center Director Carolyn May O. Daquio, PhD., and family representatives of the graduates also attended the ceremony.

AGRIDOC is one of the component of the Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capacity Enhancement of Next-Gen Rice Extension Professionals and other Intermediaries (IPaD) project. IPaD is an initiated program of the Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). One of the IPaDs major component is the development of a new breed of rice extension professionals to help meet the challenges of a more complex, challenging, and competitive rice production environment. Graduates of this program are called AgRIDOCs or agricultural development and extension officers of the community.

AgRIDOCs are expected to be development catalyst competent in science-based and locally appropriate strategies for managing and adapting rice-based and locally appropriate strategies for managing and adapting rice-based farming systems towards competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience. They are also expected to be community developers as they are required to prepare a community development plan which will be implemented in their community so that knowledge gained in the training will be showcased and replicated in other areas.

On the impression of the graduates, Mr. Alreich P. Duran, agriculture technician of LGU Lazi, Siquijor said that the graduation ceremony is not the end of Agridoc, but the beginning of new challenge and struggle. He said we was very lucky to be one of the trainees, likewise thankful to the LGU of Lazi for sending him to this training, ashe found the technology learned as very useful in their agriculture implementation in Lazi. He can now easily give recommendations to the field, he added.

Hon.Richard Bucag, Vice Mayor of Sevilla, Bohol on his message,pledge to support their Agridoc graduate on any program she will implement.