SAN ANTONIO, Quezon – In support to the Department of Agriculture's ‘One DA’ holistic approach,” the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) CALABARZON in partnership with accredited regional Extension Service Provider (ESP), MoCa Family Farm RLearning Center conducted the first batch of “Training on Drip Irrigation for Improved Crop Production” on February 1 to 5, 2021. The training is one of the Institute's strategies to attain Bayanihan Agri Clusters or Farm Clustering strategy in the region.

QUEZON CITY  -- A former two-term Marikina councilor and newbie to the agricultural industry is on a mission to eradicate ‘gawat’ - the Ilocano word for ‘scarcity’ - one farm at a time through Our Farm Republic (OFR). OFR is an integrated, diversified, organic farm in Mangatarem, Pangasinan, which promotes modern techniques and best practices among rice farmers through the support of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

To help more Filipino farmers adapt to the digital shift brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) have taken their Digital Farmers Program (DFP) training series to the digital space. 
 

The Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and the PCCI Human Resources Development Foundation will jointly develop and implement the Pre-Employment Enterprise-Based Training (PET) Program in Agriculture Qualifications starting on January 25, 2021.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar, PCCI President Benedicto Yujuico, and PCCI Human Resources Development Foundation President Alberto Fenix, Jr. signed the Memorandum of Agreement to initiate the industry-led training and competency assessment and certification program.

By: William D. Dar, PhD
Secretary

2020 has officially become the most challenging year for the Philippine agriculture sector. Massive stresses faced the country’s farmers and fishers—from volcanic eruption, infectious animal diseases, crop pest infestations, a viral pandemic that resulted in a health crisis, to falling prices of staples, and then finally a series of typhoons in the last quarter.