So we got invited to witness how ATI Regional Training Center in Calabarzon held their blended course on goat management with the students of Batangas State University – Lobo Campus. Our KM Coordinators from the ATI Training Centers are given leeway to innovate in promoting and conducting e-learning in their own respective areas. This time, KM Coordinator Dr. Rolando Maningas, (whom we fondly call Doc Olan) from ATI RTC IV-A partnered with BSU in Lobo, Batangas for their students taking up BS Agriculture and BS Forestry.

Flashback…

The last two (2) blog entries that I have was in March and December 2014 respectively (yes! It’s been 13 months ago that I left this space as is) – I know that being busy is not an excuse since, everybody was busy but of course we have different intensities.

What matters most is that I am back!

Last year, I told myself to find someone who can be my Mr. Jonjon Sarmiento version in region 8. Why Mr. Sarmiento? Why not? He has a big heart for organic farming, generous and an expert in his own right in practical farming. He has a nonchalant approach to teaching as if he is not and speaks from his heart, and practices and experiments in the level that fellow farmers can easily understand and emulate. Intuitively, I scouted one in every chance and opportunity that I get when I am with the farmers.

The Philippines is hit by typhoons at an average of 20 per year. Every time a major typhoon hits, damage cost amounts to millions, sometimes even billions of pesos. Previously this would not even make me think twice, just take in the news and move on. But recently with Typhoon Nona, reports about cost of damage particularly in agriculture made me think twice and ponder, “Are they really assessing the damage right?”

Okay we’re busy; we have a lot of schedule to catch up. We want to accomplish the entire target and wanted to see things are organized. Most of the time, we perform because we are bound to do it. And even if we exert all our effort to have better result, sometimes we fail. Our mind wants to fix it but our body give up. We were angered when somebody says negative about our accomplishment that results to conflict, depression, filled with anxiety, and struggling with what we felt.

Why do we always fall in this kind of situation?

I met Barry in a meeting with LGU officials and ATI Northern Mindanao representatives yesterday in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte. He is good-looking, chinky eyed, fair-skinned and had a goatee. He is silent and shy at first, just listening to the proceedings of the meeting. But when he opens his mouth, he is so charismatic that you will get hooked and try not to blink your eye, wanting more of his sharings. Even Doc Lito. My Boss was unable to contain his excitement that he claps his hands more that once, and said, “kini..! naa na tay resource person for Values (This is it.