At least in our part of the country, folklore has it that August is a month when people are advised to be particularly cautious. It's the month, it is said, when animals are particularly vicious and accidents happen.

I am not a farmer, I did not even grow up in a farming community. But I get to learn some farming techniques when I started to work at the Agricultural Training Institute about 15 years ago (whew, that's surely a lot of learnings and realizations I should have right now).

At first I thought I wouldn't enjoy agriculture, the very reason why I didn't focus my elective courses in college on agriculture, but I took some agricultural economics instead. Little did I know, you wouldn't learn the economics of it if you have no knowledge on farming.

It was just by chance. Yes, THE Nora C. Quebral actually dropped by ATI in mid-August this year. Prof. Stella Tirol of the UPLB-College of Development Communication (DevCom) was meeting with ATI-KPMD management -- Niet Arceo and Pam Mappala -- and myself regarding a proposed study funded by ATI. To our surprise, Dr. Quebral, yes THE NCQ, UPLB Professor Emeritus, THE MOTHER of DevCom, tagged along for a separate itinerary. While I frequently bumped into her when I was still at UPLB, this was a rare visit. So, after our meeting, I asked if I could have a souvenir photo with her.

True to his blog account name, Mr. Dennis Boyd R. Baltazar is boyd and not null when he placed second in the accreditation test for the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas given to the e-Extension coordinators (1st batch) on May 30, 2012 in Davao City during the School on the Air broadcasters training.

Boyd also isn't null when his entry to the photograph contest also won first prize during the 25th Anniversary celebration of ATI on January 25-28, 2012. The contest theme was ATI in its best, which shows what ATI is doing.

In this world of I, me and mine, it is a gem to find one who cares for others and the environment. In our quest for more we hurt people, abuse the land and neglect our health.

Going back to Negros Occidental on April 17-20 for the message development communication planning-workshop for the advocacy and promotion of organic agriculture was a refreshing realization on the values behind the creation of wealth and health.

e-Extension’s advocacy means a lot of IEC (Information, Education and Communication) materials to prepare and deliver.

From pins to bags, pens to ID sling then to cardboard hand-fans and the like. These and all were given with one ultimate purpose “to inform clients about the program” and at least let them grasp a little about the benefits from it.

As an e-Extension Coordinator known to be “hard-line with the program,” sometimes our hands are full bringing this stuff to support the things we shared through word-of-mouth.