The Department of Agriculture (DA) is allotting PHP 400 million under the “Bayanihan to Recover As One Act” or “Bayanihan 2” to further expand the Duterte administration’s urban agriculture program and attain family household food security.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for recently signing “Bayanihan 2” that earmarks an additional fund of PHP 24 billion for the DA to bankroll several initiatives to help perk up the national economy.

BRGY. LOS ANGELES, Butuan City -- The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP) team attended the virtual meeting on revisiting of calendar year 2021 targets. This is along with Center Director Samuel L. Calonzo of the Agricultural Training Institute- Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) 13. The said meeting was hosted by the ATI-Central Office via Google Meet last September 9, 2020.

KORONADAL CITY -- In the bid to enhance and increase the access of information of the rice farmers relevant to them, the ATI-Regional Training Center 12 thru its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program and Information Services Section conducted an initial field validation in the five top rice-producing barangays in Koronadal City for the Farmer’s Information Technology Services (FITS) Center establishment.

LAMBAYONG, Sultan Kudarat -- The ATI Regional Training Center 12 through its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program successfully conducted the Refresher Course on Inbred Rice Seed Production and Seed Certification last August 18 to 20, 2020.

The three-day training was held at Lambayong Grain Seed Producer Multipurpose Cooperative in Barangay Didtaras, this Municipality. About 20 seed growers attended the training.

TABUK CITY, KALINGA. The Farmers Field Schools (FFS) on rice production for Kalinga launched on February 2020 under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) was finally concluded on July 2020 with 550 farmer graduates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The graduates of this dry season FFS are from the municipality of Rizal with 100 graduates from four batches, and Tabuk City with 450 graduates from 18 batches.