DUMAGUETE CITY—Information Officers (IOs) of the Department of Agriculture-Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program, together with some Communication Officers from the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS), were equipped with new skills in writing press releases as part of the Department’s efforts to pursue comprehensive and proactive communication strategies.

PASAY CITY, Metro Manila—Farmers from Central Luzon and CALABARZON were once again front and center at the Agricultural Training Institute’s (ATI) exhibit during AgriLink/FoodLink/AquaLink 2019.

Owners of three Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSAs) and one Extension Service Provider (ESP) joined ATI staff for another year in the said expo to promote farming as a viable and sustainable business venture. These are Eco Natural Integrated Farm in Tarlac; Vilela's Farm and MoCA Family Farming RLearning Center in Batangas; and Forest Wood Garden in Laguna.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—To digitally innovate ways in responding to farmers’ information needs and complaints, the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently launched the Fisheries and Agriculture Response Management (FARM) Citizens Application.

The FARM App is a 24/7 online-based help desk developed in coordination with key agencies and bureaus of the Department. It aims to address questions and concerns from farmers, particularly on plant and animal disease management, through chat or live messaging feature.

QUEZON CITY, Metro Manila— To ensure that operational processes are consistent from the central office to the training centers, the Information Services (IS) group of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) convened for a workshop to update and standardize their procedures in line with ISO requirements.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—Milestones in enhancing access to knowledge products and services marked the success of the 3rd Knowledge Management Updates and Collaborative Learning Activity of the Information Services (IS) group of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).

These milestones include various partnerships formed and increased number of clients reached through IS programs and projects on e-Extension, technology-based knowledge-sharing, corporate communication, Techno Gabay extension, among others.

PHILIPPINES—With its continued efforts to provide fast access to updated agriculture-related information, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), through the Information Services Division (ISD), conducted “In Focus: A Training on Photography” for its staff.

The training served as an avenue to elevate the staff’s skills in terms of documentation and, ultimately, the development of various knowledge products.