GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Key players in the development and coordination of the food safety regulation training program for the Department of Agriculture (DA) sat down for a writeshop to come up with standard modules on food safety.

Food safety focal persons and selected regulatory officers of the DA constituted the core group of module developers. The modules will be used in capability-building and technology dissemination activities for food business operators, food handlers, and the local government units.

“There’s no food security without food safety,” Atty. Hansel Didulo, DA Assistant Secretary for Regulations and for Visayas, said as he spoke to the participants of the writeshop. He further underscored the importance of practicing food safety measures for farm-to-table food.

Lectures and structured learning exercises helped equip the participants with the necessary tools to formulate the delivery plan and write the contents of their modules. Theresa Aurora Cosico of the Agricultural Training Institute’s (ATI) Career Development and Management Division served as resource person and presented the ATI Standard Module Format Components.

ATI Director Alfredo Aton also graced the activity and articulated the need to ensure that local products are safe for consumption and have the right nutrition. He stated, “Food safety is everybody’s responsibility.”

The Module Writeshop on Food Safety was conducted by the ATI Partnerships and Accreditation Division last February 26–March 2, 2019 in Region XII.