CENTRAL VISAYAS – The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 7 in collaboration with the Local Government Units of the priority provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental conducted additional 10 Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Information Caravan to rice towns, of which nine (9) were from Bohol namely: Ubay, Talibon, Cortes, Bilar, Balilihan, Buenavista, Garcia-Hernandez, Corella and Batuan one (1) from Ayungon, Negros Oriental respectively.

The caravan was conducted from July 15 to July 29, 2020 with a total of 454 farmers briefed.

With a total of 39 priority rice municipalities in the region; comprising 14 from Negros Oriental and 25 in Bohol, the remaining will conduct their information caravans until the first week of August 2020 with a total number of 800 farmers expected to be briefed.

As of this report, the total farmer briefed from its initial roll-out is estimated to be 834 which are 104% from its target. This figure will increase with the remaining 12 priority towns in the region.

The modality used by the RCEF Team was through a ready-to-play video prepared by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 7 (ATI-RTC 7) based in Cabawan District, Tagbilaran City with readily-available printed materials for distribution like RCEF Farmers’ Briefer and Rice Tariffication Brochure.

The RCEF Information Caravan Team is spearheaded by Dr. Merrian Piquero Soliva, Media Production Specialist II as the Project Officer together with Ma. Pamela N. Respecia and Arnel S. Navarro as the technical supporting staff while Center Director, Dr. Carolyn May O. Daquio as the overall adviser.