DILIMAN, Quezon City - The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) kicked off its 35th Founding Anniversary celebration on Tuesday with series of activities led by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar and ATI Director Rosana Mula.

Dar recognized the Institute’s efforts in agricultural development and emphasized the need for new mindset on capacity-building, focusing on supporting the agricultural extension system.

“Maybe it took us 35 years to journey and have a newer mindset towards appreciating the responsibility of ATI being the capacity builder for extension workers or farmer leaders, and those involved in the national programs for development,” he said during the Opening Ceremony.

With the celebration’s theme “Innovating OneDA Agricultural Extension Strategies Beyond the New Normal,” he then challenged ATI to “put more expertise and bring in the human capital” to further establish an “informed innovation system.”

The ceremony also showcased a message from Senator Cynthia Villar, expressing her support in the various programs and initiatives of the Institute.

She affirmed, “I am with you in institutionalizing training in agriculture and I have passed laws that speak for it for sustainable agriculture, reducing poverty, and building resilience.”

Meanwhile, Director Mula expressed her appreciation to the entire ATI network “for working productively and meeting timelines to respond to the growing and constantly changing needs of all beneficiaries and stakeholders.”

“We will continue to execute better extension strategies in the language of OneDA and based on the priority areas as well as the urgent issues for 2022,” she vowed.

Other highlights of the activity include the unveiling of the ATI Operations Manual, inauguration of the new elevator in the ATI-Central Office, and the launching of the 2022 webinar series dubbed as “Skill Up: ATI 35th Anniversary Webinar Specials”. Topics to be featured this week are grapes production and processing, management of rice black bug, balanced fertilization, food safety, Gourmix production, and African Swine Fever prevention, among others.

The recognition of ATI loyalty awardees and the regional training centers with exemplary performance was also held in the afternoon via Zoom.

The ATI was established after the reorganization of the Bureau of Agricultural Extension, the Philippine Agricultural Training Council, and the Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development through the Executive Order no. 116.

Simultaneous with the ATI training centers, the anniversary celebration will run from January 25 to January 28.