LUZON, Philippines—A benchmarking activity gives the national officers of rural-based organizations (RBOs) a chance to unlearn and level up on their knowledge and determination to help improve agricultural productivity.

Some 14 officers from the different RBOs supported by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) took part in the benchmarking activity. They are from the Pambansang Mannalon-Maguuma-Magbabaul-Magsasaka ng Pilipinas (P4MP), rural improvement clubs, Samahan ng Magsasaka Siyentista ng Techno Gabay sa Pilipinas, Inc., and Japan Agricultural Exchange Council Alumni Association of the Philippines.

Dina Mejias of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council first gave a lecture on financial literacy. Here, participants learned about budgeting, investments, and relevant values in relation to successful agri-enterprise.

Meanwhile, a learning journey to different ATI-supported Learning Sites and Extension Service Providers in Region IV-A highlighted the activity. The farms visited include Ato Belen’s Farm in San Pablo, Laguna; Gintong Bukid Farm and Leisure in Nagcarlan, Laguna; and Lukong Valley Farm in Dolores, Quezon.

“Truly, the ATI gives farmers hope to learn more about farming technologies. As a farmer-scientist, I was able to gather information on new technologies that we can replicate and re-innovate. For our part, I think we should find a way to apply or use these technologies in our respective farms,” Magsasaka Siyentista Carlito Aquino from Camarines Sur said.

“The activity has been an eye-opener for us and exposed us to different things that we can bring back home. We gained [new] experiences and we can use these to become a role model to our fellow farmers and to the next generations,” P4MP Region IV-A president Edgardo Azcarraga added.

At the end of the activity, the participants committed to share the knowledge they gained with other members of their respective communities and organizations. The activity was spearheaded by the ATI Partnerships and Accreditation Division on November 13-16, 2018.