e-Extension Agenda November 2014 1

Vol. VI No.2 November 2014

ATI, PhilSCAT Seal Partnership for Rice Mechanization Online Courses

MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija – New e-Learning Courses, new partner.

The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) recently collaborated with Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT) for the new online courses on mechanized rice transplanting technologies.

The e-Learning course under the e-Extension Program for Agriculture and Fisheries aims to introduce and acquaint the famers and agricultural extension workers (AEWs) to the mechanized rice transplanting technologies.

The latest course was launched last September 23, 3014 during the founding anniversary celebration of PhilSCAT.

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What’s Inside

ATI-Mimaropa Launches e-Learning Lounge

ATI Conducts FITS Center Monitoring in Calabarzon

TOT Participants Venture into Blended Learning

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TOT Participants Venture into Blended Learning on Banana Production

New Online Courses Now Available at www.e-extension.gov.ph/elearning

DILIMAN, Quezon City – The blended learning approach for training courses is an emerging trend in the agriculture and fisheries sector. Blended learning complements the traditional face-to-face training by taking one or more online courses that can aid in the participant’s learnings.

This was done during the recent Season-long Training of Trainers (TOT) on Banana Production conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center in Northern Mindanao (ATI-RTC-10) last March to July 2014. The participants enrolled in some online courses offered by the Institute through the e-Extension Program for Agriculture and Fisheries.

A total of 28 participants took various e-Learning courses on banana production particularly on the “Integrated Pest Management for Banana” and “Growing Banana in the Tropics: Cultural Management for Banana Production” to supplement their training. An ICT-literacy training was first conducted to familiarize the

participants on the features of the e-Extension portal and the e-learning site.

“We appreciate the e-Learning courses that we took because it paved for us to be competitive, it is an opportunity that we have to grab,” said Dr. Anita Macabugto, TOT participant and Agricultural Technologist of Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.

As part of their study tour, the participants visited the ATI-Central Office to receive their e-Learning certificates. During the ceremony ATI Deputy Director for Policy and Administration Dr. Evelyn Aro-Esquejo said that “the e-Learning for Agriculture and Fisheries is an approach geared to expose the learners to an alternative way of training and aims to complement the traditional face-to-face training.”

“With e-Learning, the farmers will have another option when they cannot

attend face-to-face training,” Aro-Esquejo added.

The ceremony was conducted last August 4, 2014 at the Agricultural and Fisheries Knowledge Center (AFKC), ATI Central Office, Diliman, Quezon City. Present also were Ms. Antonieta Arceo, Chief of ATI’s Information Services Division (ISD), and Mr. Jose Rey Y. Alo, e-Learning Process Advisor. The ISD is the division in-charge of implementing the e-learning for agriculture and fisheries. (BCNatividad)

The 4th installment of the Build Assets through Goats series – Technological Alternatives to Traditional Goat

Breeding – is now available for enrollment. This course discusses the physical, productive and reproductive attributes that foundation stocks should possess as well as the different breeds adapted to local conditions that can be used as breeder base.

This 2-module course was developed by the Livestock Research Division of DOST-PCAARRD together with ATI’s Information Services Division.

Grow, harvest, and eat organic herbs and vegetables from your very own plots at home. Enroll in the Basic

Course in Urban Gardening and learn how, now!

This online course is meant for people who have limited space in the backyard but are interested in simple farming. It has two modules that cover the Importance of Urban Gardening and Steps in Urban Gardening.

Urban1 was developed by ATI Regional Training Center VII in collaboration with Bohol Island State University - Bilar Campus.

The efficient production of rice is very significant in attaining food sufficiency in the Philippines, and among

the most crucial stage is transplanting of seedlings. As such, mechanized rice transplanting is identified as a solution to improve the process.

The latest e-Learning course on Mechanized Rice Transplanting Technology (Mech3) tackles the different aspects of operating a mechanized rice transplanter in the field.

This course was developed by the PhilSCAT together with ATI’s Information Services Division.

ATI, PhilSCAT Seal Partnership.....From page 1

NEWS

ATI-Regional Training Center in Central Luzon (ATI-RTC III) OIC-Center Director Ma. Veronica Esguerra who served as the guest speaker during the event expressed her congratulations to PhilSCAT on the development of the course. “I am confident that PhilSCAT will continue to be our partner and continue to develop more e-Learning courses such as mechanized hybrid rice production and biogas technology and making these courses more accessible to every Filipino farmer,” Esguerra said.

The content of the mechanized rice transplanting technology was developed by PhilSCAT’s Knowledge Management Division led by Assistant Director Arnel Ramir M. Apaga and was packaged into an e-Learning course by ATI’s Information Services Division (ISD). The two-module course focused on the different techniques in operating a mechanized rice transplanter and on the various methods of seedling preparation for mechanized rice transplanting.

PhilSCAT plans to have a blended mode approach in their training on mechanized rice transplanting technology where the participants will have to take the online course first before undertaking the hands-on training.

The online course on mechanized rice transplanting technology can be accessed at www.e-extension.gov.ph/elearning. (BCNatividad)

Philippines is 95th in UN e-Government Survey 2014

ATI-Mimaropa Launches e-Learning Lounge, Online Course

on Quail Production

QUEZON CITY, Philippines -- In the recent e-Government survey of the United Nations

among its 193 member countries, South Korea ranked number 1 with best initiatives specifically on online public service delivery, e-participation of its contituents, collaborative governance, mobile delivery, digital inclusion and open government data.

Philippines is not lagging behind as it ranked 95th among these countries worldwide with best e-government initiatives and 54th in terms of citizen participation.

We are proud to note that in terms of e-extension initiatives for agriculture

and fisheries, Philippines is among the top 10 countries in the world doing electronic extension. Today, we just have reached 20,000 registered users at the e-learning portal since it was launched in December 2007.

Among these registered users, a total of 15,192 users have enrolled in the e-learning courses offered on various agriculture and fishery technologies, where 70% of them have completed their courses. To date, there are a total of 40 courses being offered at the e-learning portal and more courses will be uploaded soon. (PMGMappala)

NAUJAN, Oriental Mindoro – Committed to deliver faster and accessible information to its

clientele the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) in Mimaropa recently held a joint launching for its e-Learning Lounge and the new Online Course on Quail Production.

The e-Learning Lounge is designed to be a delivery channel for the e-Extension Program for Agriculture and Fisheries, where clients can visit and access online courses on agriculture and fisheries as well as various resources from the internet. Among the ATI’s Network of Training Centers, the e-Learning lounge in Mimaropa is the second of its kind as ATI in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) inaugurated their e-Learning lounges in the regional office and at their satellite office last year.

Further, the first online course developed by ATI-Mimaropa was launched, dubbed as “Hail the Quail, Online Course on Quail Production.” The Quail online course has four modules that focused on quail breeds, production management, proper health maintenance and egg production and marketing. This online course is intended for agricultural extension workers as well as anyone who is interested to gain from the benefits of quail production. This online course is the 38th

e-Learning course to be offered and can be accessed via www.e-extension.gov.ph/elearning.

During the launching ceremony, Antonieta J. Arceo, chief of ATI-Information Services Division, stressed that “e-Learning is a choice and a chance for you that can change your life. Take this opportunity as learning is a life changing process.” The launching was attended by farmers, students as well as agricultural extension workers who were given the chance to register and enrol in the online courses at the e-Learning portal.

The joint launching activity was held last April 8, 2014 in ATI-RTC 4B compound in Barcenaga, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. (BCNatividad)

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ATI Conducts Nationwide FITS Center Monitoring and Assessment

ATI’s School on the Air Program gets Full Support from Provincial LGU in Capiz

Corn Specialists Receive Their e-Learning Certificates

Initiating Change through the Airwaves as ATI-RTC I Holds

SOA Mass Graduation

DILIMAN, Quezon City -- The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) has started a rapid

monitoring and assessment to more than 700 FITS Centers all over the country. This is to determine if these centers are still functional and effective in delivering their intended services.

Likewise, the rapid monitoring activity aims to determine the status of the FITS Centers which will be used as a basis in proposing for future budget allotment of the Techno Gabay Program (TGP).

A total of 375 FITS Centers have been visited and assessed nationwide from 10 regions. The rapid monitoring of FITS Centers will be conducted until the early part of 2015.

As one of the components of the TGP, the Farmers’ Information Technology Service (FITS) Center, also known in the field as Techno

STA MARIA, Ilocos Sur – For Emilia Dela Rosa, a farmer from Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur, it was

just a typical visit to her farm as she applies the learnings from the trainings she participated. One of these is on sustainable rice production.

However this was not an ordinary day for Emilia, she will be travelling for about 35 kilometers from her hometown to attend the graduation ceremony for the season long School-on-the-Air (SOA) for Sustainable Rice Production. But what really made it special for her was that she received the top achiever award for the training.

“I did not expect to get the top award,” Emilia said. Because it was her first time to participate in a training program using radio as a medium of intruction, she did not know what to expect. “I just took down notes and listened intently to the broadcast,” Emilia added.

The School-On-The-Air or SOA is an alternative method for learning which uses the radio as a medium to reach clients who are interested to learn, use and practice new technologies. It is aired season-long in time for the farming season of the focused commodity, thus it provides a step-by-step guide for farmers at every crop stage.

Agricultural Training Institute-

Regional Training Center in Ilocos Region (ATI-RTC I) recently conducted the SOA mass graduation as a culminating activity to the season-long program on sustainable rice production which started last October 2013. The graduation ceremony, held last March 18, 2014 at the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC) in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, had a total of 550 graduates who took the five-month SOA program.

The participants were comprised of farmers, agricultural extension workers and students who are taking up BS Agriculture and Forestry. The program was broadcasted over DZNF Radyo Kailian 97.3 Mhz. The broadcast included modules that focused on the different techniques in sustainable rice production as well as post-harvest practices, farm mechanization and marketing technologies.

A post-assessment evaluation was administered both for farmers and students category, as part of the SOA program to determine the learnings

gained by the participants.Antonieta J. Arceo, chief of the

ATI-Information Services Division (ISD) representing Director Asterio Saliot as the guest of honor graced the graduation ceremonies. She acknowledged the capability of radio specifically the SOA program in disseminating information. “Through the School-on-the Air program, information is accessible not just for the few but for all,” Arceo said.

“Because with SOA, everybody can participate and learn as we are sharing knowledge without boundaries,” Arceo added.

Through the SOA program, Emilia now has more knowledge on how to produce sustainable rice just by tuning-in to her radio.

“Agyammanak la unay ti school-on-the-air (I’m very thankful with school-on-the air),” Emilia said. “Adda nga mangbaybayabay kinya mi nga mannalon (there is a guide for us farmers).”(BCNatividad)

FROM THE REGIONS

Twenty-five participants from the Season-Long Training of Trainers on Integrated Crop

Management for Corn finished the course “From Seed to Seed: On Line course on corn production” as part of their season long training modules.

The participants were oriented to the Philippine e-Extension Program sometime in July where they were encouraged to enroll in the corn courses. they were provided with enrollment protocols and information on the available courses.

Dr. Rolando V. Maningas, ATI Region IVA e-Extension Coordinator spearheaded the distribution of the certificates during the simple graduation rites held last September 11, 2014, a week before they graduated from the season-long training. Special recognition were given to Mr. Feranil, LGU Trece Martires City, the first e-learner to finish the course, while there were nine participants who got 100% score in the end-of-module test.(RVManingas, ATI-RTC IVA)

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The Agricultural Training Institute - Regional Training Center

VI (ATI-RTC VI) recently got the full support of the provincial government of Capiz for its School-on-the-Air (SOA) Program.

There is no doubt that Governor Victor A. Tanco has a lot on his plate in terms of running Capiz. However, agriculture is the one closest to his heart because it is the primary source of income of his people.

In providing better agricultural technologies to its constituents, ATI-RTC VI in collaboration with the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist conducted a season-long SOA on Cassava Production and Utilization.

SOA is an alternative method for learning which uses radio as a medium of instruction that aimed to reach clients who are interested to learn, use and practice new technologies.

“Learning is a continuous process especially now that technology is fast changing hence you are trained along these new technologies,” Tanco said.

The SOA was conducted from February to July, 2014 and broadcasted every Saturday from 12nn to 1 pm over local radio station DYVR 657 KHz in Roxas City. The broadcast included learning modules that focused on the essentials of cassava production as well as processing and marketing.

There were about 617 graduates from the program that consisted of farmers, agricultural extension workers as well as students. Tanco expressed his delight to the graduates and urged them to apply what they have learned to their farms.

“I am happy that you are part of this program, I hope that you continue learning and apply what you have learned with the support of your local government as well as the Department of Agriculture through ATI,” Tanco added.”

Antonieta J. Arceo, chief of the ATI-Information Services Division (ISD) representing ATI Director Asterio P. Saliot as guest of honor graced the graduation ceremonies. She recognized the “effort of the

provincial government led by Tanco and said “without them we will not be able to reach out to the 617 graduates of the SOA.”

Arceo also noted that this SOA not only focused on the production aspect of cassava but on the processing and marketing as well. “By adding value to your products we hope to increase your income and be able to change your lives and build dreams,” Arceo said.

The SOA mass graduation was held last August 12, 2014 at the CAP Auditorium, Roxas City Capiz. (BCNatividad)

Pinoy Center, serves as a one-stop service facility nearest to the majority of farmers, entrepreneurs, and other clients in a given area. It provides fast access to information and technologies in forms appropriate that the clients’ needs.

The Philippine Government issued in 2009 the Executive Order no. 801, otherwise known as “Encouraging Local Government Units (LGUs) to Adopt the Techno Gabay in their Agricultural Extension Programs and the Concerned Government Agencies to Provide the Required

Assistance for the Purpose.” It mandated ATI, as the training and extension arm of the Philippine Department of Agriculture, to link the extension programs of the Department to the extension delivery modalities under the TGP, as well as that of the state universities and colleges, LGUs, among others. (BCNatividad)

e-Extension Agenda November 2014 e-Extension Agenda November 2014 6 7

Youths among the Farmer-Graduates of School-on-the-Air in Aklan

NEWS

BANGA, Aklan – Most children love weekends, for it usually means that they have all the

time to watch television, bond with their friends and play games. Children just being children while enjoying all their free time.

But for 13-year old Viemus James O. De Pablo of Balete, Aklan, a weekend for him involved listening to a radio broadcast of School-on-the-Air (SOA) which was recently conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center in Western Visayas (ATI-RTV VI).

Viemus believed that participating in the SOA program will enable him to help his family in maintaining their vegetable garden as well as to increase his knowledge in agriculture.

“My mother persuaded me to join her in listening to the SOA broadcast,” Viemus said. “I got to learn about the importance of planting organic vegetable because of the SOA,” Viemus added.

Viemus was one of the youngest among the 577 farmer-graduates who took the five-month SOA Program on Organic Vegetable Production. The graduation ceremony was held last April 22, 2014 at the Aklan State University, Banga Aklan.

From October of last year until March 2014, the SOA Program was aired every Sunday from 12:00nn to 1:00pm over DYYM 98.5 Hot FM and was broadcasted to the municipalities of Aklan. Topics discussed focused on organic vegetable production specifically on soil and agronomy, pest and diseases identification and

control, harvesting and post-harvest treatment and processing and storing of vegetables.

Farmers as well as agricultural extension workers (AEWs) are typical participants of the SOA program but in the case of Aklan, youths who were still in elementary and high school were allowed to participate in the SOA.

Antonieta J. Arceo, chief of the ATI-Information Services Division (ISD) representing Director Asterio Saliot as the guest of honor, graced the graduation ceremonies and acknowledged the participation of the youth saying she “was glad that they were immersed in agriculture at a young age.”

“Seeing the kids today in our midst is an affirmation that there is future in agriculture here in our country,” Arceo said in her message.

Likewise, one particular strategy that ATI-RTC 6 also employed was to conduct a Farmers’ Field School (FFS) on the same topic and selected the participants from the enrolees of the SOA program. A SOA learning site was also established where the FFS participants showcased their organic

vegetable products.After graduating from the SOA

and learning everything about organic vegetable production, Viemus said that he will also persuade his classmates to listen and join the next SOA broadcast. “I will try to share the information that I learned from the SOA broadcast to my friends and classmates,” says Viemus.

Through the SOA broadcast, youths in Aklan do not only spend all their free time playing but have the option of listening to the radio and expand their knowledge on agriculture-related topics. (BCNatividad)

ATI-RTC 2 Launches

FITS Center in Claveria,

Cagayan

CLAVERIA, Cagayan – The Local Government Unit of Claveria, Cagayan together with the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center in Cagayan Valley (ATI-RTC 2) launched a FITS Center on September 10, 2014.

The launching was attended by 110 participants composed of Local Farmer Technicians (LFTs), Punong Barangays, Rural Improvement Club (RIC), 4-H Clubs, Indigenous People’s representatives, Sanghera heads, LGU staff and local agency heads like Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in Region 1 and Philippine National Police (PNP).

In his message, ATI-RTC 2 Director Renato Maguigad said that the Techno-Gabay will be the program where all services and support of ATI-RTC 02 will be anchored.

“We would like to strengthen the LGUs capacity in providing their extension services through the TGP,” Maguigad added.

Likewise, LGU Claveria was awarded with a catalytic fund amounting to P100,000 for the operation of the FITS center. (MNGMaddalora, ATI-RTC 2)

Crops 1. Online Course on Urban Gardening2. Mechanized Rice Transplanting

Technology3. Increasing Corn Farm Productivity

through the Use of Mechanization Technologies

4. Saving The Lost Harvest: Introductory Course On Rice Post Production Technologies

5. Treasure in Threads: Piña Fiber Processing

6. Straw Mushroom Growing: A Viable Agri-Enterprise

7. Auspicious, Vandaceous: Growing Vanda and Vandaceous Orchids

8. Growing Banana in the Tropics: Cultural Management for Banana Production

9. Go Mango, Hit the Jackpot!10. Abaca 1: Cultural Management Practices

of Abaca11. Abaca 2: Abaca Pest Management12. Abaca 3: Nursery Establishment and

Management13. Citrus Growing: A Promising Enterprise14. From Seed to Seed: Online Course on

Corn Production15. Growing Bamboo for Profit and a

Healthy Environment16. Growing Durian the Better Way 17. Jackfruit Production 18. Managing Common Diseases in Banana19. Integrated Pest Management for

Banana 20. Production of High Value Crops in

Greenhouse 21. Yummy Yam: Ubi Production22. Savoring the Green Brew: Arabica

Coffee Production23. Bee Keeping

Fisheries1. Seaweed Farming2. Taste the Creamiest Cream Dory: Online

on Pangasius Culture

Livestock and Poultry1. Hail the Quail! Online Course on Quail

Production2. Goat 1: Establishing Feed Resources for

Your Goats3. Goat 2: Starting a Slaughter Goat

Enterprise4. Goat 3: Technological Alternatives to

Traditional Goat Breeding5. GOAT 4: Technological Alternatives to

Traditional Feeding Management6. Mastering the ABCs of Pig Production7. Walang Aray sa AI: Artificial

Insemination in Pigs

Social Technology1. Basic Agricultural Marketing Extension2. Working Together Works! An Online

Course on Community Organizing3. Changing People's Lives Through

Effective Extension Delivery4. Getting the Big Bucks: Guide to Grant

Proposal Writing5. Lika! Usap Tayo: Effective Human

Communication and Human Relations6. Online Course on Training Management

Sustainable Agriculture1. Insects Away the Alternative

Way! 2. Organic Fertilizer for Sustainable

Agriculture3. Vermicomposting: Turning Trash to Cash

Our Online Courses

NEWS

(www.e-extension.gov.ph/elearning)

FCC, e-Learning among ICT Tools Featured in KSL

MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija – There are about two million farmers in the Philippines

but only about 3,000 full-time rice extension workers that covers the information and technology needs of these farmers. This clearly indicates shortage of rice extension workers and result in lack of information on new technologies for farmers.

In an effort to augment the shortage of extension workers and enhance the provision of information for the rice farmers, the Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) together with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) launched the

project called “Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capability Enhancement of the Next-Generation of Rice Extension

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e-Extension Agenda November 2014 8

Editor Antonieta J. Arceo Writers Benedict C. Natividad, ATI-CO Pamela MG. Mappala, ATI-CO Yovina-Claire A. Pauig, ATI-CO Ma. Norma G. Maddalora, ATI-RTC II Rolando V. Maningas, ATI-RTC IVA Layout Artist Benedict C. Natividad

Editorial Consultant Jose Rey Y. Alo

Advisers Asterio P. Saliot PhD, CESO III Evelyn Aro-Esquejo PhD, CESO IV

The e-Extension AgendaVolume VI No. 2 November 2014

Professionals and Intermediaries” also known as IPaD Project.

One of the objectives of the project aims to recognize and capacitate rice input dealers to be a part of the agricultural extension system and eventually help the government in reaching the rice farmers. These input dealers will ultimately be identified as rice extension intermediaries (REIs).

“Our farmers also rely on these input dealers as a source of information that is why we should involve them in rice extension,” said Karen Barroga, the project leader of IPaD.

With this in mind, a Knowledge Sharing and Learning (KSL) activity was conducted to provide these

REIs with the latest information and technologies on rice, available ICT-based resources and tools on rice and agriculture as well as opportunities for partnerships in information and technology dissemination.

The e-Extension Program specifically the e-Learning and Farmers Contact Center (FCC) were one of the ICT-based tools that were featured during the activity. As part of the briefing for the program the participants were given the chance to access the online courses as well as to send text messages to the FCC. Other ICT-based tools such as rice doctor and rice crop manager of IRRI and pinoy rice knowledge bank and Philrice text center were also featured.

“The KSL paved the way for the REIs to be informed of the various

ICT tools that they can use for their clients,” Antonieta J. Arceo said.

More than 100 participants from the different rice input dealers attended the event which included field tours on PhilRice’s rice farming projects.

The Knowledge Sharing and Learning activity was conducted last October 8 to 9, 2014 at PhilRice, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.(BCNatividad)

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Using your smartphone or tablet, you can now view the full photo gallery

of the news articles in this newsletter. Here are the steps in accessing some of these online contents:

1. Download the latest QR code reader mobile app in play store (android) or itunes store (iphone) and run the app.

2. Scan the QR Code that is included in the news articles using your downloaded QR code reader. These QR codes are usually found in the photos of the articles.

3. After your phone scans the code, you will be directed to the photo gallery version of the new article that you scanned.

4. Remember you should have internet connection to be able to access these contents.

The e-Extension Agenda Newsletter has become

more Interactive

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