Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan - The Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 1 (DA-ATI-RTC 1) held a Competition on Best Innovative Strategies in the Delivery of Extension Services on December 12, 2023.
The said competition is part of the Centerโs merit and awards system and is participated by its sections and units. The purpose of the activity is to showcase creativity and innovations in achieving efficient and proactive delivery of extension services in the region.
The presentation of entries started with the Administrative and Finance Unit (AFU) sharing their developed data entry matrix that eases the process of supply and property management.
Secondly, the Partnerships and Accreditation Section (PAS) highlighted their strategic process in establishing and strengthening partnerships with private partners, such as learning sites for agriculture (LSAs), private extension service providers (PESPs), and various rural-based organizations (RBOs). As such, the section presented their strategies in the implementation of projects and activities under the Organic Agriculture Program and Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
Meanwhile, the Career Development and Management Section (CDMS) shared their innovative extension practices titled, โDUR-AS ATI 2.0: Bringing Prosperity in the Agriculture and Fisheries (AF) Communityโ. True to the meaning of DUR-AS ATI which is Developing, Unfolding Resiliency in Agriculture Sector through Advance Technology and Innovations, the CDMS emphasized a community-based, ladderized, and holistic approach in extension.
Aligned with its core function, the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Unit (PMEU) exhibited initiatives that harmonize programs, projects, and activities between DA-RFO 1 and ATI-RTC1. The presentation also focuses on efforts that strengthen and intensify the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Network 1 (RAFEN 1) and the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES). Strategic operational monitoring and evaluation exploring beyond data entry system was also shared by PMEU.
Lastly, the Information Services Section (ISS) showcased approaches that contribute in responding to the current AFE issues and challenges, particularly on the limited access to AF information and technology; poor digital agriculture technology literacy; declining engagement of youth in agriculture; and pluralistic extension approach and perspective.
The strategies of ISS, which is dubbed as โSTREAMโ (Sustained Technologies, Renewed Innovations, and Excellence in Achieving Milestones), include sustained media partnerships and engagement, strengthened collaborations with AFE key players, strategized digital literacy initiatives, and enhanced millennial engagement mechanisms.
The composition of the panel of evaluators who thoroughly reviewed and evaluated the paper entries and oral presentations were Engr. Joey A. Belarmino, Center Director of ATI-Region 3; Dr. Josefina B. Bitonio, former Regional Director of the Cooperative Development Authority in Region 1; and Dr. Arlene L. Flores, former Center Director of ATI-Cordillera Administrative Region.
Ultimately, the ISS champed the competition while the CDMS placed second. The PMEU garnered the third spot, followed by the PAS and AFU.
In his message, DA-ATI-RTC 1 Center Director Dr. Rogelio C. Evangelista emphasized that the presentation of innovative strategies is one of the Centerโs mechanisms in highlighting its unified efforts in the realm of agriculture and fisheries extension services.
The manifestation of awards and recognitions can take various forms, but for ATI-RTC 1 it represents a dynamic force that drives progress and fosters continuous improvement among the Centerโs constituents.
