Tantangan, South Cotabato—The Basic Agricultural Extension Course for National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP) Coordinators in Region XII and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao officially began on May 11, 2026. The five-day training gathered twenty-four Agricultural Extension Workers to enhance their technical competencies and improve the delivery of responsive agricultural services within their respective jurisdictions.

During the opening program, OIC-Center Director Jessie V. Beldia highlighted the critical function of extension services in driving rural development, increasing farm productivity, and ensuring regional food security. The sessions commenced with a focus on professional development, as Media Production Specialist II Marnil B. Del Monte facilitated a module on personal awareness and self-mastery. This component was designed to cultivate professional leadership and sharpen the participants' understanding of their roles as primary facilitators of community-based agricultural progress.

The course is accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission, granting 7.0 Continuing Professional Development points to participating Agriculturists and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers. By providing this formal training, the program ensures that extension workers are equipped with both the ethical framework and the practical knowledge necessary to implement effective agricultural interventions.

This initiative serves to standardize the quality of extension support provided to local farming communities. By fostering a more capable and self-aware workforce, the training contributes to the long-term goal of building resilient and productive agricultural systems, which are essential for the economic advancement and food security of the communities the participants serve.