PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija - Farm Ridge by Desmond Farm became the epicenter of agricultural innovation as Rice Focal Persons and ATI personnel converged for the "Technology Updates on Integrated Rice-based Farming System and 2023 RCEF Year-End Performance Review" from January 15 to 19, 2024. The event aimed to equip participants with the latest advancements in rice farming and assess the performance of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) throughout the year.

The inaugural day commenced with an enlightening Welcome Address by Mr. Joey A. Belarmino, the Center Director of Agricultural Training Institute - Regional Training Center 3 (ATI-RTC 3). Mr. Ace Velez, Development Management Officer II of ATI-Central Office, followed with an overview and rationale of the activity, setting the stage for an enlightening series of discussions.

The training sought to empower participants to deliver presentations on essential topics crucial for modern rice farming. The curriculum included Palayamanan, Systems for Rice Intensification (SRI), Agroecology-based Farming System, Heirloom Rice Production, and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in rice production. The goal was to arm ATI personnel involved in the Rice Program with a holistic understanding in the different rice-based technologies as they will be rolling out technology briefings in their respective regions.

The subsequent three days were dedicated to the discussions of the latest technology updates in the integrated rice-based farming system. Resource persons, including rice specialists from PhilRice and professor from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños, shared cutting-edge insights and practical knowledge.

On Day 4, the participants had the chance to visit rice farms and PhilRice office and started to prepare draft presentations to be used during the regional briefings.