Thirty leaders of Irrigators Associations (IA) in Cagayan attended the three-day training on Rice-based Integrated farming System (RBIFS) at ATI-RTC 02 San Mateo, Isabela on February 12-14, 2025. The training is designed to equip participants with knowledge and skills in rice production technology and rice-based integrated farming system in support to the Farming Support Services Program (FSSP) of National Irrigation Administration.

During the opening program, Dr. Claris Marayag-Alaska, OIC Center Director of ATI-RTC 02, delivered her welcome message and encouraged the participants to adopt this farming system and become part of the Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) of ATI in promoting rice-based integrated farming in Cagayan.

"This time we want to introduce diversification integration so that we can maximize the available water you have and at the same time maximize your area. We want to see our contract farming areas maximize the area to be planted with other crops especially the embankments.And with this training we hope that we are not only looking at the gain knowledge and skills but most importantly is the application, the adaptation later on of what was taught to you."

Following her, Dr. Nenita P. Garcia, Chief of Institutional Development Section of the NIA-Region 02, emphasized the roles of IAs and urged them to apply this farming system to achieve sustainable food production.

"To our IAs, I encourage you to keep that "Gulayamanan sa canal." With this training, we should be able to raise livestock, poultry, fish, and piggery in addition to rice production. We must consider food for sustainability after increasing our income; we should not rely solely on rice or paddy since many would be wasted, and many will be hungry."

Participants was engaged in a series of lectures covering an overview of the PalayCheck System, concept and principles of RBIFS, free range chicken production, rice-fish culture, low-cost swine production, GAP vegetable, small ruminant production, and rice-duck farming system. In addition, they also have experiential learning sessions at Learning Site of Agriculture of ATI that have established rice-based integrated farm.

 “Sabi nga sa Bible, many are called, but few are chosen, at dito sa training, tayo yun. Itong training natin ay napakaganda, mahuhusay ang mga naging resource speakers gayon din sa venue at pagkain. Sana ay may mga pang training na ma-attend upang lalo pang malinang ang aming kaalaman ,” said Mr. Reynaldo B. Cardenas, AI leader from Amulung, Cagayan  

Furthermore, participants also received basic gardening tools and assorted vegetable seeds as starter kits in support of their “Gulayamanan sa NIA Canal Project”.