The Agricultural Training Institute-Central Luzon (ATI-CL) implemented the Training Course on Certification of Core Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Groups and Accreditation of Organic Certifying Bodies of Local Farmers in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija from April 25 to April 27, 2023.
Ms. Deichelle E. Roxas, a participant, said that the training impacted her. βPGS is quite intensive and challenging β it requires effort. This PGS training made an impact on me as being more crucial and more attentive to every detail,β she added.
As part of the training, series of lectures and discussions on the provisions of RA 11511 and the Organic Agriculture Regulations; current Philippine National Standard (PNS) for organic agriculture; general requirements and procedures for accreditation of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) group were done. In addition, the group also tackled how to conduct inspection and auditing for the accreditation of organic certifying bodies.
Ms. Zarah Jane N. Sendrijas, Development Management Officer of PMEU, initiated the Training Course on Certification of core PGS groups and Accreditation of Organic Certifying Bodies and the result of the training was excellent as seen by the test results of the participants where they improved significantly.
Atty. Carolyn Dumlao-Amis of NEDEX expressed her appreciation to ATI-CL and BAFS which helped them clarify about Participatory Guarantee System.
βIto pong training na ito ay napakalaking bagay po samin, ito po ay nakatulong sa amin sa pag-grow as a group as an organic group. Yung inputs ay dadalhin namin ito habang buhay. Rest assured yung natutunan po namin we will put into work hanggang sa ma-attain namin ang level of perfection or excellency so that we will make a model para sa organic farming,β she quipped.
The participants appreciated the effort of ATI-CL and BAFS in putting an emphasis on peer organic. They also acknowledge the importance of preparing for peer review and recordkeeping.Β
At the end of the training, awarding of certificate of appreciation to the resource persons from BAFS was presented. As for the participants, they should be able to prepare a re-entry plan on their application as PGS Certifying Body after participating in the training course. (RSison)
