BROOKE’S POINT, PALAWAN – The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA successfully conducted the Digital Farmers Program (DFP) Rollout for Training of Trainers Graduates (DFP 101–102) on May 7-9, 2025 at Shing Resort, Brooke’s Point, Palawan.
In his opening message, ATI-MIMAROPA Center Director Pat Andrew B. Barrientos expressed the institute’s strong support for the initiative, emphasizing its potential to alleviate poverty in the province. He encouraged participants to harness digital tools to enhance local agriculture, underscoring the importance of strengthening the local supply chain and meeting the growing demand from local businesses, including resorts.
“Dito makatutulong ang Digital Farmers Program. Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, matuturuan kayo kung paano gamitin ang mga agricultural application upang mapangalagaan ang inyong mga tanim at sakahan, at mapataas ang kita. Matututo rin kayo ng paggamit ng mga e-commerce platform upang maibenta ang inyong mga produkto online at maisagawa ang mga transaksyon sa digital na paraan,” he said.
Also present to show their support were Brooke’s Point Municipal Agriculturist Renato A. Bacosa and Agriculturist II Krist Joseph J. Cadlaon.
During the three-day training, participants were equipped with practical skills essential for modern farming. On the first day, OIC-Chief Erlan D. Pasana and Information Officer II Michael Daven T. Jugno led sessions on Smartphone 101, internet access, mobile applications, online safety, and agricultural tools such as AccuWeather and the ATI e-Learning platform.
The second day focused on social media marketing. Participants learned how to utilize Facebook Marketplace to promote their agricultural products. They also created posters using Canva and developed their own social media marketing plans. Additional hands-on activities introduced advanced agricultural apps such as GPS Field Measure, QR Code, Plant Doctor, and SPIDTECH, with resource speakers Mr. Jugno and Mr. John Eric V. Arguelles, Technical Support Staff II of ATI-MIMAROPA.
On the final day, Mr. Cadlaon served as a resource speaker to discuss e-commerce platforms and introduce Maya, a mobile money service. Through hands-on activities, farmers learned to navigate Shopee, Lazada, and Facebook Pages. They also created their own Maya accounts, preparing them for safe and efficient digital transactions.
A total of 21 farmer-leaders proudly completed the training. Mr. Cadlaon also joined the closing program to congratulate the graduates and reaffirm the local government’s commitment to digital agriculture.
