The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA, through its Information Services Section, successfully conducted the Digital Farmers Program (DFP 101-102) Rollout Batch I on April 27–29, 2026, at Romblon State University, Odiongan, Romblon.
In his welcome remarks, delivered via a pre-recorded video, ATI-MIMAROPA Center Director Pat Andrew B. Barrientos encouraged participants to take the training seriously and to share their learnings with fellow farmers to help boost agricultural productivity and income.
Following an overview of the DFP, the first day was filled with learning experiences as the participants learned about Smartphone 101, accessing the internet, mobile applications, and internet safety tips. They also explored basic agricultural apps such as AccuWeather, GPS Field Measure, and the e-learning platform.
Hands-on activities were facilitated by resource persons Mr. Michael Daven T. Jugno, Information Officer II from ATI-MIMAROPA, and Ms. Julie Ann T. Gado, Agricultural Technician from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Odiongan and a DFP Training of Trainers graduate.
The second day focused on more advanced topics. Mr. John Eric V. Arguelles, Technical Support Staff II of ATI-MIMAROPA, together with Ms. Gado and Mr. Jugno, led the lecture-discussions. Mr. Arguelles introduced the basics of social media marketing using Facebook Marketplace and other e-commerce platforms.
Ms. Gado followed with a session on advanced agricultural applications such as Plant Doctor and SPIDTECH, along with social media marketing strategies to help participants effectively promote their products and reach a wider audience. Meanwhile, Mr. Jugno taught the participants how to use Canva to design attractive and effective promotional materials.
On the final day, participants further enhanced their skills through a lecture and hands-on session on QR codes, facilitated by Mr. Jugno. He also introduced the use of Maya for online payments, and the participants successfully created their own QR codes and Maya accounts to support digital transactions.
In her closing message, Ms. Dally Jean L. Famorcan, representing MAO-Odiongan, thanked ATI for the training, emphasizing its role in building farmers’ digital skills to boost productivity and market access, and encouraging participants to share what they learned with their communities.
A total of 31 farmer leaders participated in the training.
