The Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center VIII (ATI-RTC 8) continues its capacity-building activities aligned with national rice programs to help rice farmers become more organized, productive, and competitive. These efforts support the implementation of the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program (MRIDP), which serves as the government’s overall guide in improving the country’s rice industry.
The MRIDP focuses on four main strategies: (1) increasing rice productivity while reducing risks and adapting to climate change; (2) helping farmers work together through farm clustering to lower costs and improve efficiency; (3) strengthening the rice value chain from production to processing and marketing; and (4) promoting the use of digital tools in rice farming.
One key approach under the MRIDP is farm clustering, especially for smallholder rice farmers. By working together as a cluster, farmers can share resources, reduce production costs, improve yields, and gain better access to markets. Farm clusters also make it easier for government programs and services to reach farmers more effectively. Because of this, the National Rice Program (NRP) promotes clustering as the main unit for delivering support and interventions.
In 2025, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office VIII (DA-RFO VIII) conducted a training on Crafting Cluster Development Plans (CDP) for hybrid rice clusters in thirteen (13) municipalities, covering fifty-seven (57) rice clusters. Out of the one hundred twenty-four (124) identified hybrid rice clusters in the region, sixty-seven (67) clusters are scheduled to undergo CDP training in 2026.
During the recent inter-agency meeting, DA-RFO VIII and ATI VIII agreed on their respective roles for 2026. ATI-RTC 8 will lead the conduct of CDP training, while DA-RFO VIII will focus on Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach (AECA) training. Rice clusters are required to complete AECA training before joining the CDP training to ensure better understanding and readiness.
For 2026, ATI-RTC 8 will conduct ten (10) batches of Training on Crafting of Cluster Development Plan for Rice Clusters (Phase 1) with the following schedules:
January 19–23, 2026 (Batch 1)
January 26–30, 2026 (Batch 2)
May 11–15, 2026 (Batch 3)
June 8–12, 2026 (Batch 4)
July 6–10, 2026 (Batch 5)
September 7–11, 2026 (Batch 6)
September 14–18, 2026 (Batch 7)
September 21–25, 2026 (Batch 8)
October 12–16, 2026 (Batch 9)
October 26–30, 2026 (Batch 10)
The training aims to help farmers create a simple but complete Cluster Development Plan that will guide their cluster’s activities. The plan will also be aligned with the Collaborative Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Program (CPAFEP) and other DA programs. Each batch will train 30 rice farmers, particularly those who have already completed AECA training, for a total of 300 farmer-participants across all batches.
The first batch, held on January 19–23, 2026, is led by Mr. Ivan Ed Losadio (Resource Person), Business Development Officer of DA-RFO VIII F2C2, with Ms. Junalyn P. Palco, ATI-RTC 8 Rice Program Point Person, as Project Officer, assisted by Ms. Felamy G. Gacho, Technical Support Staff.
As farmers learn to plan together and look beyond a single cropping season, rice clustering becomes more than a program—it becomes a pathway toward stability, resilience, and shared success. Through ATI-RTC 8’s continued support, rice farmers in Eastern Visayas are not just growing rice—they are growing stronger communities.
