BAYBAY CITY, Leyte – The Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center 8 (ATI-RTC 8) conducted the Foundations of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Phase 2 training from March 10-13, 2026, at the ATI-RTC 8, VSU Campus.
A total of 26 Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) from different municipalities in the region participated in the activity. Some of the participants were graduates of last year’s Impactful Design for Effective Agri-KPs (IDEA) training.
The four-day training aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants in IEC development for extension work.
During the activity, participants learned the guidelines for audience analysis across print, broadcast, and online media. They identified different types of IEC materials and discussed the steps in content development and popularization. Sessions also covered mobile photography, mobile videography, and dissemination strategies.
Lectures emphasized that IEC development begins with audience analysis to ensure that materials are appropriate, accessible, and responsive to the needs of the intended recipients. Participants were also introduced to the use of style guides to maintain clarity, consistency, and alignment with organizational identity.
Resource persons highlighted the importance of focusing on one clear message per IEC material to improve understanding and avoid information overload. The role of pre-testing IEC materials was also discussed to assess the effectiveness of messages before dissemination.
The training underscored the value of content popularization in extension work to improve understanding, encourage participation, and support behavior change. Participants also learned that effective dissemination helps ensure that IEC materials reach and are understood by the target audience.
Hands-on sessions included demonstrations on mobile photography, focusing on composition and camera angles, as well as smartphone videography, covering proper lighting, composition, and required shots for corporate and vlog-style videos.
Ms. Marita Merona, a participant from Baybay City, Leyte, did not expect that the training would be somewhat difficult - that there would be output. “Most importantly, we learned a lot in this training. We learned the composition of taking good photos and videos, since these are also part of our work. We learned a lot.” she added.
“I learned mostly Audience Analysis, selecting the appropriate IEC materials for the audience and deeply on Content Development.” For Hazel Rosemarie Pontilla, a participant from Palo, Leyte. Being exposed to photography at a young age, she said that this training was a good refresher for her. According to her, the other learning materials gave her additional knowledge better than she expected.
As part of the agreement, participants committed to develop social media content for their official Facebook pages and to improve the frequency of IEC development and distribution in their respective areas.
The activity forms part of ATI-RTC 8’s efforts to strengthen communication strategies in agricultural extension by building the capacity of personnel in producing and disseminating IEC materials.
