ORMOC CITY, Leyte - The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center-8 hold a three-day training on Digital Farmers Program (101 and 102) Farmer-level Roll-out Batch 1 at Pongos Hotel, Ormoc City, Leyte on October 11-13, 2022.
The training aims to equip farmers with knowledge and skills to use basic digital tools, including social media, climate and weather monitoring applications, and online payment. Being trained during the DAC 101 and 102 for RCEF, Ms. Marilyn Tan, co-owner of Tempesto Rice Farm in Ormoc served as resource person together with Ms. Madelyn Asis.
The training introduced to the participants the different Basic and Advance Agri Apps that are beneficial to farmers such as the Binhing Palay App, Rice Crop Manager, e-learning, SPIDTECH, Plant Doctor, and even the use of QR codes. The speakers emphasized the importance of knowing agricultural apps that could help farmers know and understand their crop in an effective way by using smartphones. Participants also gave their feedbacks on how these applications could benefit them.
In an interview with one of the participants, Aida Obeda said the training helped them to use digital tools and technologies in their daily lives and farming practices. “I learned a lot about how to use the cellphone. And I could apply this when I soon develop my business. I learned how to post online and learned how to look for the pest and diseases in rice and control them,” she stated.
Social media marketing was also highlighted during the training. One activity was the use of the Canva app where they were tasked to come up with a poster marketing their farm products and post them online in a more creative way.
Through these meaningful and fruitful activities, facilitators/speakers, Ms. Tan and Asis hope that there would be better changes in the lives of the participants and that they apply and practice what they have learned in preparation for their level-up training on DFP 103.
(reported by: John Carlo Betoy and Jerimi Ann Satuita)
