“Ang pagsasaka ay isa sa mga pangunahing pinagkukunan ng ating kabuhayan. Sa katunayan, sa training na ito, naaalala natin na dati na nating naipapakita ang tamang pagsasaayos ng mga gamit pangsaka at iba pang materyales. Bagamat nagagawa na natin ito, ang training na ito ay nagpapaalala sa atin ng kahalagahan ng mga tamang pamamaraan. Nawa’y huwag nating kalimutan ang mga natutunan dito upang mapalawak pa ang ating kaalaman at mas lalo nating mapabuti ang ating pagsasaka”, said Ms. Norma Q. Andres as her reflection on the “Strengthening Rice Farming: Training on Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) on Rice (Batch 3)" last May 27-29, 2025 at Marag, Luna, Apayao.
The said training marks a significant step toward empowering rice farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to implement Philippine Good Agricultural Practices. It also strengthens their capacity to produce safe, high-quality rice, improve farm management, and enhance their access to more competitive markets.
Various topics along PhilGAP standards for rice production were discussed by Mr. Doweno C. Santiago Jr., Agriculturist II and Mr. Jefferson V. Aludos, Agriculturist I. Meanwhile, organizational strengthening and how members can better manage a GAP-certified group was shared by Mr. Cristino E. Balancio, former Senior Agriculturist of ATI-RTC-CAR.
To fully understand the PhilGAP certification, participants were engaged in a mock inspection of a storage facility and a farmer-participant’s farm. During the inspection, they observed the application of various Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), such as proper storage of farm inputs, pest management, post-harvest handling, and record-keeping. Following the inspection, they offered feedback on the organization of the storage facility and suggested areas for improvement during the workshop.//Allen D. Olat, CDMS Technical Support Staff
