Farmers Information Technology Services center of Itogon and Kabayan in Benguet Province are among the eight FITS Centers that were enhanced through the Rice Crop Manager.
For the year, eight FITS Centers are enhanced through the provision of ICT equipment to strengthen their FITS operation and their implementation of the Rice Crop Manager (RCM) Program and Organic Agriculture in their respective areas.
The FITS Centers enhanced under the RCM are (Abra) Sallapadan, Licuan- Baay, Malibcong -Abra; (Benguet) Itogon and Kabayan. These are rice-producing areas that are conducting the DA’s RCM program. These FITS Center-RCM enhanced are to institutionalize RCM deployment as one of their services; facilitate RCM deployment and generation in the barangays of their municipalities; promote the use of RCM to the farmers, their families and the rural youth in their municipalities; among others.
For the FITS Centers-OA funded, these are Mayoyao and Hungduan in Ifugao and Tubo, Abra, what have corresponding active Magsasaka Siyentista on OA. These FITS Centers are also to: institutionalize the promotion of OA as of their services; support their MS in adopting and promoting OA practices and technologies; and develop, translate, document and/or package IEC materials related to OA, including success stories and best practices, and distribute these to their clients.
Meanwhile, three more newly FITS Centers were established: Tanudan, Kalinga and Bucloc and Boliney in Abra. These FITS centers are hosted by the Office of the Agricultural Services and were formally launched with the support of their respective LGUs.
During these turn-overs and launchings to FITS Centers, basic care and maintenance of these ICT supports are provided by DA-ATI-CAR staff to the FITS staff involved
As of date, there are 64 FIT Centers already established in the Cordillera Administrative Region both by the DOST-PCARRD through HARRDEC and DA-ATI. Of these, 53 are already enhanced through the RCM (37), Climate Information Services (12), RCEF (1) and OA (3) programs.
The FITS Center is part of the extension modality known as the Techno Gabay Program initiated by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). In 2012 the TGP was transferred to the Department of Agriculture and is now being implemented by the Agricultural Training Institute. The TGP aims to enhance the extension services of the municipal and provincial agriculture offices in the country with emphasis on the generation, adoption, and promotion of science-based technologies at the farmers’ level.
