“Focused and targeted interventions” served as the central focus of the Agricultural Training Institute’s (ATI) approach during its recently concluded series of consultations and workshops, “Charting Directions Towards Results-Based Interventions: Technical Review and Planning Workshop for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Plans and Budget Proposals.” Held across various locations in the Philippines for the different clusters of the ATI network of training centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including the Central Office, these workshops aimed to craft innovative, relevant, and responsive programs and plans for the Institute.
Facilitated by the ATI's Policy and Planning Division, the workshops convened the center directors, division chiefs and units heads together with their designated planning officers to engage in data-driven planning processes. This was to ensure that proposed programs and activities were adequately justified, responsive to the clients needs, and consistent with the Department of Agriculture's (DA) overarching goals and strategic objectives.
Director Remelyn R. Recoter highlighted the importance of aligning the Institute's plans with the Agriculture Secretary’s strategic priorities, emphasizing programs that address critical challenges in the agriculture sector, particularly food security and economic viability by making agriculture more bankable and profitable. She further underscored the importance of considering past performance, budget allocations, and expenditures in the planning process.
Likewise, Assistant Director Antonieta J. Arceo highlighted the importance of adaptability, encouraging the Institute to explore innovative methods of agriculture extension service delivery and to anchor its training programs on the ATI Training Curriculum Framework.
The outputs from these workshops were systematically encoded in the Online Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation System to serve as basis for ATI's FY 2026 budget proposal, ensuring that the Institute's resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.
By prioritizing data-driven planning and fostering collaborative efforts, the Institute remains well-positioned to empower the agriculture and fisheries sector and contribute to the DA’s vision of Masaganang Agrikultura at Maunlad na Ekonomiya Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas.
The series of workshops was held from September to November 2024 in Baguio City for the Luzon cluster, Cebu City for the Visayas and Mindanao clusters, La Union for the Central Office, and Koronadal City for the harmonization workshop and inputting session.