INFORMATION SERVICES

info services

 

To provide access to up-to-date information and knowledge on agriculture and fisheries, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) offers Information Services in the form of knowledge products and interventions in multi-media and digital format. In partnership with the different agencies from the government at the national and regional levels, as well as from the private sector, non-government organizations and academic institutions, a number of programs and services are implemented to expand the reach of agri-based knowledge and information. These are the AgriConnect program, AgriKids, AgriTalk, Digital Farmers Program, School-on-the-Air, and the Techno Gabay Program, Rice Crop Manager, among others.

The heart of Information Services, similarly, lies in the provision of electronic extension services particularly e-Learning courses on different agriculture and fisheries technologies, and the Farmers’ Contact Center, serving as the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) alternative helpdesk and/or customer support in accessing the e-Learning website. 

AgriConnect - anchored towards linking the youth to various facets of agriculture, may it be for content, career, or enterprise development. With three focus areas namely campaign and skills development, career orientation, and internship opportunities, the program seeks to promote agriculture among Filipino youth, particularly students in junior highschool, senior highschool, and college levels.

AgriKids – a collaborative undertaking of ATI and the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc., to increase agriculture literacy among primary students through the K-12 Program of the Department of Education. This seeks to improve student achievement by applying authentic, agricultural-based content as the context to teach core curriculum concepts in science, social studies, language arts, and nutrition.

AgriTalk - a joint effort of the ATI and the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation through their Agriculture Magazine. It is a free seminar intended to highlight opportunities in agribusiness by featuring experts and success stories in various agricultural fields.  The overall goal of the AgriTalk is to empower farmers and fishers by providing the latest farming technologies and value-adding trends in agriculture, as well as involve the public in the practice of food production through urban agriculture.

Digital Farmers Program – an information, communication, technology (ICT)-based capacity development program of the ATI and Smart Communications, Inc., which aims to help Filipino farmers access information online, improve efficiencies and skills using digital technologies, as well as expand and tap a wide network of market opportunities. This employs a three-course digital literacy sequence, covering basic digital tools such as smartphone and social media to more complex services such as e-commerce and online payment systems. 

The DFP is designed for smallholder farmers, learning site owners, members of farmers’ organizations and associations who are interested and willing to learn about basic digital tools and technologies. Likewise, the program is also for the students, young relatives of farmers, and members of youth organizations who are interested and willing to guide the farmers in using digital tools and technologies.

e-Extension Program for Agriculture and Fisheries 

  • e-Learning -  a form of distance education that includes online certificate courses and digital learning resources such as technology kits, video clips, and mini-tutorials available at the e-Learning Portal.
  • Farmers’ Contact Center - delivers farm and business advisory services to the farmers, fishers, extension workers and partners, through voice calls, texts, e-mails or even online chat and discussion forum. 

Rice Crop Manager - a computer and mobile phone based tools providing rice farmers with a personalized crop and nutrient management guideline. RCM uses results of research and existing knowledge to provide farmers in irrigated and rain-fed lowlands with ‘precise’ field- and farmer-specific recommendations.

School-on-the-Air Program - through our network of training centers, ATI offers distance learning programs through radio on the complete package of agriculture and fisheries technology for farmers. It facilitates the massive training of farmers nationwide on the latest developments in agriculture, especially about the production of rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and poultry, as well as organic farming.

The program aims to address the information and educational needs primarily of farmers and fishers in the country, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. Students, agricultural extension workers (AEWs), and other stakeholders are also targeted as the secondary audience of the program.

Techno Gabay Program -  a program for developing, testing, and promoting technology transfer and dissemination modalities through research and development (R&D) agencies, local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations, Magsasaka Siyentista (MS), and other extension service providers. At the LGU level, in particular, the TGP is utilized as a modality for extension service delivery. 

The TGP has four interrelated modalities, as follows:

  • The Farmers’ Information and Technology Services Center or the FITS Center is a one-stop service facility made accessible to farmers, fishers, entrepreneurs, and other clients in a given area. It provides fast access to information and technologies in forms appropriate to the clients’ needs.
  • The Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) is an outstanding farmer recognized for his/her use of science- and technology-based, and indigenous technologies. Assigned to provide technical assistance to the clients of the FITS Centers, the MS serves as a vital link in technologies developed in laboratories and ultimate adoption in farmers’ fields.
  • The FITS Centers feature information, education, and communication (IECs) support that involve research- and need-based communication processes aimed to hasten the adoption of technologies by their clients.
  • The information and communications technology (ICT) services involve the use of a diverse set of technological tools and resources to create, store, communicate, disseminate, and manage information.