The Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (RAFIS) of the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office – Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO-CAR) successfully launched the School-on-Air (SoA) on Corn Good Agricultural Practices at Bulanao Elementary School in Tabuk City, Kalinga.
“SoA is a university without walls,” stressed DA-RFO-CAR OIC-Regional Executive Director Lorenzo Caranguian. He also said that SoA is a good program because farmers can work in their farms while tuned to the radio so he encourages everyone to enroll in this program.
Corn farmers from the different municipalities of Kalinga can now learn GAP on corn through the radio. The three-month program will be aired through the DZRK Radyo Pilipinas – Kalinga from August to November.
The module is divided in eight lessons to be discussed in three months over DZRK Radyo Pilipinas – Kalinga. It will be aired Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The farmers are enrolled and their learning levels are assessed via pre- and post-diagnostic tests and quizzes. Farmer enrollees who satisfactorily complete all the requirements will graduate and will be given certificates for future purposes.
The objective of the SoA is to increase the production of corn in Kalinga and will serve as a stepping stone for farmers to apply Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in their farms said Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Juliana Aclam. It is not enough that the production area increased as there is also a need to increase the quantity and quality of corn production, she added.
OIC-RED Caranguian headed the unveiling of course kits during the SoA launching ceremonies. He was assisted by Assistant Corn Coordinator Gerardo Banawa of DA-RFO-CAR, APCO Alpha Lumetic of Kalinga, Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Juliana Aclam of Kalinga and Ms. Jaila Sagpa-ey from ATI-CAR. The course kits will be distributed by the Municipal Agriculture Technicians to the farmer enrollees.
The launching was in coordination with the Corn Program of DA-RFO-CAR, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) – CAR, the Provincial Local Government Unit of Kalinga and DZRK Radyo Pilipinas – Kalinga. It was attended by 200 corn farmers and stakeholders.
A symbolic commitment signing was also done during the program to signify the commitment of every stakeholder in the undertaking and achieving of goals and purposes of the School-on-Air to ensure its proper implementation.** Karen T. Gawigawen