CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–Underscoring its 35th founding anniversary with the theme, “Innovating OneDA Agricultural Extension Strategies Beyond New Normal,” the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) held a simultaneous celebration at the ATI Central Office in Quezon City and its 16 network of training centers all over the country.
The OneDA holistic approach to agriculture and fisheries transformation, is a series of strategies and cross-cutting action plans involving measures to aid farmers and fishers through provision of various assistance and implementation of various programs, activities, and projects.
The said strategies aimed to drive the agriculture and fishery sector of the country towards inclusive growth, and foster an accelerated transformation of the sector into a modern and industrialized one.
Through its network of training centers and private extension partners, the institute remains at the forefront in the professionalization of the agriculture and fishery sector.
This is particularly in strengthening the agriculture career system, education and training on agribusiness management, and youth and women empowerment.
In his anniversary message during the opening program, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar stressed the new role of the institute as “capacity builders” instead of simply being referred to as the “extension and training arm” of the Department of Agriculture.
In 2021, the ATI network was able to come up with innovative ways of empowering partners in extension to help Filipino farmers and fishers recover despite the setbacks in the sector in recent years.
Moreover, thousands of farmers, agri-enthusiasts, and even the general public continued to learn and improve their knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship and farm business management through virtual and blended training programs.
Up-to-date strategies in capacity development with the use of modern information and communications technology were also utilized.
For ATI-Regional Training Center (RTC)-10, the celebration transpired, January 25-28, 2022 at the ATI compound, in Poblacion, El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental.
At the center level, ATI-10 celebrated the founding anniversary with the ATI family across the country, through a virtual gathering and awarding ceremony. Highlights include the recognition of exemplary centers as well as loyalty awardees.
The loyalty awardees of ATI-10 include Administrative Officer IV Efren C. Macario and Training Specialist III Teodosia D. Jaraba for 30 years of service and Information Officer II Maria Eloisa A. Akut for 35 years of service.
Regional Training Center Director Maria Lydia Echavez underscored the center’s deliverables of quality training and extension services to produce competent Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs), empower the farmers, engage the youth of today in agriculture, and establish more learning site partners in the region.
“There is no pandemic stronger than the hands (or hearts) that work together,” Echavez said to the center’s farm site and farmer partners.
ATI-10 also awarded financial assistance to the Learning Site for Agriculture (LSAs). The center’s various learning site partners’ financial assistance was based on proposals they have submitted for the improvement of their farm and their services.
ATI marked its 35th founding anniversary since it was established after merging with the then Bureau of Agricultural Extension, the Philippine Agricultural Training Council and the Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development through the Executive Order no. 116. (ATI-10/PIA-10)
Photo release:
The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI)-10 celebrates its 35th founding anniversary with the ATI family across the country, through a virtual gathering and awarding ceremony. Highlights include the recognition of exemplary centers as well as loyalty awardees. (ATI-10)
