Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
(044) 4560-213, od@philmech.gov.ph

NEWS STORIES

PHilMech provides information dissemination program to General Nakar, Quezon
by Vanessa D. Pallar (September 26, 2023)
The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) delivered information dissemination program to Umiray Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (UMARBEMPCO), including Radyo Eskwela: Angat Ani sa Tamang Makinarya Season 2 Graduation and Awarding Ceremony and talakayan session. Also, a distribution of materials to Farmers' Information and Technology Services (FITS) kiosk on September 20, 2023, at Umiray, General Nakar, Quezon.

UMARBEMPCO has one of the highest numbers of Radyo Eskwela graduates in season 2 of the program, with 101 farmer graduates. PHilMech organized graduation and awarding ceremony to recognize the cooperative's active participation.

"Ako'y lubos na nagpapasalamat sa PHilMech sa tuluy-tuloy na programang ito (Radyo Eskwela) (I am very grateful to PHilMech for this continuous program). Sana [ang] inyong (farmer graduates) napakinggan sa radyo ukol sa tamang paggamit ng mga makinarya at wastong pagsasaka ay [inyong] isagawa sa [inyong] mga palayan, para tuluyang makuha [ninyo] [ang] masaganang ani (I hope that what you have heard on the radio about the proper use of machinery and the right farming practices is what you will apply to your farm to achieve a bounty harvest)," shared by Aquilino R. Junio, general manager of UMARBEMPCO in his welcome remarks at the program.

Diego C. Suaverdez, Executive Assistant V of the local government of General Nakar, Quezon, stated in his message, "may mga ahensya ng gobyerno [na] tinutuunan ng pansin upang kayo (farmers) ay maayudahan, mapagaan man lamang ang bahagi ng [inyong] pagsasaka (There are government agencies that prioritize farmers to enhance their farming practices)."

Suaverdez added that the graduates apply what they have learned from the program to their daily farming activities.

PHilMech awarded UMARBEMPCO with transistor radios as special tokens to the top three graduates.

On the same day, the agency gave the cooperative a talakayan session to discuss roles and responsibilities of the farmers' cooperative and associations (FCAs) in the machinery they receive under the RCEF Mechanization Program, emphasizing the strategies the cooperative will employ for machinery sustainability.

To extend information dissemination services to General Nakar, Quezon, packages of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials were given to Radyo Eskwela graduates and FITS kiosk.

An open forum was held to discuss the concerns and queries of the attendees.