Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

PHilMech, partners raise an army of farm mechanics
by Jerry James M. dela Torre (May 5, 2017)
Thirty trainees have recently finished a hands-on intensive training course on the operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of small farm engines and motorcycles on March 20-25, 2017 at the Phil-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT), Muñoz Science City, Nueva Ecija.

These trainees are mostly agricultural engineers of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), Muñoz Science City, Nueva Ecija who provide various technical frontline services nationwide.

This is the first of five batches of the Mekanikong Magsasaka (Farmer Mechanic) Program of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) in collaboration with PhilSCAT, Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors (AMMDA) and the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Prior to this batch, 86 farmer technicians from four batches in Luzon were similarly trained under the original program dubbed as Barrio Mechanic training program of PhilSCAT. This time, it was relaunched as Mekanikong Magsasaka with an expanded nationwide coverage.

The program aims to produce a pool of technically competent farm technicians who can readily attend to repair, maintenance and troubleshooting issues of small farm engines in remote areas such as those used for small scale irrigation, tractors, threshers, planters and the like.

Speaking from his experience as a practicing farmer, Director Arnel Ramir M. Apaga, head of the research and technical operations cluster of PHilMech as well as concurrent assistant director and chief of the Knowledge Management Division of PhilSCAT, he discussed the challenges of using second hand, single cylinder engines in mechanizing operations in many remote farms which do not have easy access to repair shops in town centers. Technicians from machinery manufacturers and distributors are currently lacking and not readily available for dispatch.

In this recent training, Super Trade Machineries Global, Inc., representing AMMDA, has provided the engines, tools, lectures and hands-on demonstration of the course.

At the end, TESDA- Nueva Ecija has conducted the practical assessment of the participants for technician level (NC-II) certification on the last day of the training.