COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF-ARMM) said some 380 farmers from 14 towns in Maguindanao province completed a course from the School-on-the-Air (SOA) program.
The farmers, it said, successfully passed the course which comprised lectures on proper operation and maintenance of rice machineries and equipment. The SOA program was aired 5:30-6:00 p.m. every Thursday from April 12 – July 5 on radio station RMN- dxMY.
The course was in support to ARMM’s rice mechanization program aimed at optimizing rice farm utilization and labor productivity; reduce labor, production, and postharvest operation cost; and allow easier and timely production and postharvest activities, according to Alexander Alonto Jr., Secretary of DAF-ARMM, who led the mass graduation ceremony on August 1 at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex here.
“Layunin ng SOA ngayon na ipaunawa sa atin ang kahalagahan ng paggamit ng mga makinarya sa ating mga sakahan. Ang paggamit ng mga makinarya ay mahalaga upang mapabilis at mapagaan ang mga trabaho sa bukid, at nang mabawasan ang mga losses ng mga farmers sa kanilang pagsasaka,” Alonto said.
The graduates were from the towns of Ampatuan, Barira, Datu Hoffer, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Piang, Datu Unsay Ampatuan, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Northern Kabuntalan, Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Aguak, Talayan; and Upi.
Salik Warao, one of the graduates from Sultan Kudarat, said the program greatly helped him and the others increase their knowledge on rice farming, “Malaki ang naidagdag nitong kaalaman sa amin tungkol sa pagsasaka. Nagpapasalamat kami sa programang ito dahil natutunan namin kung paano gamitin ang mga makinaryang ito,” Warao said. “Kahit na wala pa kaming mga makinarya sa ngayon, kung sakaling magkaroon kami nito, ang mahalaga ay marunong na kaming mag-operate ng mga ito,” he added.
Since 2011, DAF-ARMM completed 14 SOA programs producing 6,117 graduates. Seven of these programs were completed under Alonto’s term. As of now, 400 farmers are undertaking a SOA program covering lectures on soybean production, utilization, and marketing. (Bureau of Public Information)
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