MORE than 50,000 rice farmers and their dependents nationwide finished various agriculture-related training programs under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) Rice Extension Services Program (RESP) last year.
TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz said that a total of 53,221 rice farmers and their dependents benefited from the agency’s programs and initiatives under the RESP.
Region VIII produced the greatest number, with 6,056 graduates in 2022. It was followed by Regions III and VI with 5,263 and 4,797 graduates respectively.
TESDA trains rice farmers in line with the implementation of Republic Act 11203, or the Rice Liberalization Act. The implementing guidelines were issued in September 2019 on RESP activities to be carried out by the Agency through its regional and provincial offices.
DG Cruz said that TESDA has prioritized its agriculture courses as the Agency believes that upskilling the country’s farmworkers will help the country achieve food security and independence.
The agriculture sector is one of the top priorities of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s administration, which has committed to boosting local production of farm products and limiting the importation of goods.
“We’ve always prioritized the agriculture sector in our scholarship programs. We’ll continue to work with other government and private entities for strengthening the sector and for the provision of skills training and livelihood opportunities for our rice farmers,” the TESDA chief said.
Meanwhile, according to TESDA spokesperson Deputy Director General Aniceto D. Bertiz III, the agency is offering various courses under the RESP.
These are Farm Field School on Production of High-Quality Inbred Rice and Seed Certification and Farm Mechanization, Rice Machinery Operations, Drying and Milling Plant Servicing NC III, Agro-entrepreneurship NC II, Pest and Nutrients Management, and Digital Agriculture Course in the Farm Field School (FFS).
“I encourage rice farmers and their dependents, as well as all Filipinos engaged in the agriculture sector, to avail of our agriculture-related training courses, especially on modern rice farming,” he said.
Previously, in 2020 and 2021, TESDA trained a total of 64,421 rice farmers nationwide.
