380 Maguindanao farmers complete Agriculture department’s school-on-air course

Cotabato City (August 3, 2018) – A total of 380 farmers from 14 municipalities in Maguindanao have been confirmed as graduates of the School-on-the-Air (SOA) program of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF-ARMM).

The farmers successfully passed the course which comprises lectures on proper operation and maintenance of rice machineries and equipment. The SOA program aired 5:30-6:00 p.m. every Thursday from April 12 – July 5 on RMN dxMY.

The course is in support to ARMM’s rice mechanization program that aims at optimizing rice farm utilization and labor productivity; reduce labor, production, and postharvest operation cost; and allow easier and timely production and postharvest activities.

Alexander Alonto Jr., Secretary of DAF-ARMM, led the mass graduation ceremony on Wednesday, 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,” Alonto said.

“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,” he added.

The graduates are from the following municipalities: 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 helped him and the other graduates 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 has completed 14 SOA programs producing 6,117 graduates. Seven of these programs were completed under Sec. 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)