Rice agricultural extension workers (RAEWs) of Isabela and Quirino were among the recent beneficiaries of the texting service of the Open Academy after registering themselves in the Pinoy Farmers’ Text Center (09209111398).

“It is very easy to register. Hence, we can also easily convince farmers and those involved in rice production to avail themselves of this service,” said Manuel Tomas, an agricultural technologist of Diffun, Quirino.

The RAEWs were convinced to register in the Pinoy Farmers’ Text Center after hearing the presentation of Mr. Democrito B. Rebong II, Network Management, Connectivity and Database Coordinator of OpAPA-PhilRice Isabela. Mr. Rebong informed the RAEWs about the Pinoy Farmers’ Text Center during the Rice S&T Update and Distribution of Extension Kits at PhilRice Isabela Branch Station, San Mateo, Isabela and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Cabarroguis, Quirino on November 15 and 16, 2007, respectively.

“We encouraged the extension workers to avail themselves of the rice tips and have our experts help them in answering farmers’ questions on rice production technologies,” Rebong said.

All of the RAEWs of Quirino and half of the RAEWs of Isabela registered themselves to the Pinoy Farmers’ Text Center.

The Pinoy Farmers’ Text Center has received 8,754 text messages from January to October this year, with an average of 875 text messages per month.

Eighteen members and employees of Cruzian MPC (Pampanga Cybercom) participated in a two-day OpAPA sponsored ICT training at PAC on September 21-22, 2007. An agricultural technologist from LGU-Magalang also attended the training. Participants' age ranged from 30 to over 70 years old.

PAC President Honorio M. Soriano shook hands with the farmers as a gesture of his warm and personal acceptance, and he also encouraged them to work harder and learn new skills from the training. He admonished the trainees to make a commitment to the cause of OpAPA, PAC, LGU and the Cruzian MPC and strive for positive results.

Mr. Antonio Guina, chair of the co-op, also registered as a trainee and encouraged his co-farmers to support OpAPA for efficient dissemination of information between experts and farmers of the cooperative.

Likewise, in the absence of the MAO, Mrs. Milagros S. Felix, an agricultural extension worker, was among the participants and at the same time represented their office. In her welcome address, she recognized the willingness of the co-op farmers to learn new skills like ICT despite their age and background.

Dr. Vir Gonzales introduced the participants and emphasized the importance of the computer and the internet as an alternative but effective and efficient tool in extension and technology dissemination. He told them not to be intimidated by electronic media such as the computer because it is a handy tool similar to the cellphone.

After the opening program, Ms. Rizza Baltazar presented the training overview and the topic, Introduction to the Computer. After lunch break, Ms. Romana Bondoc discussed the basic computer concept, both lecture and hands-on, till 5 in the afternoon. Lecture and hands-on were taught by Mr. Levy Reyes the whole morning on the following day. In the afternoon, Ms. Queenie Pineda and Ms. Baltazar introduced the Pinoy Farmers Internet (OpAPA website) and the Rice Knowledge Bank (RKB). Prior to distribution of certificates by President Soriano, a post evaluation questionnaire regarding the participants' knowledge on the use of computer and internet, was administered including a set of other questions prepared by Ms. Pineda.

During the whole training period, the farmer-trainees showed sustained enthusiasm and willingness to become proficient on the use of computer and the internet.

Dati, ako ay nakakarating lamang sa mga karatig bayan, pero ngayon, kahit buong mundo ay malilibot ko na sapagkat natuto na akong mag-internet (Before, I can only go to nearby places, but now I can travel around the world because I know how to use the internet)”. This was how Mr. Nemesio M. Garon summarized his learning experience in the training titled Special Course on Information Communications Technology (ICT) for Laguna Cyber Community. The training was held on August 27-28, 2007 at Los Baños, Laguna.

A whole new experience

A total of 16 farmers and three agricultural technicians from Laguna attended the training. When Ms. Imelda DG. Olvida, a PhilRice staffer and one of the resource persons asked if the participants knew how to use the computer, more than half of them admitted that they had zero knowledge about it.

Thus, when the participants got to the hands-on training, they were excited and at the same time nervous to operate the computer for the first time.

Maria Remedios Villador, a technician from the Office of the Provincial Agriculture-Laguna, said that she was really thankful and happy with this ICT training because it gave the farmers an opportunity to learn how to use the computer and the internet. “Dahil sa training na ito, hindi na mahuhuli ang mga magsasaka sa mga bagong technolohiya tulad ng computer. (Because of this training, the farmers will not be left behind with new technologies like the computer).”

A Little Challenge

Since it was the first time for most of the participants to use the computer, the practical training started with Ms. Maria Angela A. Malihan, another resource person, showing the participants how to open a computer. According to Mr. Richard D. Romanillos, another resource person, it was quite challenging to teach the participants because most of them have no knowledge on using the computer and the internet. He also observed that some of the participants had a hard time in learning how to use the mouse and keyboard.

At the end of the the two-day ICT training, the participants learned to encode and save their files in MS Word and MS Excel, surf the internet, create their own e-mail account, send e-mail messages, and attach files to their e-mail messages.