An extension specialist from the Rural Development Administration (RDA), South Korea is impressed with PCARRD’s all out efforts to reach the grassroots through the establishment of the Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) centers nationwide.

Mr. Young-Bok Kim gathered some insights on the Council’s Techno Gabay Program, particularly in Talavera, Cabanatuan City, Palayan City in Nueva Ecija and in Zambales, during his two-week study visit to selected FITS centers in these areas and in the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute. He was also able to observe some of the Council’s science and technology-based farms.

The visit is part of the Council’s technology promotion and commercialization program, which was coordinated by its Technology Outreach and Promotion Division (TOPD) from September 11 to 21. Kim was also able to attend in the Regional Consortia-Partner Member Agency (PMA) Consultation and Planning Workshop on Techno Gabay Program held at the Splash Mountain Resort, Los Banos, Laguna.

This is not Kim’s first trip to the FITS centers. Earlier in August, he visited the FITS center in La Trinidad, Benguet. The additional visits to the centers in Region 3 exposed him more to the Philippine agricultural extension system and more importantly, on how PCARRD’s FITS blend into the total framework of technology transfer and extension system of the country.

His meetings with the different FITS managers and Magsasaka-Syientistas (MS) enabled him to fully understand PCARRD’s technology and promotion modalities being implemented at the consortium, regional, provincial, and municipal levels.

With this exposure, Kim forwarded his recommendations to TOPD on improving and strengthening PCARRD’s technology and promotion activities. In particular, he believes that the MS is a very important human resource in delivering technologies and extension services and their numbers should be increased as far as the budget can permit because they will provide more model farms to other farmers. (Lilia G. Bayabos and Mercedita P. Sisteberio, S&T Media Service)