News

BAR prepares an e-Learning course on seaweed farming for profitable livelihood
by Ma. Eloisa E. Hernandez

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) has prepared an online course on “Seaweed Farming: A Profitable Livelihood for Coastal Communities” under the e-Learning Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA). This serves as an additional program to other existing offered courses on goat, banana, corn, citrus, durian, and others.

Seaweed farming is considered as the most productive form of livelihood in coastal communities, benefitting about half a million of the country's population. The Philippines ranks as the third in the world market in seaweed export.

The e-Learning module provides additional knowledge on improved seaweed farming of Eucheuma sp. or Kappaphycus sp. This includes site selection, preparation, transport, and care and maintenance of seedlings, harvesting, postharvest handling, drying, packing, and storing of seaweed.

The e-Learning program is one of the components of the e-Extension services of the agriculture/fisheries (A/F) sectors.

As per Department Order No. 03 series of 2007, the DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) was designated as the lead agency for the provision of e-Extension services in collaboration with other agencies, bureaus, and organizational units under the Department.

e-Extension envisions to establish a network of institutions providing efficient and effective e-Extension services for A/F to attain a modernized agriculture and fisheries where farmers and other stakeholders have enhanced productivity, profitability, and are competitive in the global market.

Other components of e-Extension are e-Farming and e-Trading which provide online and blended courses on A/F technologies and offer digital online courses purposely designed for agricultural extension workers, farmers, and fisheries in the country.

e-Learning serves is an offshoot of ATI's commitment under the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OPAPA). Courses in the e-Learning integrate field activities and face-to-face interaction between learners and experts. They were developed in collaboration with BAR, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), National Dairy Authority (NDA), and other regional centers of government agencies.

Representing BAR in this endeavor are Ms. Julia Lapitan, assistant head of MISD; Ms. Apolonia Mendoza, research coordinator of RCD; and Ms. Rueth Cabral, programmer of MISD.