2^nd Business Meeting and e-Pinoy FARMS Scoping Session and Hands-on Training for Luzon Cluster

4^th Floor RDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave. cor. Elliptical Rd., Diliman, QC
11 June 2008

Text and Photos by Christmas B. de Guzman

Members of the Luzon Zonal Research Center for Agriculture (ZRCA) gather at the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) for the 2nd Business Meeting and e-Pinoy Farm Resource Management System (e-Pinoy FARMS) scoping session and hands-on training for the Luzon Cluster. Participants include the Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Center (RIARC) managers and key officials from Luzon (Region 1, Region II, Region III, Region IVA, Region IVB, Region V and CAR).

Mr. Tito Z. Arevalo, head of the Research Coordination Division (RCD) of BAR, sits between Ms. Aurora F. Pecson, head of the Products, Resources and Systems Section (PRSS) of RCD and coordinator for Region IVB and Dir. Edgar R. Madrid of Region V, who takes post as ZRCA chair in behalf of Dir. Lucrecio R. Alviar, Jr.

Dr. Carmencita V. Kagaoan, head of the Project Development Division (PDD), presents the status of the Zonal R&D proposals.

Ms. Apolonia A. Mendoza, RCD coordinator for CAR, discusses the updates on the Site Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM) project. SSNM is the dynamic approach of applying fertilizer specifically containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), with the amount of each adjusted according to the location- and season-specific needs of the crop. It aims to increase the profit of farmers through higher yield and reduced disease and insect damage.

Dr. Apolonio C. Ocampo, SSNM project leader, explains the appropriateness of incorporating statistics because according to him, what might not be statistically significant to researchers might already be of great value to farmers in terms of additional yield.

In the afternoon, a scoping session on e-Pinoy FARMS was held. This is to arrive at consensus on the details of utilization and application of the e-Pinoy FARMS for CPAR and to make easy the subsequent hands-on training for data encoders and process documenters representing the regions (Luzon Cluster). Dr. Marlowe U. Aquino, head of the Management Information Systems Division (MISD) discusses making agriculture business. He emphasizes CPAR and NTCP as the banner programs of BAR.

Optiserve Technologies, Inc. CEO Cheryl Marie Natividad explains the e-Pinoy FARMS platform or the operating framework for CPAR Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and performance indicators.

Mr. Rolando V Labios, coordinator for research of RCD, shares his experiences with CPAR and his insights in integrating e-Pinoy FARMS with CPAR implementation.

Participants of the hands-on training are assisted by RCD, particularly by the regional coordinators. The e-Pinoy FARMS was launched operationally and introduced to the assigned encoders and process documenters in each region.