ATI starts swine production radio program in Mt Province

BONTOC, Mountain Province-- The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) – Cordillera Administrative Region(CAR) in partnership with the Provincial Veterinary Office and Radyo Natin here launched its program school-on-the-air on swine production for stakeholders of the province.

ATI-CAR SOA focal person Maximino Aromin, Jr. said the program commenced recently over Radyo Natin, Bontoc 100.9 FM 6 – 6:30 p.m. Some 300 persons from the municipalities of Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Sabangan, Sadanga and Sagada enrolled in the program.

The radio program every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday  is anchored by Faith Pec-ao and Dr. Josephine Dao-wan of the Provincial Veterinary Office.

It will have 28 episodes for the whole duration of the SOA program which runs about three months.

Pec-ao said since only participants of this municipality can monitor the live discussion, topics to be discussed for the week shall be recorded, saved in  USB and to be distributed to the SOA focal coordinators of the different municipalities.

Participants shall set a schedule wherein all of them are present to play and to listen to the recorded lectures.

After three months, participants will be given training completion certificate. 

ATI also gives awards and incentives to topnotchers per municipality and topnotchers province wide based on the result of their pre test, post test, quizzes and completeness of their notebook.

ATI – CAR assistant regional director Myrna Santa Maria said that the SOA  on swine production is the very first SOA on livestock that the ATI implements in the province.

“I think it is very  timely that we implement this SOA on swine production. If you have heard of the news about the ban on the importation of pork meat from other countries, I think this program is very timely so that we will produce our own meat safe and safe for family members to consume,” Santa Maria said.

The school-on-the-air is an extension modality being used by ATI in disseminating information and technology to its stakeholders particularly the farmers. It is an effective tool in disseminating technology and information because of its wide coverage. With a very limited budget, participants in the SOA need not travel to attend a classroom type lecture. Participants while listening  through the radio can also do other household chores like cooking and washing of clothes, Aromin explained.

“The problem we encounter in the implementation of the program is the radio since most of the populace are no longer using radio. To address this problem, the ATI provided two radios per municipality to be used by the participants in monitoring  the topics to be discussed during the SOA,” Aromin added. -- PIA Mt. Province