Cauayan farmers enter digital arena

By Leander Domingo

CAUAYAN, Isabela -- Farmers here are set to go digital through a collaboration between Smart Communications Inc. and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) of the Dept. of Agriculture (DA).

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also executed on September 28 between PLDT Inc., Smart, the local government unit of Cauayan City and Isabela State University (ISU) for the Digital Farmers Project (DFP).

Agriculture Secretary William Dar delivered a message through Narciso Edillo, DA-Cagayan Valley (Region 2) executive director, saying the DA is committed to empowering smallholder farmers through a ladderized education approach.

Dar said the DFP engages both smallholder farmers and the youth to capacitate them with digital literacy to be more receptive to new farming techniques and emerging technologies. He added that through the project, farmers will be able to catch up and never get left behind in technological advancements, boosting their productivity and marketability.

Dar also congratulated Cauayan City for being the first to be declared as a “Smart City” in the country.

Acknowledging PLDT and Smart, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), DA, ISU and other partners for making Cauayan a Smart City, Mayor Bernard Faustino Dy said that “[a]s a smart city, it is now easier for our constituents to avail [of] services from the government.”

Dy said the program will help promote user-friendly transactions across sectors of the economy, especially the agriculture sector.

Edillo explained the MoU will provide for the installation of long-term evolution (LTE) and fiber internet connection in the entire city by the end of this year. He said this will be installed by PLDT and Smart.
ISU President Ricmar Aquino said the university is more than willing to embrace the initiative not only for its students and staff but for the community as well.

For PLDT-Smart, Alexander Caeg, senior vice president and consumer sales chief, said the company assures all-out support by making Cauayan City smarter by a 100-percent fiber connection up to the end of this year for all its villages.