KASC FARMERS’ CENTER BEST IN CAR By Marciano Paroy Jr.
La Trinidad, Benguet – The Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) Center of the Kalinga-Apayao State College regained its title as the Best FITS Center in CAR – a search which was undertaken by the Highland Agricultural Resources Research and Development Consortium (HARRDEC) among member agencies in the region. Prior to the announcement made last August 17 during the 2007 Regional Research, Development and Extension Symposium and Farmers’ Forum at the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Benguet State University, HARRDEC evaluators went around the region to find out which FITS Center maintains the best delivery of beneficial know-how to farmers and small and medium scale entrepreneurs. Apparently, the FITS Center of KASC scored well in its well-documented efforts to sustain a continuous interchange and coordination with farmers and entrepreneurs within the province. With its regular conduct of trainings and seminars on farming innovations and better livelihood practices, KASC-FITS emerged as a center which looks outward the walls of KASC. The FITS Center regularly conducts Techno-Clinic, Information-Education-Communication (IEC) campaigns (through the various forms of communication media), trainings, product development, research, and the maintenance of a website where farmers, entrepreneurs, and experts within Kalinga are registered so that they may share information with fellows. “I am so happy that all of our efforts for the past year has been scrutinized objectively and given due recognition by the Consortium,” Dr. Jovita Saguibo, FITS Manager, said. It would be remembered that the Center already got such accolade in 2003, only in its first year of establishment, during the time of Dr. Venus Lammawin as President, who immediately nodded yes about the opportunity of housing a FITS Center for Kalinga inside the academe. Current State College President Eduardo Bagtang sustains that commitment, and as a direct result of his support to the Center, the school has reclaimed the award. HARRDEC does not conduct the search yearly but lets a number of years pass by before doing the rounds of stringent evaluation. The final rounds were held last August 9 when the last set of evaluators came and looked into the files, again, of the Center, and interviewed the people with direct involvement with the Center: Marciano Paroy Jr. Applied Communications and Information Services Specialist), Perfelia Buen (Management Information System Specialist), Engr. Manuel Bilagot (in his capacity as an expert who shares knowledge with farmer clients), Dr. Amado Imper (as the Vice President for Planning, Research and Extension), Dr. Maximo
Garming (as the Director for Extension), and Dr. Jovita Saguibo (as the FITS Manager and the Research Director). Dr. Darlene Tagarino, one of the earlier evaluators last semester, said after the awarding last August 17 that, “The FITS Center in KASC owes its strength from the people who are so dynamic in the performance of their tasks.” To which Dr. Saguibo replied, “That is because my President (Dr. Bagtang) has given me the freedom to put in these positions the people whom I know I can rely on.” Member agencies that competed for the award does not only include State Colleges and Universities in the Cordillera but also include FITS Centers managed by Local Government Units (like the FITS Center of the Provincial Government of Mountain Province, the FITS Center of Ifugao Province) and line agencies (like the FITS Center of the Bureau of Plant Industry in Baguio City). The award came with an accompanying cash prize. “But the recognition itself far outweighs the monetary compensation,” Mrs. Perfelia Buen said.
The FITS Center is found in the Bulanao Campus of KASC.
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