Art By Joy D. Dagun
The future of our nation depends on our ability to produce food and fiber to sustain the world. ~ Phil Bredesen
There are more than 60 online courses available for Filipinos at the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute’s e-Learning platform. Wait, there’s more – these courses are FREE for everyone. Pretty sure many of us can use the extra knowledge about tending and developing sustainability when it comes to our food sources.
Although our movements and activities have been limited due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), there are still many ways one can remain productive. By learning new skills and gaining knowledge through online resources – we all can make good use of all this free time.
One of the skills you can learn is Farming – through the e-Learning for Agriculture and Fisheries of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), the ATI is the extension of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
This e-Learning program has actually been up and running since 2007, developed to be an alternative means to learn about farming for free. Now, with this current global and national pandemic crisis, it’s pushed the need to increase the production of food. E-Learning has boosted the DA’s nationwide promotion of ‘urban agriculture’ and ‘community farming’ under the “Plant, Plant, Plant” program.
READ: FREE eLibrary for learners brought to us by Globe and DepEd
Last April 18, DA Secretary William Dar said on national television that the goal of the “Plant, Plant, Plant” Program – is to increase the food sufficiency level of agricultural products such as rice, corn, fish, vegetables, and many others. He also added that one of the initiatives under the program is introducing urban agriculture in urban settings or in the city areas.
The Agricultural Training Institute’s e-Learning program currently has more than 60 free online courses, covering crops, livestock and poultry, fisheries, social technology, and sustainable agriculture.
Some of the courses are about Basic Urban Gardening, Good Agricultural Practices for Vegetable Production, and Production Technologies for Mushroom, Tomato, Banana, Citrus Fruits, and Yam, among many others. There are also courses on Basic Beekeeping, Goat-raising, and Quail production available on their online portal.
There are also courses on Product Costing, Marketing, Food Safety, and even Effective Human Communication and Community Organizing can be taken up – under the Social Technology category.
As well as practices on Sustainable Agriculture – such as the following: Production of Organic Fertilizers, Vermicompost, and Mokusaku (wood vinegar). These courses are also available for interested learners.
READ: FREE Online Courses offered by TESDA
Most of the courses can be completed within a day, but that depends on the individual. Once you complete a course, the e-Learner gets an electronic certificate – which one can download from the site.
According to ATI, the number of people who registered in the e-Learning site has increased significantly because of the enhanced community quarantine – from 87,200 to over 92,700 enrollees.
CROPS
LIVESTOCK
MARINE AND FISHERIES
SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
For those interested to take up the e-Learning courses, visit www.e-extension.gov.ph/elearning. Create an account and enroll in any chosen course/s.
If you have any questions and concerns, chat with the ATI e-Learning team through www.facebook.com/atiinteractive or send the Farmers’ Contact Center a text at 0920 946 2474.
We hope you make good use of this ECQ and take up a course or two. Increase your knowledge and skills, so when this is all over — you’d be ready to face the real world again. And this time, you’ll be more confident in chasing after your dreams and aspirations. Stay safe, everyone!
