A member of the LIBADATATAMA Irrigators Association shares insights from the Digital Farmers Program with fellow farmer associations, encouraging digital literacy and the adoption of technology to improve agricultural practices.
Farmers in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, are gaining access to digital technologies and agricultural learning resources through the FarmTech package provided by the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) Region 10 in partnership with PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc.
The initiative benefits members of the LIBADATATAMA Irrigators Association, which has nearly 900 members and close to 50 years of supporting the local farming community.
FarmTech is part of the Digital Farmers Program (DFP), a digital inclusion initiative led by DA-ATI with PLDT and Smart to help Filipino farmers adopt mobile technologies and improve access to agricultural information.
The package provides digital tools and agriculture-related learning resources that allow farmers to explore practical farming techniques, access relevant information, and use technology to support everyday farm operations.
Association members are already seeing the benefits of digital adoption. Angie Yañez, the association’s treasurer, has been using digital tools since 2022 and sharing her knowledge with fellow farmers.
Meanwhile, member Leahpen Saratao highlighted how smartphone applications make agricultural information more accessible, allowing farmers to learn about rice varieties, locate suppliers, and check crop details, including the number of days before harvest.
“FarmTech is a great help to us because it makes learning and applying farming practices easier. We no longer have to wait for someone to visit our farms to teach us. We can learn and apply these practices ourselves,” Saratao said.
Through the Digital Farmers Program, DA-ATI, PLDT, and Smart aim to strengthen digital literacy among farming communities and help farmers make more informed decisions that can improve productivity, market access, and household income.
The initiative also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on ending hunger (SDG 1), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9).
Farmers from the LIBADATATAMA Irrigators Association in Oroquieta City receive the FarmTech package under the Digital Farmers Program, a digital inclusion initiative of DA-ATI Region 10 in partnership with PLDT and Smart to promote digital literacy and technology adoption in farming communities.
