TESDA now accepts applications for integrated organic farming program
Published May 26, 2020 12:00 am
By Dhel Nazario
Applications for the newly-launched Integrated Organic Farming System Program (IOFSP) are now being accepted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) offices nationwide, the agency announced on Tuesday.
The mini-organic farm of Isabela School of Arts and Trades (ISAT) in Ilagan, Isabela is TESDA's model mini-organic farm.
(TESDA / MANILA BULLETIN) TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs), community farms, and farm schools will be utilized as organic farming training grounds in the country to ensure food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Family farms and other farm schools will be registered with at least four integrated farm subsystem programs, while TTIs will serve as the demonstration farm system of IOFSP. In order to be qualified, TTIs should have at least 500 square meters of lot, IOFS curriculum, site layout based on actual inspection of training facilities, tools, equipment, supplies, and materials, and list of qualified trainers. Farm schools with TESDA registered agri-fishery programs should submit to the nearest TESDA office the said requirements with a letter of intent, while other interested farm schools should also submit corporate documents. IOFSP targets farmer-beginners, farmers, out-of-school-youth, Overseas Filipino Workers, Indigenous People, rebel returnees, and other individuals who are interested to learn agri-fishery. Those who will qualoify will be trained for free. TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña has been continuously emphasizing the importance of food production and food sustainability during this time of crisis. "We want to continue helping our kababayan to have enough food in their homes especially now that we're facing this pandemic. We also want to increase the supply of nutritious food, not only in rural areas, but also in the cities. This will also help increase the income of our farmers," he said. Lapeña added that the agency has partnered with the Department of Agriculture to pursue intensified skills training to empower farmers and the marginalized sector. IOFSP also aims to integrate production systems such as dairy, poultry, livestock, fishery, horticulture, apiculture, sericulture, among others, with agriculture crop production as its base, increase farm resources-use efficiency, and maintain environmental quality and ecological stability.
The mini-organic farm of Isabela School of Arts and Trades (ISAT) in Ilagan, Isabela is TESDA's model mini-organic farm.(TESDA / MANILA BULLETIN) TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs), community farms, and farm schools will be utilized as organic farming training grounds in the country to ensure food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Family farms and other farm schools will be registered with at least four integrated farm subsystem programs, while TTIs will serve as the demonstration farm system of IOFSP. In order to be qualified, TTIs should have at least 500 square meters of lot, IOFS curriculum, site layout based on actual inspection of training facilities, tools, equipment, supplies, and materials, and list of qualified trainers. Farm schools with TESDA registered agri-fishery programs should submit to the nearest TESDA office the said requirements with a letter of intent, while other interested farm schools should also submit corporate documents. IOFSP targets farmer-beginners, farmers, out-of-school-youth, Overseas Filipino Workers, Indigenous People, rebel returnees, and other individuals who are interested to learn agri-fishery. Those who will qualoify will be trained for free. TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña has been continuously emphasizing the importance of food production and food sustainability during this time of crisis. "We want to continue helping our kababayan to have enough food in their homes especially now that we're facing this pandemic. We also want to increase the supply of nutritious food, not only in rural areas, but also in the cities. This will also help increase the income of our farmers," he said. Lapeña added that the agency has partnered with the Department of Agriculture to pursue intensified skills training to empower farmers and the marginalized sector. IOFSP also aims to integrate production systems such as dairy, poultry, livestock, fishery, horticulture, apiculture, sericulture, among others, with agriculture crop production as its base, increase farm resources-use efficiency, and maintain environmental quality and ecological stability.