DA, Dole to scale up farmer-mechanics
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) had forged a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to upgrade competencies of farmer-mechanics.
Under the Mag-uumang Mekaniko (farmermechanic) Program, both agencies partnered to create a pool of farmer-mechanics in remote farming villages in Davao region.
"This (partnership) will address the insufficient and inaccessible aftersales services through training farmer-beneficiaries in repair and maintenance of the farm machinery and equipment turned over to their associations or cooperatives," said DA 11 Regional Director Ricardo Oñate, Jr.
Oñate said the program also aims to provide livelihood support to farmers that might be displaced with mechanization.
The MOA covers ladderized and competencybased training for would be farmer-mechanic in identified towns or villages in the region that will be certified by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), an attached agency under DA will develop the training module.
Graduates of certified Tesda training will be encouraged to undergo onthe-job training to their nearest repair shops to continuously hone their skills. The PhilMech and DA regional office will monitor and evaluate for them to be accredited aftersales agents of dealers and suppliers of agricultural machinery.
"The Dole through its Kabuhayan Program will provide starter kit that will not only improve their services but also enable them to establish their own village-level repair shop," said Dole Regional Director Raymund Agra-
vante. Meanwhile, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang lauded the initiative of both agencies especially that their province is now rethinking of approaches in governance concerning agriculture.
"Our direction is towards mechanization of the farming systems, putting premium on postharvest and value-adding and upscaling of science in our methodologies so that we can sustain production and even make it at par with if not better than our ASEAN neighbors," Dayanghirang said. Noel T. Provido, DA 11