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Farmers from the LIBADATATAMA Irrigators Association in Oroquieta City receive the FarmTech package under the Digital Farmers Program, a partnership of DA-ATI Region 10, PLDT, and Smart.
For farmers in Oroquieta City, learning new agricultural techniques no longer has to mean waiting for someone to visit their fields.
Through FarmTech, farmers can now access digital tools and agricultural information to help them improve their farming practices and make more informed decisions about their livelihoods.
The initiative is part of the Digital Farmers Program (DFP), a partnership between the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), PLDT, and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart).
DA-ATI Region 10 recently turned over a FarmTech package to the LIBADATATAMA Irrigators Association, which has nearly 900 members and has served the local farming community for almost 50 years.
Learning beyond the fields
For Angie Yañez, treasurer of the association, technology has become an important tool for sharing knowledge with fellow farmers.
Since she started using digital tools in 2022, Yañez has been passing on what she learns to other members of the farming community, helping them understand how technology can support their daily work.
Meanwhile, fellow farmer Leahpen Saratao highlighted how smartphone applications make agricultural information easier to access.
With these applications, farmers can learn about different rice varieties, locate suppliers, and check crop information, 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 shared.
Bringing digital learning closer to farmers
The FarmTech package provides digital tools and agriculture-related learning resources that allow farmers to explore practical techniques and discover solutions they can apply to their everyday activities.
For LIBADATATAMA, the initiative also creates opportunities to strengthen knowledge-sharing among its members, building on the association's nearly five decades of serving local farmers.
Through the program, DA-ATI Region 10, PLDT, and Smart aim to strengthen digital literacy in farming communities and help farmers make better-informed agricultural decisions.
Supporting rural livelihoods through technology
The Digital Farmers Program also supports broader efforts to improve agricultural productivity, market access, and household income through mobile and digital technologies.
According to PLDT and Smart, the initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 on No Poverty, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
By expanding access to digital learning resources, the program seeks to equip more Filipino farmers with skills and information that can support their livelihoods.
