Batac CyberCom places 2nd in nationwide search for OpAPA best practices

Written by Bethzaida

Thursday, 02 April 2009

QTLLZAI President Enrique Rigonan presents their cybercom's best practice during the 22nd National Rice R&D Conference in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija last February 19

The Batac Cyber Community in Ilocos Norte garnered second place in the nationwide search for best practices among the twelve pilot sites of the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA).

Mr. Enrique Rigonan, president of the Quiling Tengnga-Laud-Libtong Zanjera Association, Inc. (QTLLZAI) which manages the Batac CyberCom, presented its best practice during the 22nd National Rice R&D Conference at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija last February 19.

Late last year, each cyber community was asked to submit a documentation of its good practices for the short-listing of qualified cybercoms. The judges visited the site to verify and select the best practice of QTLLZAI. Among the five good practices submitted by the cybercom, the daily price bulletin was chosen for the competition.

The Batac CyberCom family pose outside the center

The price bulletin is a service provided not only to the farmers of QTLLZAI but likewise to extension workers, farmer leaders and other regular farmers in the Ilocos Region. Price monitors from the Bagsakan Market in Batac and the Balintawak Oriental Market in Metro Manila daily gather wholesalers’ prices of major vegetables grown in Ilocos. They send these price quotations to the Pinoy Farmers’ Text Center managed by OpAPA. Before the day ends, the bulletins are forwarded to subscribers. This information serves as the basis of the farmers in making marketing decisions of their produce.

Based on the testimonies of the subscribers, the service was very useful to them. The farmers became informed on the prevailing prices of their products. Before they go to the local market to sell their vegetables, they already had an idea on the expected price of their products. They were able to negotiate prices better with the traders since they already knew the prevailing price in Manila, the usual destination of their vegetables.

Mr. Rigonan receives a certificate of appreciation at the conference

The information was likewise important to the extension workers in planning and providing pieces of advice to their farmer constituents. Farmer leaders also shared the information to their fellow farmers. One farmer subscriber describes the price bulletin as the “best service of OpAPA”. The excellent feedback of the subscribers prompted OpAPA Batac to expand the service to other crops like corn, garlic and onion, also grown prevalently in Ilocos.

The formal awarding for the best practices of the OpAPA cybercoms will be held in Davao on the third week of April . The three cybercom winners will this time present their best practices to the Advisory Council of OpAPA.