CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) yesterday disclosed that 6,973 rice farmers and their family members from Central Luzon finished their training courses conducted by the agency in 2023.
The Tesda said that the graduates from Central Luzon were among the 56,654 rice farmers and their dependents completed various agriculture and agriculture-related courses.
The training is offered by the agency under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP) scholarship program.
Central Luzon had the greatest number of graduates, followed by Region X and Region II with 5, 247 and 4,810 graduates, respectively.
Tesda trains rice farmers as part of its implementation of Republic Act 11203, or the Rice Liberalization Act.
The implementing guidelines were issued in September 2019 on RCEF-RESP activities to be carried out by the Agency through its regional and provincial offices.
The RCEF-RESP initiative has played a pivotal role in equipping the Filipino farmers with essential skills, ranging from modern farming techniques to agribusiness management.
The Tesda courses under RCEF-RESP include Farm Field School on Production of High-Quality Inbred Rice and Seed Certification and Farm Mechanization, Rice Machinery Operations, Drying and Milling Plant Servicing NC III, Agro-entrepreneurship NC II, Pest and Nutrients Management, and Digital Agriculture Course in the Farm Field School, among others.