SEARCA, DA-BAR conclude 2nd F2F Session of IKM Mentorship Program

By Marie Antoinette F. Bangabang FANSSEA News

Twelve information officers from different DA-RFOs attended the 2nd F2F Session under the IKM project held in Sol Y Viento Resort and Hotel in Calamba City, Laguna. The activity was led by Assistant Professor Elaine DC. Llarena, Project Leader (front, fifth from left). Ms. Julia A. Lapitan, DA-BAR Head for Applied Communication (front, sixth from left), and Dr. Lope B. Santos III, SEARCA Unit Head for Project Development and Technical Services, also graced the event.Twelve information officers from different DA-RFOs attended the 2nd F2F Session under the IKM project held in Sol Y Viento Resort and Hotel in Calamba City, Laguna. The activity was led by Assistant Professor Elaine DC. Llarena, Project Leader (front, fifth from left). Ms. Julia A. Lapitan, DA-BAR Head for Applied Communication (front, sixth from left), and Dr. Lope B. Santos III, SEARCA Unit Head for Project Development and Technical Services, also graced the event.

CALAMBA CITY, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) concluded the 2nd Face-to-Face (F2F) Session of the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) funded project "IKM Mentorship Program: Communicating Agriculture and Fisheries Research for Inclusive and Sustainable Development (CAFRISD)" held here on 9-12 January 2018. 

Modular Discussion

The four-day session focused on strengthening the skills of the learner-participants in terms of disseminating and communicating agricultural research results through photography and videography.

Dr. Lope B. Santos III, SEARCA Unit Head for Project Development and Technical Services, gave the opening remarks on behalf of Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director, while Ms. Julia A. Lapitan, DA-BAR Head for Applied Communication, read the welcome message on behalf of Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar, DA-BAR Executive Director.

Module discussions were conducted in the first two days. Prof. Pamela Joyce M. Eleazar, Mentor on Online and Publications Writing and Production, briefly discussed Module 2: Writing for Dissemination of Agriculture Technology and Research Results, while Prof. Edmund G. Centeno, Mentor on Photography and Audio-visual Writing, tackled some of the topics under Module 3: Photography and Videography in Communicating Agriculture Technology and Research Results. The detailed lessons for said modules will be posted on the online sessions.

Participants exploring the Learning and Discovery (LeAD) Center of DA-ATI where they gained ideas on how they will execute their photo exhibit as one of their deliverables under their Capstone Project.Participants exploring the Learning and Discovery (LeAD) Center of DA-ATI where they gained ideas on how they will execute their photo exhibit as one of their deliverables under their Capstone Project.

Study Visit

On the third day, the participants visited the DA-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) in Diliman, Quezon City. Ms. Pamela Mappala, Assistant Division Chief of Information Services Division (ISD), welcomed the participants and shared the programs of ISD. Ms. Mappala showed ATI's Learning and Discovery (LeAD) Center, which houses some of the programs of the ISD and success stories of their stakeholders.

The participants also visited the Asian Development Bank (ADB). "Knowledge is like good governance," Mr. Gambhir Bhatta, ADB Unit Head of Knowledge Sharing and Services Center, stressed as he explained the concept of knowledge and its importance to ADB. He also discussed ADB's KM framework and plan for its improvement to complement knowledge shifts to ensure that knowledge generated by the organization are useful and accessible to their stakeholders.

Mr. Gambhir Bhatta, ADB Unit Head of Knowledge Sharing and Services Center (KSSC), as he explained the concept of knowledge and its importance to ADB.Mr. Gambhir Bhatta, ADB Unit Head of Knowledge Sharing and Services Center (KSSC), as he explained the concept of knowledge and its importance to ADB.

On the last day, the participants toured the Future Rice Farm and other facilities of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Nueva Ecija. They also had a dialogue on how PhilRice established knowledge management within the institute with Dr. Ronan G. Zagado, Division Head of Development Communication; Dr. Karen Eloisa T. Barroga, Incoming Acting Deputy Director for Development; Ms. Lea dR. Abaoag, Division Head of Technology Management and Services; and Dr. Aurora M. Corales, Program Leader of the Rice Business Innovation System.

The IKM Mentorship Program will still have one last F2F session before the Testimonial Ceremony of the first batch of learner-participants. The next F2F session will be in the third week of March 2018.

The activity was spearheaded by the SEARCA Project Development and Technical Services (PDTS) led by Dr. Lope B. Santos III, Unit Head; Ms. Nancy M. Landicho, Program Specialist; and Ms. Imelda L. Batangantang, Program Associate.

The SEARCA project team is composed of Assistant Professors from the University of the Philippines Los Baños-College of Development Communication (UPLB-CDC). Assistant Prof. Elaine DC. Llarena, Project Leader, serve as the overall facilitator; Assistant Prof. Pamela Joyce M. Eleazar, Mentor on Online and Publications Writing and Production, and Dr. Edmund G. Centeno, Mentor on Photography and Audio-visual Writing and Production, serve as mentors; and University Extension Specialist Rikki Lee B. Mendiola serve as the online learning expert and also a mentor. Ms. Amy A. Antonio and Ms. Marie Antoinette F. Bangabang, PDTS Project Assistants, provided technical and logistical assistance in the training. 

Participants during the field tour at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Nueva Ecija.Participants during the field tour at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Nueva Ecija.

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