PAGADIAN CITY, May 24 (PIA) - Five (5) Farm Field Schools (FFS) of the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) have been successfully established as technical vocational institutions in the province.

In the ‘Kapihan sa PIA’ program aired at DXPR radio station, Nurmina Gaite, the provincial information officer of TESDA reported that the established FFS are as follows: Glepa Rice Farm in Molave, Saniel Integrated Farm in Mahayag, Labangan Farmers Cooperative (LAPECO) in Labangan, Miners in Dimataling, and Sunshine World in Pagadian City.

Gaite said the FFS started two years ago and is attributed to the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law which requires the special role of farm schools as the venue of their agency’s extension services program.

“In Region 9, the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur have availed of this program and of which five (5) new FFS have been established in our province that are registered with TESDA," Gaite proudly announced.

She said the FFS have helped enhance farmers' skills to improve their productivity and increase their income.

Gaite added that a number of farmers have already completed training at FFS where some of the graduates have been hired by the Municipal Agriculture’s Office in local government units (LGUs) as rice technicians to help improve the capabilities of farmers in planting rice.

The Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or Republic Act 11203 was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 24, 2019 with a mandate of enhancing the productivity and overall competitiveness of the country’s rice sector. (RVC/EDT/GCC/PIA-Zamboanga del Sur)