A collaborative program of the Department of Education Schools Division of Laguna (DepEd Laguna) and UPLB has kicked off a five-day training workshop on organic agriculture for 30 teacher-participants on July 8, 2024.

The DepEd-Laguna-UPLB Nurturing Opportunities for the Next Generation or DUNONG Program is now holding one of the three major components of the Organic Agriculture Program of the Agricultural Systems Institute (OAP-ASI)—the five-day training workshop on Teachers’ Capability-Building on Organic Agriculture (TEACH-OA)—at the Galvez Hall, ASI, College of Agriculture and Food Science, UPLB.

The participants comprise the first batch of trainees from selected elementary and senior high schools in Sta. Cruz and Nagcarlan, Laguna.

TEACH-OA is designed to enhance the competencies of teachers in teaching agriculture and agriculture-related subjects as one of the topics under the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP), Technology and Livelihoods Education (TLEs), and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood curriculum. 

The TEACH-OA Training is also envisioned to help the participants pass the TESDA National Certificate II on organic agriculture.  

ASI Director, Dr. Rodmyr F. Datoon, gave the welcome remarks and congratulated the participants as future ASI training alumni while Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. delivered an inspiring message highlighting the important role of agriculture as a source of livelihood, food production, and employment. 

Camacho said that by enhancing the capacity of teachers to teach agriculture and integrate it into the K-12 curriculum, they would also do well in encouraging and inspiring high school students to take agriculture and related sciences as their courses in college. 

The TEACH-OA training workshop is divided into five modules that include basic concepts, principles, technologies, and practices in organic agriculture.  

Dr. Blesilda M. Calub, former university researcher and Organic Agriculture program leader and chair of the UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center on Organic Agriculture (UPLB ISCOA), is one of the resource persons, along with other experts and members of UPLB ISCOA.  

The second batch of training will be for participants from selected schools in the municipalities of Los Baños and Bay, Laguna. It will be held on July 22-26, 2024. 

The TEACH OA training workshop is facilitated by Dr. Leila D. Landicho, university researcher and Career Scientist 1, and Christine Joy B. Manalo, researcher at ASI.