Banga, Aklan – The Aklan State University-Extension and Community Services Director, Dr. Anna Mae C. Relingo attended the Continuing Education Program on Technology Management for Techno Gabay Implementers held on October 21-27, 2008 at the Kasetsart University (KU) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr. Relingo has availed of this program being the Regional Techno Gabay Program Coordinator (RTGC) of Western Visayas Agriculture Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC)..

She joined the 19 participants composed of Consortium Directors, RTGCs and officials of Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)..

Their participation was made possible through the sponsorship of PCARRD, which gave them the opportunity to observe and understand the system and practices of technology management with the aim of emulating such practices to enhance the Philippine government’s enabling mechanism for technology management.

The study tour was able to address the gaps in Techno Gabay and technology management programs implementation. The first gap, value adding services of major agricultural commodities, was addressed through various activities such as lectures and observations on agricultural marketing, technology transfer in agribusiness, product development, packaging and promotion; food safety and sanitation practices; and food quality assurance. The lectures were held at the Kasetsart University and they visited the Thai Farmers Market (Talad Thai) in Pathumthani Province and the Institute of Food Research and Product Development of KU.

Second is on public-private partnership. It was dealt with through lectures on research-academe-farmer relations and effective/appropriate technology transfer mechanisms; and determining and program implementation mechanisms of One Town One Product (OTOP) and the Royal King Projects.

Third is on farmers’ association, which gave them the opportunity to interact with the members of farmer cooperatives in Pattaya, Cholburi, particularly on farmer group organization, management, monitoring of activities and coordination with government agencies.

They had also a great experience at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Nongnooch Tropical Garden, Gems Gallery (the world’s biggest jewelry store) and Thailand’s tallest building, the Baiyoke Tower.

TGP is one of PCARRD’s banner programs, which aims to bring science-based information and technology services to end-users in the agriculture, forestry and natural resources (AFNR) sectors.

TGP is a dynamic interplay of interrelated modalities to provide a continuous flow of appropriate science and technology (S&T) information between clientele and other stakeholders. Its four component modalities are the Farmers’ Information and Technology Service (FITS) Center; Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) and the Science & Technology-based Farms; the Information, Education, and Communications (IEC) Strategies; and the Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The FITS Center serves as convergence point of all services provided through these modalities. In Region VI, a total of 27 FITS Centers has been established by WESVARRDEC.