21 attend two-week training for CDP strengthening via networking

Twenty-one participants consisting of farmers, Local Government Unit officials, and staff from three centers of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) underwent a training-workshop for facilitators under the Farmer’s Livestock School on Dairy Buffalo Production (FLS-DBP) project.
The training-workshop, conducted last September 20 – October 2, 2017 at the PCC headquarters in the Science City of Muñoz, was aimed at enhancing the Carabao Development Program (CDP) and at the same time strengthen collaboration among capabilities of key stakeholders of PCC, LGUs and farmer-clients.
The FLS-DBP project, which has already conducted two facilitators’ training-workshops in the past, adapts a platform for trainers and participants to learn interactively by exchanging ideas and breaking the teacher-student barrier.
The participants are equipped with knowledge and skills on facilitation and technical aspects of dairy buffalo production through series of lectures with actual demonstration, workshops, field exposure and hands-on activities supervised by FLS-DBP module developers from PCC and PCAARRD.
The trainees went through six training courses covering topics on: (1) Preparing Facilitators for FLS Implementation; (2) Mobilizing Communities for FLS; (3) Raising Healthy and Productive Dairy Buffalo; (4) Building Enterprises from Buffalo; (5) Participatory Technology Development; and (6) Participatory Tools to Measure FLS Effects and Impacts.
Dr. Eric P. Palacpac, Information Officer V and Project Leader of FLS-DBP project, congratulated the trainees during their closing ceremony saying “… it is just the start of a greater challenge as by the following year, you are expected to conduct and impart the knowledge gained from more than two weeks of intensive training to at least 125 farmers from five respective communities in Laguna, Cagayan, Iloilo and Capiz, Bohol and Cebu”.
Dr. Arnel N. Del Barrio, PCC executive director, in his inspirational message imparted what he envisions to be the impact of the FLS on the carabao industry. He emphasized the importance of linkages among the facilitators to maintain partnership and commitment to achieve the goals of the CDP in every community.
Dr. Annabelle B. Sarabia, Chief of the PCC Research and Development Division, expressed her full support to participants who composed the third batch of FLS-DBP facilitators.
The training-workshop was organized by the PCC’s Knowledge Management Division under Dr. Palacpac. His staff members, Ms. Rovelyn T. Jacang and Erwin M. Valiente, served as facilitators.