After a five-month long training on Climate Smart Farm Business School on Sustainable Ballatinao Glutinous Rice Production, 30 farmers on Apr. 12 graduated and received their certificates during a ceremony in Balangobong, Binalonan
Present during the ceremony were officials and employees of the municipal and regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, municipal officials of Binalonan, barangay officials of Barangay Balangobong, and other guests.
Jomar Palsimon, project evaluation officer of the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center I, did the confirmation of the graduates and gave his message.
Under the Agricultural Training Institute, the farmers were requested to allocate a portion of their farmland to be planted with glutinous or malagkit specifically the ballatinao rice. Also, the farmers were trained and taught best practices in the production of glutinous rice.
Cleofe Jacob Martinez, who served as facilitator with Freeshe Grace Estimada during the training, informed that members of the 4Ps would benefit from the production of the glutinous rice since it would be used in making tupig, a native delicacy.
Martinez added that members of the 4Ps can have tupig making as their source of income.
The ATI is the extension and training arm of the Department of Agriculture, mandated to train agricultural extension workers and their beneficiaries and lead in the delivery of extension services for agriculture.
Binalonan Municipal Agriculturist Ricardo Tabuac, together with his staff, spearheaded the event with the support of the municipal government under Mayor Ramon V. Guico III and Vice-Mayor Melicio F. Patague II.