Positive impacts of the Techno-Gabay Program in selected municipalities in Luzon [Philippines]

The devolution of extension service to the LGUs [local government units] underscored the need for innovative complementation mechanisms between national agencies involved in technology generation and the LGUs which are supposed to bring the technologies to the grassroots. The PCARRD Techno Gabay Program (TGP) is an initiative that caters to the information and technology services (ITS) needs of the clients primarily through its Farmers Information and Technology Service (FITS) Centers nationwide. Most of the existing 173 FITS are hosted by LGUs especially at the municipal level where these are integrated with the functions of the Municipal Agricultural offices (MAOs). To properly guide future TGP and FITS enhancement initiatives, an assessment was conducted by Brown et. al (PCARRD) from September to December 2005. The assessment aimed to evaluate the impact of the TGP and to recommend strategies, policies, and additional measures to further enhance the impact of the program on the farmers. Impact was gauged in terms of how the TGP contributed to the improvement of farm productivity and profitability as well as quality of life. The study used primary data obtained through interviews of 90 sampled farmers from three municipalities, namely: Bacarra, Ilocos Norte; Alfonzo Lista, Ifugao and La Trinidad, Benguet. TGP interventions increased rice output in Baccara by an average of 1.98 t/farm or 1.6 t/ha per cropping. The TGP interventions in the area consisted mainly of ITS for successful adoption of hybrid rice. Similarly in Alfonso Lista, corn yield increased by 2 t/ha on the average with TGP intervention. Yield or output which was merely 3.7 t/ha before, jumped to 5.7 t/ha on the average. The successful promotion and widespread adoption of hybrid corn made the appreciable improvement possible. TGP interventions also effected remarkable farm improvement income. In Baccara, net farm income doubled from P26,018/farm to P51,937/farm (from P25,242/ha to P49,104/ha basis). The income improvement came mainly from increased harvest valued at P36,111/farm before and P65,762/farm after TGP. The improvement was more remarkable in Alfonso Lista wherein the corn farmers' net income increased from P25,356/farm to P111,332/farm (from P12,801/ha to P39,749/ha). In La Trinidad, on the other hand, no detectable improvement in yield or farm income could be attributed to TGP. This may be due to the fact that there was no specific commodity or technology focus in the area and ITS were spread thinly over a wide range of commodities. Because of its great potential as an effective mode of extension service, the adoption of TGP as part of the national strategy is explicitly stated in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan. Another evidence of the growing recognition is the infusion of more resources to the program. The differential impact of the TGP in the three study areas points out that the technology potential and effective extension delivery system must be both present if impact is to be realized. There is a need for commodity and technology extension delivery in each TGP site where ITS can be directed. Continuous support ro the TGP and its component strategies and monitoring and evaluation of accomplishments are needed to sustain the benefits of the program to its intended clients.