Open Academy set for start of wet season

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — This June, the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture focuses on rice while information on other crops and livestock will be available next year.

With a few more weeks before the start of the 2005 wet season, the Open Academy is getting ready for the launch of various services for the Filipino extension workers and farmers.

Program director Roger F. Barroga said a number of projects will be available starting June. Among these are the Pinoy Farmers’ Internet portal, VCLass e-learning platform, fact sheets, SMS-based services for seed stock inventory and farm inquiries. Some technologies will also be continually tested on several locations such as the improved WiFi antenna, wireless IP access system, and the field server.

The council agreed that the project management office should start the activities with the support of the bridging fund from PhilRice while awaiting fund release from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), which is expected in June or July of this year. A memorandum of agreement among DAP, PhilRice, PCARRD, and DLR was signed in January.

As lead agency, DAP will bid, buy, and transfer equipment to the agencies.