By Chessa Pae Faustino

Gearing up communities through capability enhancement, Mariano Marcos State University and PhilRice -Batac advocated financial literacy to Batac farmers at the PhilRice - Batac Auditorium on December 6.

The extension activity titled “Empowering the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative Through the Financial Advisory and Technical Services (FATS) Project is spearheaded by the accountancy department of MMSU - College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy in partnership with PhilRice - Batac.

Prof. Suerte Dy, accountancy department chair, addressed the farmers on the need to manage agriculture finances in this time of crisis.

Dr. Mary Ann Baradi, the project leader of Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) of PhilRice, expressed her gratitude to MMSU for the activity held saying that the wisdom partaken ignited the farmers of Rayuray to increase their production and income.

In his response, Mr. Samuel Pammit, manager of Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative, thanked MMSU and PhilRice - Batac for empowering their cooperative in becoming ‘‘the best agricultural cooperative they can be.’’

Pammit furthered hoped that both institutions will continue supporting them in their agricultural ventures.

The program was a culmination of a series of training  initiative facilitated throughout the year, starting from its first installment on Intellectual Capacity (January-March, 2022); second installment on Cooperative Governance (April-July, 2022); and finally, the third installment on Cooperative Management (August-December, 2022).

Present in the event were Ms. Anielyn Alibuyog, assistant OIC-Branch director of DA-PhilRice Batac; Ms. Bella Gervacio, who represented Director Marielou Lucas of the MMSU-Extension Directorate; Dr. Angelina Abrojena, dean of MMSU-CBEA; and Mr.Guillermo Quemquem, chairperson of the Board of Directors of Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative.

Through this year-end program, the participants engaged in a team-building activity facilitated by the faculty of the Accountancy Department. (APT/HYL, StratCom)