DA mulls radio programs for rural development

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture is considering information dissemination of its  its rural development projects and other programs through regular radio programs following the success of CHARM2-On-Air, the official radio program of the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management (CHARM2).               

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala believes  radio is a powerful tool to inform, educate and update project beneficiaries and other listeners on the activities, strategies, approaches, scope and parameters of DA projects.  It also has the widest audience reach.

“It can be a good way to solicit public understanding.  It may be true that we are already in the computer age, but hindi lahat ng lugar sa mga liblib na probinsya may Wi-Fi. Ang radyo, maliit na baterya lang at isang transistor, kahit sa laot o sa gitna ng bukid, maaari nang makakuha ng mahalagang impormasyon ang ating mga mangingisda at magsasaka ukol sa mga programa ng kagawaaran, (not all remote areas in the provinces have wi-fi. But with a small radio, at sea or in the middle of a file, information can be gathered by fishermen and farmers regarding government programs), ” Alcala said.               

CHARM2-On-Air is aired on local radio stations in four provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region, namely Abra, Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province.               

Part of the radio program is CHARM2 School-On-Air which aims to help project beneficiaries come up with informed decisions by providing them relevant information. 

According to Alcala, this sharpens the beneficiaries’ analytical perspectives as they make decisions that lead to improved farm management, better yield, improved nutrition for the consumers,  and eventually, food security for the country. 

The DA  earlier said that it has completed 87.1 percent of CHARM2 as part of government’s efforts to promote rural progress across the nation.

CHARM2 is the second phase of a special project of the Department of Agriculture.  CHARM1 focused on achieving progress in indigenous communities in three provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), namely Abra, Benguet and Mountain Province.

Because of the success of CHARM1 the coverage of the project was widened.  CHARM 2 is currently being  implemented in Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.