With an aim to further strengthen its information and communication advocacy support to promote the Department of Agriculture’s programs, projects and activities in Ilocos Region, the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (RAFIS) of DA-RFO I conducted a training on advocacy and effective influencing.

With 35 participants consist of DA-RFO I staff from the different banner programs and division offices, the training was held on April 26-28, 2023 in Baguio City.

As the communication arm of DA-RFO I, RAFIS handles various information and communication related concerns of the Department most especially in the dissemination of all DA’s programs, projects and other services implemented for the agri sector in the region.

With the limited manpower of RAFIS, the info team at times could hardly cope with the demands from the different banner programs and division offices of the Department for documentation activities and other info related tasks especially when program implementation activities are held simultaneously.

Harnessing the skills and expertise of the RAFIS team, with the support as well from the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Ilocos InfoAce team, in packaging Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials through print, photo and audio video productions, the selected DA-RFO I employee-participants were taught by RAFIS with basic skills in correspondence writing, lay-outing, mobile phone photography, photo editing, video documentation, and mobile phone video editing.

RAFIS hopes to tap the support of the trained DA-RFO I staff in delivering a timely, more effective and efficient info advocacy services for the agri-stakeholders in Ilocos Region.