These days, farm-to-market roads can also be digital. Thanks to the internet, modern farmers have been going online not just to sell their produce via message boards and online sales platforms, but also to seek help for their farms.

“These days, you can open an app or go online to know what is wrong with your crops and what you should do about it,” says Fidel Sta. Catalina, another farmer and VP of Samahan ng mga Pangulo ng mga Magsasaka ng Morong, adding that when time is of the essence, quick and precise diagnosis can spell the difference between an entire crop lost to disease and a bountiful harvest.

Samahan ng mga Pangulo ng Magsasaka of Morong, Rizal is among the first beneficiaries of FarmTech, a tech-driven farmers training kit designed to empower and equip farmer groups and agri-coops in their digital literacy training programs for their farmer members, including those in remote areas.

FarmTech is part of the Digital Farmers Program (DFP), the award- winning digital inclusion program for farmers led by PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. in partnership with the Department of Agriculture — Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI).

Each FarmTech package includes a tablet, 10 smartphones, a Smart Bro Pocket Wifi with Smart Prepaid load cards, an outdoor projector and projector screen, a rechargeable portable sound system, a flash drive containing multimedia learning resources and apps, and DA-ATI learning materials.

“Before, they had to take their goods to the market. Today, they can simply make a post online to find buyers. You can see them advertising their harvest on Facebook,” adds Municipal Agriculturist Engr. Arlene T. Esmama.

“FarmTech helps address the barriers of distance, bringing valuable training and learning directly to our local farmers no matter their location,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart. “This all-in- one package overcomes signal and location challenges often faced in remote areas. Packed in a compact, weather-resistant bag, FarmTech travels easily to reach even the most isolated farms, offering access to resources where learning centers are absent.

Once deployed, FarmTech can help foster an inclusive learning environment among farmers.” “A lot of times farmers can’t come to a learning center,” said Frianina V. Resplandor, Managing Partner of Myriad Farms, also a FarmTech package recipient.

“They would miss classes because they don’t have money to spare for fare or lunch. Some say they simply don’t have the time. With PLDT and Smart’s FarmTech package, we can take the learning modules to their community and teach them about the beauty of digital technology and how it can help improve their farming practices for better yield and reduced production cost.”

Part of PLDT and Smart’s long- standing partnership with DA-ATI, FarmTech is the latest addition to DFP, which was established by the PLDT Group and DA-ATI in 2019 to make technology and digital solutions more accessible to Filipino farmers.

Empowering farming communities through digital tools and mobile technologies is a key advocacy for PLDT and Smart and is part of the Group’s broader effort to help the country achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially UNSDG #1 (No Poverty) and #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).