PLDT and Smart, together with the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), continue to uplift Filipino farmers through inclusive technology under the Digital Farmers Program (DFP).

“We at PLDT and Smart advocate for digital inclusion in our programs, especially in the agriculture sector. Through DFP and our partnership with DA-ATI, we aim to reach more farmers and share with them potential livelihood opportunities from technology. This program also highlights the tangible benefits that the infusion of technology can provide and how it can increase profits over time,” said Stephanie Orlino, AVP and head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart.

Through their strong collaboration over the years, PLDT, Smart and DA-ATI have continued to expand the DFP 101 and 102 modules, covering the fundamentals of using a smartphone and the internet, and the advantages of e-commerce platforms, among local government units (LGUs), farmer associations, farm field schools, and cooperatives nationwide.

In the first half of 2023, 56 training sessions were conducted and attended by 1,951 farmers, youth, agri-extension workers, and farm field school representatives. To date, DFP has extended the benefits of using technology in agriculture to 8,506 Filipino farmers under 312 trainings rolled out.

To scale up what DFP has started, PLDT, Smart and DA-ATI have piloted and implemented DFP 103 focused on smart agri technologies that can help farmers prepare and monitor their farms to boost productivity.  

PLDT and Smart continuously find ways to assist farmers and the rest of the agriculture sector through their network and technology. One of the DFP youth graduates, Angelica Porto, a local enterprise owner based in Camarines Sur, also joined the capacity building program eBiz Buy Local Bazaar on TikTok Shop.  

“These trainings on digital technologies have helped my home business grow in a less costly way. This also enabled me to sell more Porto Kitchen products to a wider target market, which truly made a difference,” shared Angelica Porto, owner of Porto Kitchen.  

“The DFP has been our platform to ensure that we are on-course in our goal to capacitate and empower every Filipino farmer especially in navigating a highly digital environment. This is an instrument for us to communicate the importance, urgency, and benefits of digital solutions and smart agriculture technologies to all farmers in the best way possible. Through the DFP, we hope to cultivate a digitally-inclusive ecosystem for the agriculture sector,” said ATI Director Remelyn Recoter.  

Empowering farming communities through digital tools and mobile technologies towards #SustainableAgriculture and #InclusiveGrowth is a key priority of DFP. PLDT and Smart’s efforts to promote inclusive technologies that can help boost livelihood opportunities among farmers and fisherfolk also highlights the Group’s support to the government’s Go Digital Pilipinas Movement. PLDT is a founding member of the Digital Infrastructure pillar of the presidential Private Sector Advisory Council, which seeks to uplift the lives of Filipinos through adoption of digital services.