VA Carmen Gagnon from Quebec, Canada, an IT expert, visited DMMMSU-NARTDI for a two-week assignment that started on January 6, 2020 and completed on January 17, 2020.

This is the result of series of meetings and coordination that started on May 26, 2015 when the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-National Apiculture Research Training and Development Institute (DMMMSU-NARTDI), inked partnership with the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) based in Toronto, Canada through Mr. Mateo G. Navalta, CESO Country Representative for another 5-year collaboration with NARTDI, its apiculture partners, the beekeepers, and other industry stakeholders.

CESO is a Canadian not-for-profit volunteer-based development organization that helps build capacity in governance and economic development among local clients and partners through transfer of knowledge and skills by highly skilled Volunteer Advisors (VAs).

With the assistance of Mr. Derek Pachal, Lead VA, in 2015, the 5-year (2015-2020) Partnership Action Plan (PAP) was crafted with inputs from the NARTDI officials and staff who identified priority needs, purposes, desired outcomes, and skill sets required from the VAs. One of which is the assistance in the development of automated monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for NARTDI which is a computerized tracking and database for management and analysis. This was identified considering that NARTDI’s service delivery extends throughout the country.

This CESO mission focused on developing a computer program that has the ability to perform tracking, reporting, and data management analysis on basic information e.g. beekeepers’ profile, associations, satellite centers, geographical locations, colony holdings, challenges, inquiries, feedbacks, and other relevant information. With the rapid growth of technology and extensive maximization of internet connection, in the digital age, capitalizing on e-services helps facilitate faster, easier and more efficient service delivery. Considering that the Philippines is an archipelagic country, the availability of an automated M&E system will bridge gaps and connect more people.

Mr. Jake Alminiana, staff from the University Management Information System (MIS) Office; Mr. Jessie Vallecera, NARTDI MIS Coordinator; Mr. Franz Anthony Gutierrez, IT staff from the Local Government Unit of Bacnotan, La Union; Mr. Rizalde Claro, NARTDI staff; and Ms. Jerica Andidew and Ms. Gertrude Aromin, both from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) Region 1, San Fernando City, La Union who have knowledge and skills in beekeeping, composed the team that worked with VA Carmen. With their combined awareness and abilities coupled with inputs from some beekeepers and Dr. Stephan Kupsch, DMMMSU MIS Director, the workshop participants were able to brilliantly improve the prototype that VA Carmen initially developed. While the VA is not a beekeeper, the field exposure in several beekeepers’ apiaries in La Union and Benguet provided her substantial amount of information and appreciation relevant to her two-week assignment.  

During the exit conference held at the NARTDI building, Mr. Navalta applauded everyone who worked behind the impressive assignment output that is useful for NARTDI and all other industry players. (RMPajarillo)