With a smartphone in one hand and a rice seedling in the other, 28-year-old Rovie A. Dela Peña of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, is promoting a modern approach to rice farming.
Dela Peña trains farmers to use the PalayCheck App, a digital guide for rice production that helps farmers plan each cropping season, track farm activities and expenses, and follow recommendations tailored to their location and crop growth stage.
She said the app is especially useful in managing pests and diseases, providing quick access to science-based control measures. While farmers still rely on field observation, the tool supports decision-making with updated technical guidance.
Her digital approach is paired with hands-on field work. During training sessions, she demonstrates crop establishment, pest and nutrient management, and mechanization practices. She gained these skills from completing a Training of Trainers program on modern inbred rice production, seed certification, farm mechanization, and crop management.
More than 300 farmers from nearby towns, including Dumingag and Ramon Magsaysay, have joined her sessions under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Rice Extension Services Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, implemented in partnership with Saniel Integrated Farm Technological Business School Inc. Dela Peña studied Agricultural Entrepreneurship at the school and earned her agriculture degree in 2020.
For Dela Peña, the work goes beyond training. She sees herself as a link between experienced farmers and younger people who are less likely to enter agriculture.
“I want to build pride in this profession and help develop farmers who are knowledgeable, confident, and skilled,” she said.
