In continuation of this year’s training activities to certify new test engineers, another set of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (ABE) from Region V participated in the Training on Testing and Evaluation of Agricultural and Fishery Machinery last July 15-19, 2024 at Maligat Integrated Farm, Vinzons, Camarines Norte.  

The training was organized by the Agricultural Training Institute- Regional Training Center V (ATI-Bicol), the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE), and the Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED-V).

Test engineers from the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (UPLB-AMTEC) served as resource speakers for the five-day activity, namely: Engr. Marie Jehosa B. Reyes, Engr. Melvin T. Baldrias, and Engr. Christopher S. Japones. The training mainly focused on Category F-Rice Machinery, which includes mechanical rice transplanters, disc plows, and rotary tillers. 

Apart from boosting the number of certified test engineers (CTE) across the country, the training also aims to enhance the competence of ABEs in the region to standardize the field testing procedures being undertaken before the acceptance of procured/purchased machinery by the government. 

After the series of lectures, the participants underwent a practical demonstration of how the machine testing is conducted including the proper measurement of its specifications. To culminate the training, the aspiring CTEs took a written and practical examination that will determine if they will be certified by DA-BAFE. 

This ongoing series of trainings across the Philippine regions is pursuant to Section 18 of the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, and the Department Circular No. 02, Series of 2023 which outlines the significance of agricultural machinery testing and evaluation in the holistic agricultural mechanization program of the country.

AMTEC remains committed to extending its services beyond its testing services by honing new test engineers that would potentially lead to a more accessible and sustainable agricultural mechanization in all corners of the country. The Center, in collaboration with DA-BAFE, will conduct more CTE trainings until the end of the year.