Technical staff and officials from the Department of Agriculture- Regional Field Office II (DA-RFO 2) conducted a benchmarking activity on the operations and facilities of the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC-UPLB), as part of their ongoing agricultural mechanization program, last February 22, 2024.

The educational visit aimed to assist the regional office in implementing its research and development (R&D) project, entitled “Smart Farming on Mechanization as Technology Learning Center towards Technology Business Incubation”, by providing references to align with in terms of design, development, and enhancement of strategies in attaining the project goals.

Among the facilities showcased by the Center were the technologies used in the testing and evaluation operations of agri-fishery machinery in the Mechanical Testing and Sample Analysis Laboratories. Meanwhile, AMTEC’s resident Test Engineers guided the guests by providing brief presentations of the available testing setups and instruments in the laboratories. 

Located at DA RFO-02 Southern Cagayan Research Center in Iguig, Cagayan, the R&D project hopes to establish and institutionalize technical assistance for rice mechanization technologies in the supply chain that will cater to the needs of various stakeholders. Specifically, local fabricators, local farmers within the FCAs, SUCs (OJTs/Immersion students), gender and development, certified test engineers, and researchers.

PAESTIGAN, a portmanteau of PAES (Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards) and paastigan (a Filipino colloquial term referring to activities where participants are to show off their outstanding qualities and skills), is a yearly gathering of BS Agricultural Engineering/ Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering students from State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country. Founded in 2011, the event is composed of various activities aimed to enhance the students’ knowledge and skills in the field through competitions and educational tours.

The benchmarking activity is one of the many partnerships and collaborations of AMTEC with various government and non-government agencies across the country in championing the continuous development of agricultural mechanization in the Philippines. 

AMTEC, along with its other mandates, commits to providing technical assistance in the establishment and operation of emerging testing centers in the country while in constant close coordination with national government agencies.