Anchored on the primordial goal of augmenting rice yields, DA RFO 8 rolled out an orientation aimed at imparting vital steps to navigate and maximize the use of Rice Crop Manager (RCM)—a web-based decision-support tool giving personalized advice to farmers on crop and location-specific nutrient management for rice farming in the Philippines—held at San Miguel, Leyte, on September 3-5, 2025.

The orientation entailed a series of lectures and workshops geared towards knowledge acquisition and optimal navigation of the salient features of RCM. The recipients of the said training were the LFTs from the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran.

In an interview, Engr. Ruth A. Balading, Rice Program Management Unit Staff and RCMAS Focal Person, emphasized that, with this digital tool, rice farmers will be guided—through a one-page recommendation generated—as to optimal fertilizer application rates based on soil type, crop requirement, and land area, ensuring increased rice production.

On the last day, the LFTs put what they had learned during the three-day training to its proper test and tried the digital tool on the farmers of Barangay Lukay, San Miguel, Leyte. With stable internet connectivity, RCM generated the recommendation in less than one minute.

In his closing message, former Director Leo P. Caneda, Masagana Rice Industry and Development Program (MRIDP) Consultant, banked on the fact that the integrity of the RCM recommendation heavily depends upon the veracity of information shared by the farmers, instilling in the LFTs the significance of building rapport with farmers in order to extract accurate information.

Leveraging modern technology, specifically the optimum use of RCM, is expected to increase rice production, contributing to food security.