LGU Binalonan received a Plaque of Recognition as Top 3 Performing Municipality in the implementation of the School-On-The-Air (SOA) on Free Range Chicken Production while D.A. Agricultural Technologist Manuel D. Luis, Jr. was awarded as Top 1 among the 30 Coordinator-Enrollees of the SOA during the graduation ceremonies of participants in Tebag East, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.

The School-On-The-Air (SOA) on Free Range Chicken Production “Malayang Pagmamanukan, Ating Pag-uusapan” was conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute–Regional Training Center I ( ATI-RTC I ) for a period of 4 months with one hour lesson at 5-6 A.M aired Tuesdays and Thursdays  on a radio program.

Aside from the awards received, gifts in the form of free range chickens were given to the awardees and enrollees of the SOA. LGU Binalonan was given 12 free range chickens and 1 incubator; Coordinator Luis Jr, 6 free range chickens; Lelia Mendijar got another 6 free range chickens while the enrollees received 1 free range chicken each.

A total of 546 enrolees graduated from this program in the province of Pangasinan which included 16 Binalonan farmers.

The School-on-the-Air program is one of the Agricultural Training Institute’s distance learning package of Good Agricultural Practices with the aim to educate farmers through media.    Meanwhile, the ATI is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Agriculture responsible for training agricultural extension workers and their clientele; conducting multi-level training programs to accelerate rural development.