Since its implementation in 2006, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) has been providing a “fast and furious” dissemination of information through the country’s most popular gadget, the cell phone.
PCAARRD, through the Knowledge Networking Towards Enterprising Agricultural Communities (K-AgriNet) Program, launched its short message service (SMS) six years ago.
The PCAARRD SMS addresses queries covering topics across the agriculture, aquatic and natural resources (AANR) sectors from its varied clientele, which include researchers, farmers, suppliers, and manufacturers from all over the country.
This move was only one of the Council’s various efforts to advocate the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in providing expert help to its clients.
With the PCAARRD SMS, registered users gain access to the Council’s local and international partners’ information services; facilitate quick information dispatch on technologies; and obtain information on the Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) and other contact firms.
Roots from e-Government
The PCAARRD SMS began when the Commission on ICT (CICT) approved the K-AgriNet Program, involving the Council’s e-Consortia and e-Farm components that would enable interconnectivity of different areas nationwide.
The K-AGRINET Program is in line with the many efforts initiated by the government to make their services more effective; efficient; and user-friendly.
E-Government (or electronic government) refers to the use of ICT to “transform relations with clients of the public sector in the delivery of services”. This involves the use of various multimedia applications such as radio, television, computer networks, mobile phone communication technologies, and other similar electronic devices. The government uses these applications to reach out to the citizens. In PCAARRD’s case, it is the farmers.
Maximizing mobile technology
So how does the PCAARRD SMS work? It is not as simple as sending a message to someone at the other end who answers back. The truth is that queries sent by clients are relayed to a web database and GSM modem (which is keyword-based), then to PCAARRD’s very own application and database server, back to the web database and to the client’s phone.
If a client’s query is answerable by PCAARRD’s database, automated responses could be as quick as five milliseconds (0.05s).
However, if queries are more in-depth, these are referred to Commodity Specialists. They are PCAARRD staff members who specialize on the different AANR commodities covered by the agency. Clients are assured of receiving replies from the Commodity Specialists within 48 hours from sending their query.
Presently, PCAAARRD SMS continues to provide service to its 2,369 registered members, who have expressed their views and comments by using the Feedback keyword.
“I feel now that the program of PCAARRD touches the lives of distant farmers,” says Rodolfo Calcenia, a registered member since 2006.
Other members have also expressed their support for the service which has provided them not only with “very informative assistance” but also “an effective means to get information”.
And because text is cheap, clients can get reliable and up-to-date information for only P1. Not a bad deal, huh?
For more information on PCAARRD SMS, kindly visit http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph.