The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was created through Republic Act No. 7796, otherwise known as the "Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994." This landmark legislation was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 25, 1994 to unify and strengthen the country's technical education and skills development efforts.
Under Section 20 of the same Act, TESDA is mandated to strengthen a nationwide network of skills training centers. These include facilities in vocational and technical schools, technical institutes, polytechnic colleges, and duly accredited public and private dual-system educational institutions. These centers are governed according to TESDA’s implementing rules and the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan (NTESDP).
In line with this mandate, the Provincial Training Center (PTC) – Cagayan was among the newly established Provincial Training Centers across the country during the administration of TESDA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña, Ph.D., CSEE. Its formal creation was authorized through TESDA Order No. 462, Series of 2020, issued on November 17, 2020, entitled “Establishment of New Provincial Training Center.”
The Provincial Training Center – Cagayan (PTC-Cagayan) plays a pivotal role in closing the province’s skills gap and advancing workforce development in priority sectors. As validated by the Area-Based Demand-Driven (ABDD) Survey for FY 2023, Agriculture surfaced as the foremost sector requiring immediate technical-vocational intervention. In direct response, PTC-Cagayan secured official registration for the Organic Agriculture Production NC II qualification, ensuring the delivery of relevant, competency-based, and quality-assured TVET programs that support the province’s agribusiness value chain—from sustainable crop production to post-harvest processing and marketing.
As part of the Organic Agriculture Production NC II program officially registered under Provincial Training Center – Cagayan, trainees are equipped with six core units of competency designed to support holistic and sustainable farming practices. One of these key competencies is "Produce Organic Concoctions and Extracts", which plays a vital role in promoting cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and resource-based farm production.
This unit focuses on the preparation of farm-made inputs such as fermented fruit juice (FFJ), fermented plant juice (FPJ), fish amino acids (FAA), indigenous microorganisms (IMO), and other natural farm enhancers. These organic inputs are used to enrich the soil, stimulate plant growth, and repel pests—reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
By integrating this competency into the curriculum, PTC-Cagayan empowers learners—especially smallholder farmers—to:
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Lower production costs by using locally available materials;
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Protect soil health and increase crop yields through natural means;
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Support climate-smart and organic farming aligned with national agricultural sustainability goals.
This training is especially relevant in light of rising farm input prices, making it a practical and impactful solution for learners and communities engaged in organic agriculture.