Gadgets Philippines – July 2019

Farmers will soon have access to more digital

tools and technologies to help boost productivity

and marketability under a new initiative of the

Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training

Institute (DA-ATI) and Smart Communications

(Smart) called the Digital Farmers Program (DFP).

Through DFP, Smart aims to empower

small-scale farmers through a

ladderized education approach. The

first phase involves familiarizing them

with smartphone features, Android

capabilities, social media platforms,

search engines, messaging channels,

and internet safety. Current and next-

generation farmers will also be trained

in phonetography—knowledge on

the basic photo and videography

skills to develop local agri-related

contents; which will be accompanied

with production, interviewing,

writing and editing skills workshops.

At the same time, trainees will be

tutored on mobile agriculture and

financial services—third-party farming apps, mobile

e-money, microcredit, and more. The final phase will

involve training on digital entrepreneurship, Internet

of Things (IoT), content development modules, and

advance Internet safety, such as data privacy.

DFP aims to advance the local industry’s adoption

of more innovative forms of technology in farming,

which is in line with the Government’s long-term

vision of IoT penetration in Philippine Agriculture

and overall digital inclusion. These include the use

of drones, analytics, precision farming, artificial

intelligence or A.I., climate and weather monitoring

I.T. solutions, digital apps, e-money, blockchain, and

other multi-layer platforms that would require basic

knowledge of emerging technologies and deeper

comprehension of its potential by end-users.

The initiative was conceptualized upon Smart and

DA-ATI’s research on the current status of small-scale

Filipino farmers.

A study conducted by the Philippine Institute for

Development Studies (PIDS) discovered a negative

annualized growth of -1.1% in a span of five years in

the population of Filipino farmers from a baseline of

estimated 12 million. Due to the small-scale Filipino

farmers’ average age of 57 years old and average

educational attainment of 5th grade,

they are unable to maximize the latest

agricultural technologies that can help

boost their sole means of livelihood.

This is where Smart and DA-ATI see the

opportunity to be one of many possible

building blocks of digital inclusion

on small-scale farming. The latter

is a government agency under the

Philippines’ Department of Agriculture

that provides training programs and

services to farmers, fisherfolks, and

agricultural extension workers to equip

them with outcome-based knowledge

and skills.

The partnership supports the

Government’s national plan on sustainable

agriculture and inclusive growth through directly

accelerating access to productivity-improving

farming technologies and solutions, where delayed

market adoption and limited industry growth are

evident.

http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph july 2019 87

Rock Space launches mobile accessories

to the local market

DA training arm, Smart team up to help farmers

ripe for innovation

Darwin Flores, head, Smart Community Partnerships, Ramon Isberto, head, PLDT-Smart Public Affairs Group,

Alfred Aton, director, DA-ATI, and Antonieta Arceo, division chief, DA-ATI Information Services.

Bringing in the best for every Filipino’s tech

needs, Rock Space recently introduced its mobile

accessories during the official launch.

The digital lifestyle brand, known for its value-

for-money products, embodies simplicity and

performance. It was established in 2009 with “Mr.

Rock” as its CEO and founder. Today, the brand has

over 1,300 partners operating in 70 countries.

Rock Space’s product lineup caters to various

lifestyles from fitness, gaming, traveling, and music.

For music-lovers

Perfect for audiophiles who are always on the go,

the EB70 True Wireless Stereo Earphones is equipped

with Hi-Fi speakers and Digital Signal Processors

(DSP) for clear sound transmission through

Bluetooth 5.0. The earphones are also waterproof,

sweat-proof, and dust-proof. It can last up to 17

hours with four hours of continuous use.

For busy bees

Power banks are definitely a must-have when

you’re always out. The Rock Space P66 Power Bank

comes in a compact and lightweight body but

offers a massive capacity of 10,000 mAh. It features

an LED display and protects mobile devices from

overheating and short circuit.

For frequent drivers

Rock Space also offers the W20 Quick Wireless

Charger that comes with a smart chip phone

protection for identifying charging current of

devices. It supports fast-charging technology,

maximizing its output power up to 10 W. The

wireless car charger boasts a slim design that can be

easily installed over the car’s air-conditioning vent.

For those who are planning to start their own

small business, there’s the Screen Protector

Cutter which provides the ultimate solution for

inventory management. The film cutting machine

provides flexible screen protector to smartphones,

smartwatches, and even camera lenses. It boasts an

automated inventory system that includes over a

hundred tech brands. According to Rock Space,

the machine can produce 300 customized screen

protectors a day.

Spearheaded by Rock Space Philippines CEO

Jenny Chen, the digital lifestyle brand has

currently 27 kiosks, 1337 retail partners, and three

concept stores nationwide. Among their retail

partners in the Philippines are Oppo, Lazada, and

Shopee.

The EB70 True Wireless Stereo Earphones are

available for PHP 3,999 while the Screen Protector

Cutter is available for PHP 38,000. Meanwhile, the

W20 Quick Wireless Charger and the P66 Power

Bank has a price tag of PHP 1,299.

Rock Space Philippines CEO Jenny Chen formally welcomes partner dealers

and the media