REACH June 2013 | Page 4

4 REACH – September 2013 The Research, Development and Extension mandates of KASC take shape in a separate building that was constructed in 2001 to house the Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) Center, under the administration of then President Venus I. Lammawin, one of the few SUC Presidents who saw the advantage that KASC can derive by giving home to the first FITS Center in Kalinga. The development of Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) Information System became the first concrete step in utilizing ICT to achieve the FITS/Techno Pinoy Program’s serviceoriented goals. The web portal of the PCAARRD of DOST accommodates the FITS Center of KASC, complete with the clickable details shown in the webpage above. It may be accessed through: http://opendbs.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/nfits/home.php Generally, it aims to serve as a viable tool to facilitate faster access to information to fast track the delivery of services to clients in agriculture, forestry and natural resources. Specifically, it hopes to a) organize data available on technologies whether from local, regional and other sources; b) provide an upto-date inventory of agriculture-related publications and video materials that are available in the FITS/Techno Pinoy Center; and c) make ICTbased services available to FITS clients. The FITS Information System was developed as a Webbased system and is composed of six (6) major databases namely: technology, experts’ profile, farmers’ profile, contact firms, publication, and technology video materials.