Regulator gears up to increase accredited pest control personnel
THE Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) said it is planning to accredit more pest control professionals.
In a statement, the regulator said that it recently signed an agreement to train more candidates this year who will undergo programs created by the FPA and the Department of Agriculture.
The FPA said that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Training Association (FATA) to conduct the accreditation programs.
Under the program, professionals are trained as Accredited Responsible Care Officers (ARCO), Certified Pesticide Applicators (CPA), Exterminators and Fumigators, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Researchers.
Last year, FATA conducted 26 training sessions involving 635 participants. About 551 individuals took the accreditation exam.
“Results revealed that 67.50% passed the CPA fumigator exam, while 68.63% passed the CPA exterminator exam. Meanwhile, 87.34% passed the ARCO exam,” it said.
Additionally, FATA ran 19 symposiums for fertilizer and pesticide researchers, care officers, and applicators, with a combined 1,457 participants in 2023.
FATA includes the Philippine Association of Certified Pesticide Applicators, PMCP Foundation, Inc., the Philippine Association of Entomologists, Inc., the Philippine Association of Professional Fumigators, Inc., and the Kapisanan ng mga Pest Control Operators sa Pilipinas, Inc. — Adrian H. Halili