A two-day hands-on training on the Community-Level SARAI-Enhanced Agricultural Monitoring System (CL-SEAMS) and Automatic Weather Station (AWS) Data Downloading, Processing, and Analysis was conducted on September 9-10, 2025 at the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) in Los Baños, Laguna. The training aimed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of SARAI Regional Hubs in using agricultural monitoring tools and weather data processing that are important for farming communities.

The participants were guided on how to collect and prepare time-series datasets using Google Earth Engine, and how to run and validate scripts for computing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) that is used in crop monitoring. They also learned the proper way of installing and maintaining Automatic Weather Stations, as well as downloading, processing, and analyzing weather data coming from these devices. In addition, they were trained to generate weather-based graphs using the Weatherlink desktop application. The session also introduced the Content Management System (CMS) under the SARAI Knowledge Portal, which is designed to create a harmonized web materials.

Aside from the technical sessions, the activity also became an opportunity for the regional hubs to exchange experiences, strengthen collaboration, and build closer ties as part of the nationwide SARAI network. This training is an important step toward ensuring that our regional hubs are ready to apply these technologies in the field, empowering communities with science-based data that can support agricultural planning and climate resilience.

Representatives from the different Department of Science and Technology Regional Offices actively participated in the training, including DOST I, DOST II, DOST III, DOST CALABARZON, DOST MIMAROPA, Project SARAI Bicol, DOST VI, DOST VII, DOST VIII, DOST IX, DOST X, DOST XI, DOST XII, DOST Caraga, DOST-CAR, and DOST-NCR. Their involvement shows the strong commitment of SARAI Regional Hubs in working together for the promotion of smart and sustainable agriculture in the Philippines.

Through initiatives like this, Project SARAI and its partners continue to move forward in building a more resilient, data-driven, and future-ready agricultural sector for the country.

#ProjectSARAI #SARAICeNTRO #SARAIRegionalHubs
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Photos from Project SARAi Facebook Page