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January 17, 2025 | Quezon City – The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) and the FPA Accredited Training Associations (FATA) reaffirmed their long-standing partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the FPA Board Room, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City on January 17, 2025.

The MOU outlines the specific responsibilities and functions of both parties in delivering training and education for the FPA certification and accreditation programs such as Accredited Responsible Care Officers (ARCO), Certified Agricultural Pesticide Applicators (CPA), Exterminators, Fumigators, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Researchers.

The FATA also welcomed the membership of the Philippine Federation of Pest Management Operators’ Association (PFPMOA) Foundation Inc., as it joined existing associations such as the Philippine Association of Certified Pesticide Applicators (PACPA), PMCP Foundation Inc., the Philippine Association of Entomologists, Inc. (PAE), the Philippine Association of Professional Fumigators, Inc. (PAPFI), and the Kapisanan ng mga Pest Control Operators sa Pilipinas, Inc. (KAPESCOPI). 

In 2024, FATA conducted 23 training sessions benefitting 572 individuals seeking accreditation as recognized practitioners in the field.  A total of 317 individuals took the exams for accreditation as pesticide applicators and responsible care officers. Results revealed that 35.26% passed the CPA Fumigator while 24.17% passed the CPA Exterminator. Meanwhile, 73.15% passed the ARCO exam (Table 1).

Table 1.Distribution of training conducted, participants, and examination results by type of accreditation

Type of accreditation	Number of trainings conducted	Number of Individuals Trained	Number of examinees	Number
				Passed	Removal	Failed
Agri CPA-Fumigator	7	184	122	43	6	73
Agri CPA-Exterminator	6	164	87	21	5	61
ARCO	6	153	108	79	20	9
F/P Researcher	4	71	–	–	–	–
Total	23	572	317	147	39	172

Moreover, FATA led 11 symposiums on FPA regulations and pest control and management, discussing the pest management situation in the Philippines as well as the programs created by the FPA and the Department of Agriculture on agricultural chemical use which benefitted 1,524 researchers, responsible care officers, and applicators. This benefited 1,524 researchers, responsible care officers, and applicators (Table 2).

Table 2. Distribution of symposiums conducted and the number of attendees by training association (FATA)

Training Association (FATA)	Number of symposiums conducted	Number of Attendees
PMCPFI/PACPA	3	375
PAE	3	687
PAPFI	3	388
KAPESTCOPI	2	74
Total	11	1524

The strengthened partnership between FPA and FATA ensures their commitment to ensuring competitive practitioners in the field, promoting sustainable practices in pest control and agricultural chemical use.

The 2025 schedule for training, symposia, and examinations will be available on the FPA website and official Facebook page by January 24, 2025.

Individuals interested in applying as responsible care officers, pesticide applicators, or researchers are encouraged to review the posted schedules and coordinate with FATA for detailed instructions on participating in the training programs. ###

  Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) Online ISSN: 2815-1674
  Published by the FPA Information and Communications Team