WORK FROM HOME INDUSTRY IMMERSION PROGRAM (IIP) AT

USON PRODUCERS, USON, LIBMANAN, CAMARINES SUR

JEROME P. ROMERO

AN UNDERGRADUATE FIELD PRACTICE REPORT SUBMITTED TO

THE FACULTY OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND FOOD
SCIENCE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

JULY 2021
 This fieldpractice, entitled WORK FROM HOME INDUSTRY
IMMERSION PROGRAM (IIP) AT USON PRODUCERS, USON, LIBMANAN,
CAMARINES SUR prepared and submitted by JEROME P. ROMERO,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS
ENGINEERING is hereby accepted.

GLAIZA J. VISITACION
Chairperson, DABE

Accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

DR. JENNIFER M. EBOÑA

Dean, CEFS

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 ABSTRACT OF FIELD PRACTICE

Appropriate training is critical for individuals to acquire the

necessary knowledge and skills for their chosen profession. It

aids in the development of the trainee's skills and knowledge

on the job. The trainees were able to identify the issues

confronting the farm owner as a result of the training. The

program teaches the trainee how to develop a plan to meet the

farm's needs. The trainee developed a better understanding of

the industry's various facets and learned how to communicate

effectively. It can assist trainees in developing a solution to

a specific issue or concern of a farm's owner. Through the

training, the trainee acquired new skills and knowledge.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT OF FIELD PRACTICE iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES vii

RATIONALE AND SIGNIFICANCE 1

PERCEPTION OF THE TRAINEE ON COOPERATOR 2

OBJECTIVES 3

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION 3

INTRODUCTION 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 7

CONCLUSION 15

RECOMMENDATION 16

APPENDIX DOCUMENTATIONS 17

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 LIST OF TABLE

Table 1. Estimated Initial Fund Required from the Page 14

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Location of Samilo Rice Farm, Cagbibi, Pamplona,

Camarines Sur using Google Earth 6

Figure 2. Actual Drying of Paddy Rice on a Basketball

Court 9

Figure 3. Solar Bubble Dryer Design of GrainPro Inc. 13

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 LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES

Appendix Figure 1. Certificate of Appearance 17

Appendix Figure 2. Actual Site of Samilo Rice Farm 18

Appendix Figure 3. Farm Visit and Interview 19

Appendix Figure 4. Signing of Request Letter 20

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 RATIONALE AND SIGNIFICANCE

Industry Immersion Program (IIP) is a must for all

courses in order to graduate. To introduce students to a

real-life work environment formally, IIP is needed. The

program will help explore the relationship between the

knowledge and skills acquired in college and those required

in the workplace.

The Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering is

a four-year degree program that provides students with

knowledge and skills to design agricultural machinery,

agricultural equipment, and agricultural structures.

Students must do Industry Immersion Program at an industry,

organization, or agency that specializes in agricultural

engineering practices and procedures before the fourth year

of the program. Students need to complete a 240-hour

Immersion to improve their professional practice,

entrepreneurial, employment, and research skill in a

particular field of ABE.

Because of the Covid19 pandemic, CHED implemented that there

are no face-to-face classes. To meet the minimum standard

requirements, the students need to select, coordinate, and

communicate with the industry partner, identify and describe

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 ABE-related problems, and determine or formulate a solution

to these ABE-related problems. Once the student has selected

his/her industry partner, the Field Practice coordinator

will facilitate formal arrangements. The student must

prepare for all requirements. Data and information relating

to the problem identified will be gathered online via

messenger, email, and virtual meetings. Students have the

opportunity to practice their knowledge and skills in an

actual work setting.

PERCEPTION OF THE TRAINEE ON COOPERATOR

The focus of the program was to provide students with

opportunities to apply their acquired skills, knowledge, and

attitude to actual work in the field of ABE through remote or

online settings, provide students with a broad experience to

enrich their classroom experience and allow them to adjust and

redirect their abilities, knowledge, and attitude. The students

need to select, coordinate, and communicate with industry

partners, identify, and describe ABE-related problems, and

determine or formulate a solution to these problems.

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 OBJECTIVES

The program's general objective was to provide a broad work

experience that allows the trainee to apply previously learned

skills in the classroom while also learning new relevant

information. Specifically, it aims to:

1. improve the trainee's ability to learn and apply what she

had learned in the classroom;

2. provide trainees with the opportunity to learn new

abilities and skills; and

3. developing positive interpersonal skills and, as a result,

improving her ability to participate effectively in the

community.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The field practice emphasized applying newly acquired

skills, knowledge, and attitudes to actual work in the

field of ABE via remote or online settings. This field

practice took place at Uson Producers in Uson, Libmanan,

Camarines Sur, and involved assessing farm operations,

management, and the resolution of farm gaps/problems or

needs using the trainee's newly acquired engineering

principles.

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 INTRODUCTION

Rice is a commonly used and popular meal all over the

world. Rice production in the country of Philippines is

important to the food supply in the country and economy. A

substantial portion of the world's population consumes rice

as a staple meal (especially in Asia). Rice is not only an

important source of food, but it is also a source of income

for many smallholder farmers. Carlos A. Samilo is a

smallholder farmer and the owner of Samilo Rice Farm, a

cooperating agency partner with whom a trainee can conduct

the work from home field practice through online settings.

The objective of field practice was to identify ABE-

related problems and formulate solutions to these problems.

In order to complete this task, the trainee scheduled a

farm visit and an interview with the cooperating agency to

become familiar with the agricultural operations and to

identify the needs and gaps/problems in the operations. The

trainee expected to apply her engineering skills and

theoretical knowledge to solve this problem.

Description of the Agency

Samilo Rice Farm is a private farm in Cagbibi,

Pamplona, Camarines Sur. The farm is 1.5 acres in size, and

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the land is made up of rice fields. The harvested rice

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supplied sustenance for their daily needs as well as a

source of income; they sell it at Miller, which he calls

Capitan Alcantara, in Patong, Pamplona, Camarines Sur. The

property was originally owned by his late grandfather named

Marcelo Samilo. Since 1990, Mr. Carlos Samilo has been

managing the land he inherited and working for a living.

According to Mr. Samilo the variety of rice planted in

the farm is NSIC Rc 480, the seed is from the Department of

Agriculture in Pamplona. They prepare the land by plowing

to till, mix, and overturn the soil; harrowing to break

down soil clods and integrate plant waste; and leveling the

field. Following that they spray a pesticide for golden

apple snail or ‘kuhol’ and drained the water. In planting,

seeds are spread directly onto the field using a

broadcasting method, the water for the rice fields comes

from a nearby river and the fertilizer applied every 15

days. They perform the harvesting manually using sickles,

they don’t use combine harvester because some farmers rely

on them as their source of income. They used the

traditional sun drying by spreading grains under the sun on

mats or in roadways and stored in their house.

Farmers in their area are experiencing difficulties

due to a lack of paddy drying, besides that it is also a

problem during rainy season. These difficulties motivate

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the trainee to propose the idea and provide solutions to

Mr. Samilo and other farmers in their area who are

experiencing problems with rice drying.

Figure 1. Location of Samilo Rice Farm, Cagbibi,

Pamplona, Camarines Sur Using Google Earth

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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Because of Covid19 pandemic, CHED implemented that

there are no face- t o - f a c e classes. To meet the

minimum standard requirements, the trainee chose,

coordinated, and communicated with industry partner,

identified a n d described ABE related problem, and

formulated a solution to these ABE related problem.

During the first week of the WFH-IIP, the trainee and

his co-trainees were oriented, prepared some requirements

and looked for an industry partner in their respective

communities. On the second week, the trainee continued to

look for an industry partner, the formal orientation with

parents was held. Uson Producers was chosen to be the

trainee’s partner industry. The whole program was clearly

explained to the president of the cooperative. The trainee

spent the third week, visiting farms and facilities,

interviewed different farm owners, and analyzing farm

operations and management. During the remaining weeks,

the trainee focused on completing reports such as the

initial field practice report, the need assessment report,

the concept paper, the journal, and so on. At the end of

program, the IIP coordinators conducted a four-day virtual

seminar-training to formally introduced to trainees their

future work environment.

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The trainee identified some of the problem of Uson

Producers, one of which is a lack of accessible space

or area to dry their paddy rice. Majority of the

farmers at Brgy. Uson continues to dry its paddy rice

manually due to the low cost, availability, and ease of

management. They use vacant concrete pavements in their

barangay, roads, or basketball court to dry their paddy

rice. They either use mats or direct to the cemented

pavements, however owing to a shortage of large free places

for drying, they occasionally set it on the streets or

roads, despite the fact that it is prohibited.

The trainee proposed a solution that can significantly

contribute to cooperative’s productivity. The proposed

solution is to install 5-tonn flatbed dryer beside their

milling facility. The project also aims to aid other

farmers in the aforementioned barangay in drying their rice

paddies, as well as to promote this new technology to other

farmers and neighboring barangays. Free farmer trainings

and seminars will be offered with the cooperation of

the Department of Agriculture in order to contribute to the

country's agricultural mechanization program. The seminars

will include the proper use and maintenance of technology.

I. Market Study
The marketing aspects of establishing a flatbed dryer

in Barangay Uson, Libmanan, Camarines

8 Sur will be discussed
in this chapter. The information in this discussion was

obtained through interviews with the Municipal Agricultural

Office (MAO) of the Local Government of Libmanan (LGU-

Libmanan) and the Chairman of Barangay Uson, as well as

internet analysis.

A. Size, Nature of the Total Demand for the Service

Table 1. Data gathered from Municipal

Agricultural Office

Total land area 406 hectares

Rice field area 164 hectares

Number of rice farmers 62

Estimated volume of rice

80 bags
paddy harvested

annually/hectare

The total land area, rice field area, number

of rice farmers enrolled in MAO, and volume of

rice paddy harvested annually in Barangay Uson,

Libmanan, Camarines Sur are shown in the table.

a. Appropriate Marketing Programs

The operators and owners will need training

to operate and maintain the mechanical dryer. As

part of this, the management will work with the

Agricultural Training Institute, which is part of

the Department of Agriculture, to provide free

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 trainings and seminars. Proper expertise in the

operation and maintenance of the flatbed dryer

will not only help the farmers but will also

extend the facility's lifespan.

For broad distribution, the planned project

would use advertising activities such as social

media, posters, and referral from the Municipal

Agricultural Office.

b. Target Market

In addition to Uson Producers’ Rice Milling

facility, the proposed project will be built in

Zone 5, Uson, Libmanan, Camarines Sur. The

project's target market is farm owners and farmers

in the barangay and nearby barangays.

II. Technical Study

Drying is the process of removing excess water from

grain to achieve the necessary moisture content for safe

storage. After harvesting a rice crop, this is the most

important process. It is important to dry rice grain

immediately after harvesting to avoid grain quality

degradation and loss.

A flatbed dryer is a mechanical form of dryer that

removes water from wet grains by forcing heated air through

the grain block. It is made up of a drying bin, an air

distribution device with a plenum cavity, a fan, and a

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furnace or burner that heats the drying air.

Working Principles of Flatbed Dryer and Main Features

Drying Bin

The drying bin's job is to keep the grain for drying

and in-store drying. After the drying process, it can also

be used as a storage bin. The dryer's shape varies depending

on the design specifications. Depending on the type of

dryer, the materials used to make the drying bin may be

metal, wood, concrete, bricks, and so on.

Air Distribution System

The air distribution system's function is to distribute

drying air to the drying zone of the dryer and remove

moisture extracted from the grains. Positive pressure

systems are used to blast air through the grain block in

fixed bed dryers.

Plenum Chamber
The plenum chamber is a chamber into which a fan

delivers drying air before it reaches the grain bulk. Its

aim is to calm the air before it reaches the air

distribution system. This ensures an even distribution of

pressure and temperature of the drying air in the drying

section. The greater the size of the chamber, the greater

the airflow.

Fan
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 The fan is the most important part of a dryer. The

drying air is moved through the drying mechanism by fans.

Axial-flow or centrifugal fans are used depending on the

appropriate airflow rate and pressure generation.

Heating System

Depending on availability, various fuels, and heaters

such as kerosene, gasoline, liquified petroleum gas, biomass

such as rice hull, or even electricity can be used as the

dryer's heating system. Kerosene burners, rice husk

furnaces, LPG burners, and other types of heaters are

available.

Rice hull furnace

Rice hull is a byproduct of the rice milling process.

In comparison to fossil fuels, it is a regenerative source

of fuel that is environmentally friendly. It is usually

available for free, is less expensive than other fuels, and

therefore inexpensive in terms of cost. It is an excellent

drying fuel.

Rice hull furnaces vary in complexity from the most

basic, in which husk is piled on a grate, to the most

advanced, which include conveyors and control devices.

Efficiency and Performance

The time required for the drying process varies

depending on the size of the dryer, the initial moisture

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content (MC), and climatic factors such as weather and

relative humidity (RH). If the surrounding conditions are

relatively dry and the initial moisture content of the grain

is 20%, the drying period would be about 5 hours. The drying

time of paddy will be much longer in very moist and humid

environments, especially during the rainy season.

Given the efficiency of labor in loading and unloading

paddy, the flatbed dryer can work in three to four batches

for a 24-hour period. Problems with grain quality can be

avoided with proper flatbed dryer design.

Establishing a 6-ton Flatbed Dryer

The flatbed dryer design will be based on the PhilRice

flatbed dryer (Figure 1), with specifications mentioned in

Table 2. Figure 2 depicts the schematic diagram. The FBD is

made up of three major components (Figure 3): (1) a furnace

to generate heat; (2) a blower to generate drying air at the

necessary airflow rate and static pressure; and (3) a drying

chamber.

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Figure 1. One of the newly installed climate change-ready
facility in PhilRice Bicol is the flat-bed dryer, Batang,
Ligao City

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of flatbed dryer

Figure 3. Components of flatbed dryer

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Figure 4. 5-tons Flatbed dryer installed by G.G. Buenaagua Agri
Eterprises.

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Table 2. Specifications of 5-ton flatbed dryer

Capacity 100 cav/batch

Power Minimum of 12 hp diesel or 10 hp

requirement electric motor

Drying time 4-6 hours per batch (up to 14% MC)

Drying 43 to 60 degrees Celsius

temperature

Fuel Rice hull at 3-4 cav/hr (35 kg/h)

Drying bin Hollow blocks, cement, perforated sheet

Blower Tube-axial fan operating at 1600 rpm for

0.83 m3 ton of paddy at 30 mm water

static pressure

Site Location

The proposed project will be instituted in Barangay

Uson, Libmanan, Camarines Sur. It is situated at

approximately 13.715377, 123.013209 in the island of Luzon.

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It consists of 6 sitios – Sentro I, Sentro II, Pampang I,

Pampang II, Agpas, and Bulalacao. Barangay Uson lies about

6.5 kilometers from Libmanan, which makes it the last

barangay of the said municipality. It is also approximately

7 kilometers to the municipality Sipocot. It is surrounded

with Barangays Mambayawas (northwest), Mantalisay

(northeast), Camambugan (east), Palangon(west), Mambalite

(southwest), and Barangay Padlos (South).

Figure 5. Boundary of Uson, Libmanan, Camarines Sur

The establishment of the flatbed dryer will be placed

at Zone 5, Uson, Libmanan, Camarines Sur which is more

accessible

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to the farmers around the area. It is shown at the pinned

map below:

Figure 6. Location of the proposed project (blue pin)

Figure 7. Actual location of the proposed project

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 Topography

The land area of Barangay Uson is 406 hectares, or

2.1% of the total land area of Libmanan. The elevation is

said to be 6 meters above mean sea level.

Land Use

Agricultural land use of the barangay is determined at

75%, which consists of cultivation of rice, and other crops.

About 40% of the comprising land area, or 164 hectares is

utilized for rice field area.

Hydrography

Barangay Uson has its own waterway which is

Libmanan River. It serves as source of water for

irrigation.

III.Financial Study

This chapter will discuss the financial details

required for the proposed project, including the budgetary

requirement, and implementing agency.

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 Initial Fund Required from the Project

Table 3. Budgetary Requirement

Estimated cost
Items Funding Agency
(Php)

1-unit PhilRice
700,000.00 DA – PhilMech
flatbed dryer

Uson Producers
Operating cost 60,000.00

Uson Producers
Maintenance cost 90,000.00

Estimated total cost: Php.850,000.00

Funding Source
The Rice Tariffication Law, Republic Act No. 11203, was

passed in 2019. The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund

(RCEF) was established by this statute, with an annual

allocation of Php 10 billion for the next six years. Rice

farm machinery and equipment account for half of the

allocated budget, which aims to increase rice farmers'

productivity and global competitiveness through improved

access to and use of effective production and postproduction

mechanization technologies.

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 The mechanical rice dryer is one of the agricultural

innovations that will be prioritized in distribution. It is

estimated that the software will meet 10-20% of the

country's overall drying requirements.

Implementing Agency

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and

Mechanization (PhilMech) is the country's lead

implementation agency in modernizing the agricultural

sector. It works in collaboration with DA-Regional Field

Offices (DA-RFOs) and Local Government Units (LGU, MAO) to

disseminate development and postproduction mechanization

technologies.

According to the law's implementing rules and

regulations, NEDA, the Department of Budget and Management,

and the DA will use half of the rice fund, or P5 billion per

year, to secure rice farm equipment via PhilMech.

PhilMech is also expected to purchase from licensed

manufacturers wherever possible to help local farm machine

and equipment manufacturers.

Between the Farm mechanization program and the dryer

recipients, a complementary scheme will be implemented. The

beneficiaries will receive a flatbed dryer (with a biomass

furnace), a shed, and a moisture meter as part of the

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program. Meanwhile, the recipients would include the

property, an additional storage structure, and the initial

operating funds.

IV. Socio-economic Study

This chapter illustrates the study's contribution to

the beneficiaries and participants in the proposed project.

It also involves the project's effect on the community, the

climate, the citizens, and any other socioeconomic aspects.

The installation of a flatbed dryer in Barangay Uson

would increase the market value of rice. Proper drying and

having the necessary moisture level for grains will improve

the quality of the head rice.

As Since we only have two seasons – dry and wet –

drying rice paddy is difficult during rainy days, resulting

in a decrease in income. Farmers' drying problems can be

solved by using flatbed dryers. Even during the rainy

season, rice paddy drying can begin. As opposed to pavement

or mat drying, the flatbed dryer's shed can cover the

grains. It also reduces losses.

The use of biomass – rice hull – as a fuel source for

the dryer is a sustainable method of using waste from rice

milling. It is both environmentally sustainable and

economically viable.
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 Labor productivity will rise. Farmers can reduce the

amount of time needed for rice paddy drying. Monitoring

would be minimal when using the flatbed dryer. The flatbed

dryer will be placed along the highway for easy access,

increasing productivity for nearby farmers.

Farmers can gain information about the use of machinery

by using this technology, which will help them improve their

skills in adapting to postharvest production activities.

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 CONCLUSION

The trainee's work from home field practice on the

cooperative contributes to realization of the importance

of time, patience, and communication, which makes the flow

of work easy and fun. The trainee used her theoretical

knowledge, engineering skills, and positive attitude,

developed new abilities and skills, acquired positive

interpersonal skills, and enhanced her capacity to interact

successfully in the community. It also helped in improving

her knowledge and understanding of her course, particularly

in terms of farming, agriculture, and farm machinery. Even

though the activities she worked were unrelated to her

study on fish dryers and biogas, the experience she got was

well worth the time, effort, and hard work.

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 RECOMMENDATION

Based on the difficulties encountered in the operation

and management of Samilo Rice Farm, the following

recommendations were made:

1. Should have modern farm machinery to make the job

easier.

2. Seminars and training for new technology in rice

farming should be offered.

3. The concern of saltwater intrusion from the river into

the rice field must be handled.

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 APPENDIX DOCUMENTATIONS

Presented in the succeeding appendix figures are the

documentations of conducting field practice at Samilo Rice

Farm.

Appendix Figure 1. Certificate of Appearance

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Appendix Figure 2. Actual
Site of Samilo Rice Farm

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Appendix Figure 3. Farm Visit
and Interview

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Appendix Figure 4. Signing of
Request Letter

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