ISSN: 2222-6990
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Agricultural extension increasingly relies on both traditional and digital communication platforms to support lifelong learning and knowledge dissemination among farming communities. However, limited empirical evidence explains how these media function as complementary educational resources within local government-led extension programs. This study examined farmers’ utilization of social and traditional media in disseminating agricultural information through the Gulayan sa Barangay program implemented by the City Agriculture Office of Tabuk City, Philippines. Using explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were obtained from 200 farmer-beneficiaries selected through simple random sampling, followed by qualitative interviews with five key informants and five farmer-participants. Based on the findings, Facebook was the most frequently used platform for agricultural information, whereas radio received the highest perceived educational-impact rating. The findings suggest that traditional and digital media serve complementary educational functions and should be integrated according to farmers’ diverse access conditions, learning needs, and communication preferences. The study contributes to agricultural extension education and educational communication by showing that frequency of media used and perceived educational value are not necessarily equivalent and that multimodal communication can support more inclusive community-based learning.
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