IN 2012, WE HELD IN ALFONSO, CAVITE A FARM FIELD SCHOOL OF WHICH SWEET SPRING COUNTRY FARM – THE FARM THAT I WAS MANAGING AND RUNNING – WAS THE HOST. EVERY WEEK FOR 14 WEEKS WE HAVE FARMERS FROM THE AREA COMING TO THE FARM FOR ORGANIC VEGETABLE TRAINING. WE GRADUATED ABOUT 14 WEEKS LATER ABOUT OVER 40 VEGETABLE AND FRUIT FARMERS. AFTER WHICH I PERSONALLY SAT DOWN WITH THEM – I THINK TWICE, TRYING OUR BEST TO GET ORGANIZED. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF A SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT, OUR EFFORTS DID NOT PROSPER. AT LABING APAT NA LINGGO KAMING TRINRAINING NG ATI (AGRICULTURAL TRAINING INSTITUTE), NG DA (DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE), NG DA ALFONSO, AT MAGANDA YUNG NAGING SAMAHAN. NAGKAROON NG IKA NGA ‘MALAKAS NA CAMARADERIE’ AMONG THE 40+ FARMERS. AND I HOSTED 1 OR 2 OF THE MEETINGS AFTER THE 14 WEEKS OF BEING THE HOST TO TRY AND GET THE GROUP ORGANIZED INTO A COOPERATIVE. WE FAILED. THAT WAS 2012. IN 2024, WE DID THE SAME: WE TRIED TO ORGANIZE THE ALFONSO FARMERS CLUSTERS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, WE HAD THE FARM FIELD SCHOOL AGAIN. 14 WEEKS EVERY WEEK FROM SEPTEMBER TO JANUARY.
AND SO I GO BACK TO MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I WAS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. IN FAIRNESS TO THE ATI THEY WERE VERY ACCOMMODATING. IN FAIRNESS TO THE DA REGION IV-A THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE. IN FAIRNESS TO THE LGU, THEY WERE LIKEWISE SUPPORTIVE. AND THAT’S WHY WE WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER 14 WEEKS – THE FARM AGAIN WAS THE HOST. 57 (ACTUALLY) VEGETABLE FARMERS ATTENDED. DUMAMI PA, WE STARTED FROM ABOUT 40 BY THE END OF 14 WEEKS NAGING 57. BUT IN JANUARY OF 2025, NAG GRADUATE, NABIGYAN NG CERTIFICATE, UNFORTUNATELY HINDI NANAMAN NA-ORGANIZE YUNG 57 FARMERS. CLEARLY, MAYROONG GAPS SA PAGPAPALAKAS NG ATING MGA FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS ON THE GROUND. WHICH IS WHY I THEREFORE CONCLUDED AFTER 2 FARM FIELD SCHOOL EXPERIENCES IN A 10 YEAR OR 12 YEAR PERIOD NA HANGGAT WALANG ‘BOOTS ON THE GROUND’ ANG DA, HINDI MAPAPALAKAS NG HUSTO ANG ATING MGA MAGSASAKA AT MANGINGISDA. AT MANANATILING KAPOS, MANANATILING HINDI PRODUCTIVE, BAGSAK ANG YIELDS, KAPOS ANG KITA, IBEBENTA NA LANG ANG LUPA DAHIL KAHIT ANONG INTERVENTION NATIN SA TAAS, KUNG HINDI ORGANISADO SA BABA, PARA LANG TAYONG PURO ‘DRAWING’.
GAGASTOS NG MALAKI HINDI NAMAN MAAABSORB NG MAAYOS NG ATING FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK ORGANIZATIONS. AND THAT’S WHY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE COOPS WHICH IS WHAT WE’RE TACKLING TODAY AND THE ESTABLISHED RENATIONALIZATION OF EXTENSION SERVICE MEASURE IS LIKEWISE WHAT WE’RE TACKLING TODAY. STRUCTURAL REFORMS ANG KINAKAILANGAN NATIN PARA MAPALAKAS ANG HANAY NG MGA MAGSASAKA AT MANGINGISDA.
FOR THE INFORMATION OF SENATOR (RAFFY) TULFO, THIS IS OUR SECOND HEARING AND THEN WE HAVE HAD 1 TWG ON THE ISSUE OF HOW DO WE ORGANIZE OUR FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK BY WAY OF EXTENSION SERVICES AND BY WAY OF THE PROPOSED BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVES. MERON NA TAYONG BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE COOPS NOON, KASO NA-ABOLISH NGA NUNG DINEVOLVE ANG AGRICULTURE SA ATING MGA LGUs. SO WE WELCOME EVERYONE AND WE HOPE WE WILL HAVE A FRUITFUL DISCUSSION ON THESE TWIN MEASURES WHICH BY THE WAY THE DA HAS SUPPORTED AND THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF IN OUR MEETING TO DISCUSS FLOOR PRICES FOR PALAY. HE LIKEWISE SHARED HIS EXPERIENCES AS GOVERNOR OF ILOCOS NORTE AND HOW CRITICAL EXTENSION SERVICE AND THE ORGANIZATION OF OUR COOPS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF REALLY BRINGING AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES IN THE COUNTRY AND ACHIEVING THE MODERNIZATION OF OUR AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES.
AND IN PARTING, UNLESS WE ORGANIZE OUR FARMERS AND FISHERFOLKS, WE WILL NEVER MODERNIZE OUR AGRICULTURE. THAT’S HOW IMPORTANT THESE TWIN MEASURES ARE. ####