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[Link]

Why are rural youth leaving farming?

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Why are rural youth leaving farming?

From IFAD

Rural youth recently reported that access to information, lack of credit and negative perceptions around farming
are the leading reasons why African young people are leaving small farming at such alarming rates.

The comments came during the 2016 Youth Agribusiness, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship Summit on
Innovation (YALESI 2016), held in Dakar, Senegal from 29 to 31 in March.

The conference – which gives young African men and women living in rural areas the opportunity to discuss
key issues and learn new skills – is an initiative that came out of the IFAD-supported Global Youth Innovation
Network.

During the conference, which was co-organized by IFAD alongside the Government of Senegal and GYIN,
IFAD hosted a number of sessions on agribusiness and entrepreneurship practices, as well as shared
agribusiness and entrepreneurial know-how for over 250 African youth.
“High youth unemployment is one of the biggest problems currently affecting African youth,” said Moses
Abukari, IFAD’s Country Programme Manager and Youth Focal Point for West and Central Africa.

“When youth can’t find viable jobs in their communities, they begin to migrate from rural areas in search of
opportunities in bigger cities or different countries where they face an uncertain future,” he continued.

According to Abukari, when young people can participate in community decision-making and take management
roles in local organizations, they improve their situations while also contributing their energy and creativity to
their communities.

“Young people have many innovative ideas but are often excluded from planning and policy processes relating
to the future of rural areas,” said Abukari.

“This conference is unique because it gives young women and men, from both rural and urban areas, the tools
and skills they need to make lasting changes within their communities,” he continued.

“It serves as a platform for youth to speak about problems that directly impact their lives, but also for them to
share their solutions and successes.”

Offering youth a future in farming

With 200 million people aged between 15 and 24, Africa has the youngest population in the world.

Unemployment for youth is a growing concern. Youth account for 60 per cent of all African unemployed,
according to the World Bank. In North Africa, the youth unemployment rate is 30 per cent. It is even worse in
Botswana, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria and several other countries.

The ability of rural youth to engage in productive agricultural and non-agricultural activities has social and
economic benefits for both the young people and the economy.

However, many youth in developing and transition countries have negative perceptions of farming.

“Young people are usually not interested in this field of work, in large part due to their perception of farming
being antiquated and unprofitable,” said Abukari.

“The image of agriculture traditionally has been more about subsistence; you produce enough for you to eat. It
is not seen as a business,” he said.
Information and credit critical for young farmers

Young men and women who want to go into farming face other obstacles as well, including limited access to
information, technology, and financial services.

Banks often turn away potential farmers because they do not think that farming is a viable business, or that land
is a sufficient source of collateral. This adds to the perception that farming is not an attractive enterprise.

To help tackle the issue of access to credit, the Global Youth Business Incubator was launched during the
conference with the purpose of connecting young entrepreneurs with investors, organizations and supporters.

Also, IFAD has many different projects that establish and strengthen micro-lending institutions that give young
men and women the jump-start they need for their business.

During the conference, there were a number of presentations from rural women from IFAD-supported projects.

According to Abukari, the intentional choice to focus on young women also highlights the important role they
play in agricultural transformation.

“From different countries you can see that young people, young women especially, add a lot to the value chain
where there is a lot of opportunities,” Abukari said.

“Young women, in my opinion, are the future of small holder farmers. Every time we give youth an
opportunity, we should help women in any way we can.”
Zoeliharimalala Nirinarisoa of Madagascar is connected to PROSPERER, a project that works with rural people
in five of the country’s poorest and most densely populated regions to increase income.

Zoeliharimalala gained access to the market with her yogurt product, which she processes, packages and sells.
She added moringa to her yogurt, a crop with medicinal value, to make her product more nutritious and give it a
delicious new taste.

Her business endeavours was a success, and she now employees other members of her community.

Another panelist, named Nurat Okeowo, hailed from Nigeria.

Through the Rural Finance Institution-Building Programme (RUFIN). Nurat was able to gain access to credit,
something not usually available to a woman who did not have a high school diploma.

She was also trained by the program to manage a fish farm, and today Nurat has expanded her business
significantly. She not only has a substantially larger income, but also employees and oversees men. Nurat now
is well-respected within her community.

Another panellist was Awa Caba, a member of the Global Youth Innovative Network from Senegal. When she
participated in the Agricultural Value Chains Support Project (Projet d’appui aux filières agricoles – PAFA), a
project that integrates farmers into profitable value chains, Awa discovered that the price and market
information put in place by PAFA needed to be improved. She was successful in her role, and later became a
consultant for PAFA.

These young women represent the benefits of empowering women, and young people as a whole said Abukari.

“From different countries, you can see that young people, young women, add a lot to the value chain.”

Source: [Link]
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Agriculture needs to attract more young people

Agriculture has an image problem. For the majority of the world’s youth,
agriculture isn’t an attractive avenue of employment. Most youth think of it as
back-breaking labor without an economic pay-off and little room for career
advancement. This week in Des Moines, the World Food Prize has honored
and highlighted youth in agriculture education programs.
With an aging population of farmers, it’s clear that agriculture needs to attract
more young people. This is a global challenge: half of the farmers in the United
States are 55 years or older and the average age of farmers in sub-Saharan
Africa is around 60 years old.
The United Nations’ International Labour Organization predicts that, globally,
there will be 74.2 million unemployed young people this year, an increase of 3.8
million since 2007. The agricultural sector offers huge potential for job creation
and communicating this to youth can radically change their image of agriculture.
Youth across the world are already turning to farming and the food system for
careers. Agriculture in the 21st century means more than subsistence farming.
Today, young people can explore career options in permaculture design,
biodynamic farming, communication technologies, forecasting, marketing,
logistics, quality assurance, urban agriculture projects, food preparation,
environmental sciences, and much more.
“Increased access to education and new forms of agriculture-based enterprise
mean that young people can be a vital force for innovation in family farming,
increasing incomes and well-being for both farmers and local communities.
Young people can transform the agricultural sector by applying new technologies
and new thinking,” explains Mark Holderness, executive secretary of the Global
Forum for Agricultural Research.
Farmers, businesses, policymakers, and educators need to promote agriculture
as an intellectually stimulating and economically sustainable career while making
jobs in the agriculture and food system attractive to youth.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden recently
announced resources and policy changes designed to improve the financial
security of new and beginning farmers and ranchers, including a new online
portal that will be a one-stop resource where farmers can explore the variety of
USDA initiatives designed to help them succeed.
In Iowa, the Practical Farmers of Iowa’s beginning farmers’ program is growing
more than just crops; it is cultivating the next generation of farmers. The program
helps families transition their farm to beginning farmers by writing business plans,
facilitating access to capital, providing marketing education, offering online
seminars, on-farm field days, and more.
In Africa, One Acre Fund provides a holistic set of services to help small-scale
farmers and new agriculturalists succeed by distributing feed and fertilizer on
credit, offering training, and facilitating market access. By 2020, they hope to not
only represent Africa’s largest network of smallholder farmers but to also provide
services to at least 1 million farming families.
The Young Professionals for Agricultural Development is an international network
of young farmers contributing to innovative agricultural development. The
network is shaping the future of agriculture by providing resources and tools for
the next generation of farmers to be successful. Members can attend events,
discussions, workshops, and contests; find a mentor; and raise awareness of
agricultural careers.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development Rural Youth Talents
Program in South America is publicizing and sharing knowledge learned from
rural youth agriculture programs. Their goal is to establish and strengthen
networks of youth involved in food and agriculture.
With the growth of these and several other projects and resources, we can make
agriculture not only “cool” but also economically and environmentally sustainable
for the world’s youth.
GAIN welcome guest bloggers to our blogging platform. This blog post is
from Danielle Nierenberg, president of Food Tank. Read more about how GAIN
engage with agriculture and nutrion.
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youth-back-agriculture
4-H Club Invites Youth Back to Agriculture
Tue, 07/09/2019 - 3:26pm

Posted by:
Larry Illich N. Souribio

Some of the participants showcase their creativity during the Terrarium Glass Gardening
competition. (photo by Clemente Gabion)

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VIGAN, Ilocos Sur—Aimed at making agriculture more appealing to today’s
youth, success stories and product innovations of young farmers all over the
country were put on spotlight during the 67th Farm Youth (4-H) National
Convention.

John Lord Auman, Michael Elechicon, and John Andrew Nero were some of the
4-H Club members who shared insights and lessons learned from their
experiences as country representatives to international programs for farm youth
in Australia, South Korea, and Japan, respectively.
Christian Naman from Valencia, Bukidnon also shared his best practices and
story as the 2018 Gawad Saka Outstanding Young Farmer/Fisherfolk. Naman is
known for his fish-breeding business which he learned from his grandfather. He
is also into swine production and grows vegetables such as squash, kangkong,
taro, and string beans which are not only for their consumption but also serve as
food for the tilapia and hito that he breeds.

With this year’s theme, “BIDA 4-H! Bringing Innovation and Development in
Agriculture through 4-H Clubs”, the convention highlights the importance of the
youth, especially 4-H Club members, in improving agriculture as a profitable
enterprise.

Aside from the stories of exemplary young farmers, the event also served as an
avenue to showcase the innovative skills, creativity, and special talents of 4-H
Club members through different contests.

First place winners for the major contests were Lovely Faith Delos Santos from
Region XII for the Cacao-based Processing and Packaging Technology
competition; Ressie Umaran from Region X for Terrarium Glass Gardening; and
Kenneth Dablio from Region XII for the 4-H Promotional Video-Making contest.

For the minor contests, Joshua de Villa from Region IV-A bagged the first place
for the 4-H Himig Handog Singing and Songwriting Competition; Noriebelle
Salibad from Cordillera Administrative Region for the 4-H Quiz Bee; Mark Libuna
from Region IV-A for the Spoken Word Poetry contest; and Tommy Jones
Gepuliano from Region XII for the On-the-Spot Canvass Painting competition.

Overall winners were also awarded, with Region XII getting the championship
title and Region VII as the runner-up.

Besides the contests, different topics were also discussed in line with the four-
fold development areas of the 4-H Club (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health). For
“Head”, Kevin Cuevas of [Link] talked about “The Future of Agribusiness”
while 4-H Club National President Ricmel Falqueza presented the 4-H National
Federation community outreach report at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail for “Heart”.

For “Hands”, Gary Ayuste of Beengo Farm discussed “Organic Agriculture:

BEEginers Love at First Sting”. Lastly, for “Health”, Wilson Baniaga of Vigan City
talked about HIV/AIDS Awareness.

Delos Santos, who won the Cacao-based Processing and Packaging Technology
contest, described the event as very helpful for young people like them as it
enhances their talents and gives them the opportunity to meet people from other
regions in the country.

Reflecting on the importance of the cacao-based contest, she said “It is not about
how good your product tastes. It is about innovation. It is about how you can
maximize the resources that the Philippines has.”

Mark Vincent Arabejo from Bohol, for his part, vowed to help their 4-H Club grow
further by using his experiences from the said convention.

“I also hope that we can encourage young people here in the Philippines [to join
the 4-H Club] so they can have a good future. Because here at the 4-H Club, we
are the star!” he said.

The 67th Farm Youth National Convention was held last May 28-31, 2019 at
Hotelinda Suites, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.

In this article:
67th Farm Youth National Convention
4-H Club
cacao processing
Farm youth
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18 Young Farmers Complete Training in Japan

Mon, 02/26/2018 - 4:52pm

Posted by:
Erika Z. Vizcarra

YFFTPJ Batch 2017 leader Rudy Concepcion II, who hails from Isabela, shares some of his
memorable experiences with the ATI directorate.

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DILIMAN, Quezon City–Equipped with new knowledge and skills in farming, 18
young Filipino farmers are now ready to blaze the trail in agriculture after an
intensive 11-month training with Japanese host farmers.

These young farmers comprise Batch 2017 of the Young Filipino Farmers’
Training Program in Japan (YFFTPJ), which the Agricultural Training Institute
(ATI) implements in partnership with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry and Japan Agricultural Exchange Council.

ATI officials and staff welcomed the newly trained young farmers who arrived
from Japan on February 22. They are set to convene for a post-training
evaluation and preparation of proposals for their chosen agricultural project
where they can apply the knowledge they gained from their training.

On February 23, these young farmers shared their experiences and insights
about the training with the program management team from the ATI Partnerships
and Accreditation Division.

“I was homesick and a bit anxious in the first few months but I eventually learned
to appreciate my stay with my host family as I learned a lot from them. The
training has indeed been a happy experience for me,” 26-year-old Emerson
Ramac from Isabela said.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Jayson dela Cruz from Ilocos Norte described the
YFFTPJ as a “bridge” for young people like them to become successful farmers.

On February 26, the group made a courtesy call with ATI Officer-in-Charge
Director Luz Taposok and Deputy Director Alfredo Aton. Taposok congratulated
the young farmers in their successful training and shared how glad she is that
they were able to make it. She then urged them pursue integrated and diversified
farming systems as they develop their respective project proposals.

“Now that you’ve gained a good deal of knowledge and skills, I am sure that you
will be able to increase your production and income in the years ahead,” she
said.

The young farmers met with the coordinators of the program from the ATI
regional training centers and with Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for
High Value Crops and Rural Credit Evelyn Laviña later in the day. They are also
set to share their experiences in a group session with the YFFTPJ Batch 2018.

The YFFTPJ 2017 graduates are set to complete the post-training evaluation on
March 1, 2018.

In this article:
Young Filipino Farmers' Training Program in Japan
YFFTPJ
young farmers
Farm youth
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embrace-their-role-agri-development
Young Filipino Farmers Embrace their Role in
Agri-Development
Thu, 06/08/2017 - 11:17pm

Posted by:
Erika Z. Vizcarra

Rudy Concepcion (second from left), with fellow YFFTPJ trainees, during a lecture at the Int'l
Training Center on Pig Husbandry.

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In today’s technologically-driven society, millennials seem to be more inclined to
seek jobs in the cityscape. However, a group of young farmers in our countryside
are stepping up, hoping to create a revolution by going against the grain and
aiming for the sustainable.

Part of this group is 21-year-old Rudy Concepcion II of Cauayan, Isabela. For

him, agriculture is key to securing the future of the next generations, despite what
other young people might perceive of it.
“Agriculture is one of the foundations of our nation and the lifeblood of our
economy. If there is no agriculture, we are nothing. Life is secured in agriculture
and the earlier we train our youth on farming, the better,” he said.

In April 2017, Rudy welcomed a big opportunity to learn new techniques and
enhance his skills on farming through the ASEAN Young Farmer Leaders
Training Program in Japan. He was qualified for the program along with other 18
Filipino delegates. This was after they passed the program’s Philippine
counterpart, the Young Filipino Farmers’ Training Program in Japan (YFFTPJ).

Managed by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), in collaboration with the

Japan Agricultural Exchange Council and the Japan Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, the YFFTPJ offers an 11-month on-farm training with
Japanese host farmers to young male farmers aged 20-27 years old and at least
high school graduates. The training is aimed at enhancing leadership potentials
in agriculture and fisheries through the exchange of knowledge on farming
techniques and practices.

“This is our chance to train ourselves to become better in agriculture and improve
our lives. We get to learn about new technologies that we can apply here, not
only for ourselves but also for those in need,” expressed Rudy. He furthered that
Japan has been the country’s ally in many things, exemplifying the importance of
collaboration and they are very generous as well for opening their doors to young
Filipino farmers.

With both parents as farmers, Rudy had his heart set on agriculture since he was
young. He wanted to pursue farming even when his father passed away when he
was still six months old. This is why he took a two-year course in agricultural
technology after graduating high school.

With his older brother and brother-in-law, Rudy has been managing their 1.5-
hectare integrated farm that sustains their daily needs. In 2013, he became a
member of the 4-H Club in their locality.

Last year, he took his chances at the YFFTPJ but had been told that he lacked
agricultural experience. Instead of losing heart, Rudy dedicated an entire year to
learn more about this field. Now, he has finished the program’s 75-day
preparatory course and is training with a Japanese farming family.

“We understood and discovered many things. But we also faced challenges that
tested our limits. Amid this, there are still many people who believed in us, who
believed that we can do whatever it is we had to do. These challenges became
the ‘x factor’ for us to trust and believe in the capabilities of one another. One’s
excellence is also the excellence of the others. Our skills and values were honed
and we became a group, a brotherhood,” Rudy shared during his speech in the
graduation ceremony of their Pre-Departure Orientation Course last April 10,
2017.

Serving as the batch president of this year’s YFFTPJ trainees, Rudy said that he
learned a lot about leadership especially in terms of problem-solving and dealing
with different types of personality.

“I think I’ve become mature because of the responsibilities I had. I’ve learned to
tap into my creativity in these past few months. I’ve also become more caring
about others and realized the importance of maximizing my time,” he shared.

Realizing the truth to the statement ‘time is gold’, Rudy said he is doing what he
can to make every second count. When he finishes his training in Japan, he
added that he plans to expand their farm and hopefully increase their production
and excel as an entrepreneur.

“I will be experiencing a different culture in Japan so I’m slightly nervous but I’m
mostly excited to learn about new farming technologies. I am grateful for this
program as it emphasizes that everything should really start with the youth,” he
said.

In this article:
YFFTPJ
Agri-preneur
Farm youth
Japan Agricultural Exchange
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Inspiring youth in agriculture
POSTED ON DEC - 19 - 2018
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Oftentimes,
people reckon that knowledge and skills in farming must come with years of experience. Truth is, while wisdom
comes with age, the youth, when given the right opportunity, can actually become a strong force in the farming
sector.
This is how the Candon Youth Movement (CYM) in Ilocos Sur molded their members to become brave farm
ambassadors.
Noble beginnings
CYM is a youth organization that champions young people and their skills in helping build a better community.
Candon Sangguniang Panglunsod member Joan Valdez, founder of CYM, said they wish to help the youth grow so
they can freely express themselves, develop leadership skills, gain marketable skills, and widen their social circle.
“Our group started giving out slippers to those who don’t have any. We believe that through this simple act, they
can have more dignity to move around and socialize in their respective schools and be more effective in pursuing
their dreams,” Valdez recounted.
Since its conception, CYM grew with more than 50 members who actively engage in the organization’s activities.
They also campaign for relevant social issues such as HIV/AIDS awareness, importance of education, and gender
sensitivity. They also help during calamities and conduct youth capacity enhancement.
Farming as an advocacy
Trying to address societal concerns, CYM had engaged in agriculture through collaborations.
In 2015, PhilRice Batac station invited the CYM members to attend its farmers’ field day.
“We believe the young people have an important role in addressing the agriculture’s problem on aging farmers.
After the field day, their members expressed their appreciation for agriculture, and that they acknowledged that they
can also be involved in farming,” Dr. Reynaldo Castro, PhilRice Batac station said.
Sustaining the youth’s interest, PhilRice Batac invited them to a hands-on training on rice and rice-based farming
technologies or the Palayamanan system.
After the training, the group formed the CYM Palayamanan Farmbassador Program, which officially started in June
2016.
“Fifteen of our members signified their interest in this program. They participated in the program as they want to
help farmers in Candon City, who are generally poor and has an average yield of less than 4 t/ha. [They were also
bothered that] we only have a number of local agriculture extension workers and services,” Valdez said.
In partnership with PhilRice Batac and the Candon San Juan de Sahagun Palayamanan Farmers’ Association, the CYM
Farmbassadors have established a technology demonstration farm in Brgy. Caterman where they implemented the
production technology package for rice and off-season vegetables.
Engr. Rafael Abaya, farmer-leader of the Palayamanan site in Candon City served as their adviser. The group use his
farm as a learning site and they also gain knowledge from farmer-members of their association; forming a seamless
and fruitful youth-adult synergy!
Brave extension agents
Stepping up their game, CYM Farmbassadors organized a 3-ha Palayamanan challenge among the farmers of Sitio
Quimmarayan in Caterman, including their group. This was patterned from PhilRice’s 10-5 challenge, in which
contenders need to produce 10 t/ha yield at only P5 input cost per kg of palay. Two farmers accepted their
challenge using their own field practice while the Farmbassadors used the principles of integrated crop management
(ICM).
“The Farmbassadors gained respect from the farmers as the youth were eager in showcasing their technology. [The
farmers were also impressed] with their dedication and passion for farming,” Castro said.
These young people also introduced farming technologies in five more barangays in Candon.
“We partnered with farmers so we could showcase modified dapog, the importance of well-leveled field, minus one
element technique, use of high quality seeds, and integrated pest and nutrient management,” Valdez said.
The work of CYM Ambassadors eventually called the attention of other agriculture enthusiasts. They were invited as
resource persons in local and national radio programs and were featured in agriculture online and print media
publications. They were also one of the plenary speakers during the 30th National Rice R4D Conference at PhilRice
Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija this year, alongside veteran rice and rice-based farmers in the country.
Valdez also said that the first batch of Farmbassadors now manages a TESDA Farm School in Salcedo, Ilocos, Sur;
some have continued taking NCIII trainings with TESDA and are now serving as farm technicians; some are leading
Sangguninang Kabataan groups in their barangays; and others persevere in helping their farming communities
through teaching different production technologies.
Their techno-demo farm was also regularly visited by government and non-government executives.
After his visit, National Youth Commissioner James Ventura emphasized in his article that the CYM played well in
rekindling the youth’s love for farming.
“Surprisingly, their membership comes from an array of courses but they all come together to learn how to farm and
practice this learning. We are glad some good people are finally tilling the soil more properly – and that these are
young people,” Ventura wrote.
Hard work pays off
The Farmbassadors have also ventured into selling their farm produce. Their market proceeds are used for their
campaigns and advocacies such as feeding programs, medical missions, and lectures on timely issues in the remote
areas in Ilocos Sur.
They were also among the national qualifiers for the Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Category of the Ten
Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards, an award-giving body that recognizes and supports the
outstanding contribution of youth organizations in the country.
Meanwhile, the research study The Farmbassadors: Assuring Food Security for Tomorrow by Silvestre Briones, Maribel
Alupay, Reynaldo Castro, and Joan Valdez was awarded 3rd best paper under the development category during the
30th Regional Symposium on R&D Highlights held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in Bacnotan, La
Union last Nov 27-29.
However, the fruits of their labor went far more than the income nor the recognition they received.
“I think the best benefit I gained from joining Farmbassadors is that I’ve learned so many things, ideas, and
experienced farming. Now, I have some knowledge to share with my parents and relatives whose main source of
income is farming,” Jenna Joy Galanto, 20,
Indeed, there’s more to the youth than meets the eye.
WRITTEN BY ANNA MARIE BAUTISTA
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matter
Rosales and Pangasinan: Roots – why they matter
27SHARES10
HINDSIGHT - F. Sionil Jose (The Philippine Star) - March 17, 2014 - 12:00am
I brought the young writers, Francezka Kwe and her husband, Cris Lacaba to Rosales the
other week to show them the barrio where I was born and all the way to the North, to the
town of Cabugao, in Ilokos Sur, where my grandfather came from.

I was the godfather at their wedding; both are very talented and I hold for them great
expectations. It is not the first time I have brought friends, students and foreigners to these
niches I know best. In fact, my wife and I often visit Rosales and the Ilokos as a matter of
habit or whim induced by nostalgia, homesickness — whatever draws pilgrims to
worshipped sanctuaries. Or, perhaps, what compels moths to seek the votive flame.

In Rosales, I showed them the creeks where I swam, the water tank and the mountain I
climbed, and the old buildings that I reinvented in the Rosales saga, and finally the irenic
village where I grew up. Then we proceeded to Tayug, where the Colorum uprising
erupted in 1931, onwards to Asingan — the birthplace of President Fidel V. Ramos
whose father, the late Foreign Minister Narcisco Ramos lectured to me on that peasant
revolt. We passed Binalonan, the birthplace of Carlos Bulosan, and Bauang, in La Union,
the birthplace of another brilliant Ilokano writer, Manuel Arguilla. I often muse what great
literature Arguilla would have written if the Japanese did not kill him the way Rizal was
executed at the prime of his life by the Spaniards.

Then onwards to the beautiful Ilokos country, the well groomed fields, the clean orderly
towns, and some of the most architecturally wondrous churches in the country. In Vigan,
they bought hand-woven Iloko cloth and in Laoag, my wife bought a few kilos of the
Ilokano delicacy, bagnet (deep fried pork chunks) with which she flavors her pinakbet.

Then all the archaic rhetoric on literature, history, nation — a boring monologue I
didn’t need to repeat but as an old teacher, I always do.

Rosales is close to the borders of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. My forefathers were Ilokanos
who migrated to this part of the province at the turn of the 19th century; they had intended
to go to the Cagayan Valley but were enamored of the lure of the verdant plains of eastern
Pangasinan and they decided to settle there instead.

In the early Thirties, the Ilokanos came in their bullcarts with their plows, the uprooted
posts of their houses and weaving looms. They parked in the town plaza for the night. Not
all were Ilokanos; some were Pangasinan traders with coconut candy (bocayo) salted fish,
shrimp and salt to sell.

Having read Rizal’s novels in grade school, I got interested in our history, in the
Revolution of 1896 after I learned that my grandfather was in it. I read how the railroad to
Dagupan was built, the flight of Aguinaldo to Bayambang then on to the Ilokos, and across
Tirad Pass after the collapse of the Malolos Republic. In the account of that hegira,
Aguinaldo’s aide Colonel Villa, the father of the poet Jose Garcia Villa, described the
town of San Carlos still surrounded by jungle. This was, mind you, in 1899. I retrieved
such details for Poon, the first novel in my Rosales saga. In that novel, too, there is a girl
from Lingayen whose family was killed by pirates off the Ilokos coast. This heroic woman
becomes the wife of Istak, the novel’s main character, who follows Aguinaldo to Tirad
Pass.

Pangasinan, one of the richest and the largest province in the country, is a focal point of
our history. It is here were Limahong the Chinese privateer was based before the
Spaniards came, where Princess Urduja — whether real or not — reigned, where
Palaris fought the Spaniards. In Lingayen Gulf in 1941, the Japanese landed and the
Americans and MacArthur returned to it in 1945.

Pangasinan as a literary language is waning. It should not; there is an effort now to revive
it. Santiago B. Villafania who published recently a book of poems in Pangasinan is moving
heaven and earth to preserve it. One of these days, there will be a Center for Pangasinan
Studies — the cultural contribution of the people of Pangasinan to the national trove.
Governor Amado Espino, Jr. is very much interested in this project.

This is most admirable; most Filipino leaders do not consider literature important — to
them it is only storytelling and, therefore, mere entertainment. Moreover, although our
national hero was a novelist, Filipinos do not read novels.

Writers are historians, too. It is in literature that the greater truths about a people and their
past are found. Perceptive scholars read the literatures of societies they are studying for
this reason, and more — a people’s culture is best dredged and understood from
their literature.

Writers are also the ultimate teachers for it is only in literature that we learn ethics — not
in classes in religion or theology. The literary depiction of life and its moral dilemmas
compel us to use our conscience, to make those infallible distinctions between right and
wrong.

Today, more than anytime in our history, we need to be ethical. More than this vital
function, literature in its evocation of time and place anchors us tenaciously to the land. It
helps construct that sense of identity and preserve our racial memory without which there
is no nation.

What is our history? It is so many centuries of colonialism, of Filipinos oppressed by

foreign powers. Colonialism subdues in many dulcet guises. It conquered under the
pretext of spreading Christianity, civilization, law and order, to make the world safe for
democracy

What is the logic of colonialism? It is very simple — exploitation. The imperialist has no
compunction about exploiting a people then sending his loot to his native land. When I
visited Spain for the first time in 1955, I saw those magnificent churches, even the
humblest chapels, and found their altars gorgeously gilded with silver. I realized then that
that silver was plundered by the conquistador from Mexico, from South America.

If colonialism, by whatever devious way it seduces, is exploitation, therefore, colonialism

is immoral. There are so many among us who apologize for Spanish or American
colonialism. As Rizal also said, slaves get to love their chains.

The agrarian problem still rankles. From the Spanish regime onwards, peasant uprisings
were common all over Filipinas. My forefathers, unlettered Ilokano peasants who migrated
to eastern Pangasinan were victimized by the mestizo ilustrados who stole the land my
forebears clawed from the forest. In 1931 the Colorum peasant uprising that erupted in
Tayug in 1931 was soon followed in 1935 by the Sakdal revolt that engulfed parts of
Laguna, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija then, the Huk uprising in 1949-1953. All these were
inevitable precursors of the New People’s Army rebellion which exacerbates and
torments us to this very day.

Our foreign colonizers have gone. But they left behind their true believers, their enduring
acolytes, our elites whom they used, who collaborated with them. It is these elites who are
now the holders of wealth, of power, who hold hostage our political system. Verily, a
nation does not have to be a colony of a foreign power — it can be the colony of its own
leaders, its oligarchy.

This is what created our national malaise, the reason for our poverty. For so many
decades, the solution? Patriotism in action, not words. This, the Filipino peasant
understands instinctively. Pedro Calosa who led the Colorum uprising in Tayug in 1931
explained it so succinctly, so simply. “God created land, air and water for all men, not
just for one man or one family. It is against God’s laws for one man or one family to
own all of it.―

Patriotism is to be lived, it is not just the flag, or the singing of the national anthem. The
nationalist icons of my generation Recto and Tañada, were merely anti-American; both
opposed agrarian reform in the Fifties, the single most important political action that would
have provided social justice for the millions who are oppressed.

Patriotism is education, the wisdom for us to elect public officials we can be proud of, not
ignoramus movie stars and basketball players. Patriotism means being rooted in this soil
and acting out the truth, which is justice in action. This justice is not an abstraction. For
our very poor it is three meals a day, education for our children, medicine and medical
care for the poor who are sick. When government cannot give these to its citizens, it
commits violence.

How long will it take us to turn this country around? Look at Vietnam now; after it had
resolved its internal contradictions and defeated the Americans in 1975 — it is well on the
way to progress, it could even surpass us. Look at Japan after the Meiji Restoration in
1886 — in 30 years, it had become a major power, defeating Russia in 1901. Look at
Korea, Taiwan, even Japan again after World War II. After the rubble of the Korean war in
1953, or the flight of the Nationalists to Taiwan in 1949, in one generation they were able
to develop dynamic societies. And Singapore next door—what was it in the 1950s? No
more than a backwater port not much different from Binondo. Look at Singapore now, and
weep.

It is not just regime change that altered these countries. It is vision, leadership and most
important, education, the capacity of a people to lift themselves from the dungheap.

It is not just the oligarchy then that is the enemy — it is us, ourselves. And education will
help resolve our difficulties, catapult us towards prosperity and peace. My generation was
influenced by barnacled ideas, by Marxism, by anti-Americanism which in some instances
is legitimate, but these ideologies are not enough.

Education is not just learning how to produce cheaper and better products as did Korea
and Taiwan. It has to do with our insides, our guts. It involves imbibing in our bloodstream
iron confidence, deep and lasting pride in our sinews so that our very rich won’t send
their moneys abroad. They will then stop erecting shopping malls, fancy condominiums,
plush resorts and golf courses; they will start building instead more factories, more
research facilities, so that our brilliant young people will stay. How wonderful it would be if
our banks do not behave like pawn shops but as sources of venture capital, if our
businessmen realize that money must be used for production, not consumption.

We are now a hundred million — just think of this population not as a liability but as an
asset, a mass market. Remember, too, that Japan was only 60 million when it challenged
the United States in 1941. We don’t need to challenge a foreign power — all we have
to do now is challenge ourselves.

We have many things to be proud of, not just Manny Pacquiao. A corrupt leadership?
Ramon Magsaysay, Jose W. Diokno, Manny Pelaez — Raul Manglapus — just a few
sterling names to wash away that perception. Just think of our history — of our recent
past. Remember the Battle of Tirad Pass in December in 1899, where the young general
Gregorio del Pilar and 48 of his men died defending it against the invading American
Texas Rangers. It is no different from the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece, where
King Leonidas and his Spartans died to a man defending that pass against the invading
Persians.

We mounted the first Asian revolution against Western imperialism and set up Asia’s
first Republic in Malolos in 1898. More than any country in Southeast Asia, we fought the
Japanese bravely, in World War II. Not just in Bataan but in a nationwide guerrilla war. All
of this is forgotten. And Rizal — what country has ever produced someone like him, a
poet, a novelist, a linguist, a medical doctor, an anthropologist and a martyr at 35?
Many of us who think we are rootless spend so much time searching, traveling, seeking
ourselves, the very meaning of our existence. But all of us have roots, maybe not in a
given place or time, but in ideals which give direction to our lives.

Our traveling then is not across vast distances, but inward, in the mind and the spirit.
Many find the self soon enough before they die; for others, it is perhaps in death itself that
they find peace and themselves.

Yes, there is indeed a place called Rosales — and though I no longer live there, it is still
very much in my mind and heart. As for belief and faith, I am always haunted by that
Nietzschean injunction, “that convictions are prisons.―

The imagination and the intellect — how can they ever be caged? And much as I can
identify myself with a place, a race, I always meander away from these in search not so
much for new experiences or knowledge but for answers to questions both obvious and
unstated as yet, questions asked by the ancients and us about ourselves, the unlived life,
the unexamined experience, and beyond these — the nature of the cosmos, of infinity, of
God. I am secure in what I am and what I am doing, but as long as there is this breath in
me, I will continue searching, searching, I hope that my two godchildren have started on
this journey, so that in this lonely process of seeking, they will record each mile in .prose
and poetry and fulfill themselves as well.

Read more at [Link]

pangasinan-roots-why-they-matter#584347QM4KZrcIvj.99
8
[Link]

Las Piñas: The City of Love and Progress

by Jhaypee Guia on October 16, 2012
Photo from [Link]

Saint Joseph Parish Church, Las Piñas - Home of the Famous Bamboo Organ
The City of Las Piñas is one of the cities that can be found in the National Capital Region. The city has
many nicknames such as Home of the Bamboo Organ, City of Love and Progress, Salt Center of Metro
Manila, and the Lantern Capital of Metro Manila. It only proves that the city is one of the most improved
and progressive cities in the region.

The city is well-known for its Bamboo Organ, located inside the St. Joseph Church of the Parish of Las
Piñas, formerly known as the San Jose Parish Church in the Spanish Period, as the only organ of its
kind in the world. Built in 1824 by a Catholic priest, Fr. Diego Cera, created out of bamboo, wood, and
metal, this famous organ is praised for its unique, rare, and melodious sound.

Las Piñas is bounded on the north and northeast by Parañaque; on the east and southeast by
Muntinlupa; on the south by Imus; on the southwest and west by Bacoor; and on the northwest by
the scenic Manila Bay. Half of its land area is residential and the remaining half is used for commercial,
industrial and institutional purposes. The present physiography of Las Piñas consists of three zones:
Manila Bay, coastal margin and Guadalupe Plateau.

The city is bisected by Real (Spanish for Royal) Street, also known as the Alabang-Zapote Road. It
forms part of the Maharlika Highway which spans the whole country. The Alabang–Zapote Road
connects the South Luzon Expressway which passes through Muntinlupa in the east to the Coastal
Road along Manila Bay.

The Coastal Road, despite its name, is a major tollway which runs the southern length of Metro Manila's
shoreline with Manila Bay. It is an important artery for people commuting to and from Las Piñas and
Cavite to Manila.

In 2004, a new road called "Daang Hari" (Tagalog for King's Way) was completed in the eastern part
of Las Piñas, which connects the city to the neighboring cities of Bacoor, Cavite, Muntinlupa, and the
municipality of San Pedro, Laguna allowing residents to avoid heavy traffic in the Zapote and Alabang
(Muntinlupa) districts. Daang Hari is a popular route for cyclists, especially on weekends.

Las Piñas currently bans Plastics and Styrofoam for packaging like its neighboring city, Muntinlupa.

The City

Since its establishment as a small fishing port and a major salt-making center during the Spanish Era,
Las Piñas has grown into an important residential, commercial and industrial suburb of Metro Manila.

The Sarao Motors factory is also located in Las Piñas, the place where Jeepneys are assembled piece
by piece in painstaking individual production. The factory remains open to buyers and curious visitors
all year round.

Las Piñas has a large shopping mall named SM Southmall, which has an area of 205,120 square meters
and is located along Alabang–Zapote Road. The newest shopping mall development in the city is SM
Center Las Piñas, located few meters away from the City Hall. The first high rise building in the city is
16 story residential building Almanza Metropolis.

Las Piñas, also known as one of the cleanest cities in Metro Manila, is in the list of the "Clean and
Green Hall of Fame" awarded by the Philippine Government. It is also the first local government unit
in the Philippines that has been honored with the prestigious Global 500 Roll of Honor of the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP). These honors were in recognition of the city's outstanding
achievements in the protection and improvement of the environment.

Las Piñas has recently acquired the status "Most Competitive City" in the Philippines, together with
Davao City, Makati, Muntinlupa and Marikina.

Etymology

The story about the true origin of the city's name, "Las Piñas", varies. Some said that traders from the
province of Cavite and Batangas shipped first their piña (pineapples) for sale to this town before they
are distributed in nearby markets. Others related that it was "Las Peñas" (not Las Piñas) evident by
the quarrying of stones and adobe which were used to construct buildings and bridges. The name
could have also originated from two political groups that ruled the place at that time.

But an inscription in an old church bell that has been preserved inside the museum of the Las Piñas
Parochial Church, stated "Siendo Cura-del Pueblo de las Peñas el M.R.P. Padre Diego Cera se Fundio
este equilon ano de 1820". It shows that even during the time of Fr. Diego Cera, the town's first parish
priest, the town has been called "Las Peñas" until after some time that the spelling of the town's name
was changed into "Las Piñas".

Brief History

Las Piñas was one of the earliest fishing settlements on the shores of Manila Bay and was proclaimed
a town either in 1762 or 1797. Its exact date of creation cannot be ascertained because historical
records vary. Cavada, a Spanish historian and Fr. Juan Medina placed it at 1762, while Buzeta recorded
the date at 1797.

Besides being famous for its Bamboo Organ, which was built by Fr. Diego Cera and completed in 1824,
the town of Las Piñas was also a major war theater during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, as it was
occupied by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's forces. Las Piñas was also, occupied by the Japanese during the
Second World War, to be followed by the liberation period, when the combined Filipino and American
forces fought the Japanese Imperial armed forces until the end of war.

In 1901, the Municipality of Las Piñas was incorporated from Cavite to the newly created province of
Rizal pursuant to Philippine Commission Act No. 137. Two years later, it was combined with Parañaque,
the latter being the seat of a new municipal government.

It became a separate municipality from Parañaque on March 27, 1907 by virtue of the Philippine
Commission Act No. 1625. Then, with the founding of the Metropolitan Manila Area (Metro Manila in
short) in 1976, Las Piñas became one of the municipalities making up the region.

On February 12, 1997, President Fidel V. Ramos signed the bill declaring Las Piñas a new city. A
plebiscite held a month after found the residents in approval of cityhood and Las Piñas became the
10th city of Metro Manila on March 26, 1997.

Tourist Attractions

Bamboo Organ

 This unique bamboo organ can only be found inside the St. Joseph Church of the Parish of Las
Piñas. It was in the year 1822 that the construction of this one of a kind instrument started. Fr.
Diego Cera initiated building this organ using bamboo, wood and metal. To date, this world
famous organ is praised for its unique, rare and melodious sound, that every year, a Bamboo
Organ Festival is being held at the Parish during the month of February.

The Las Piñas Historical Corridor

 In an effort to prime Las Piñas as a tourism and cultural site able to attract local and foreign
investors, Senator Manny and Congresswoman Cynthia Villar and Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar
initiated the Las Piñas Historical Corridor Project, a restoration and preservation of old historical
and cultural landmarks of the City.
 The project involves physical and cultural transformation, bringing back and showcases the
picturesque aspects of Spanish colonial heritage.

Zapote Bridge

 The Battle of Zapote Bridge on February 16, 1897 was one of the turning points of the Philippine
Revolution of 1896. The clash proved to be the signal event that turned the tide against Filipino
 revolutionaries, but it was one also of the epic battles of the Revolution when Filipino gallantry
and heroism shone its brightest in the face of superior Spanish forces.

Nature Church

 Nature Church is built on a 4000 square meter mango orchard, consisting of the church proper,
school buildings, a confessional and counseling center and a wide expanse of a well-maintained
park and garden. Church architecture was designed by one of the country's noted architects
Bobby Mañoza. Just at the back of the altar is the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (PEA) Chapel
where devotees religiously make their daily 24-hour vigil to the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

Salt Beds

 The city is noted for its salt-making industry making it as the salt center in Metro Manila for the
past years. In the 1980s, this industry has been greatly affected by the construction of the
Coastal Road and reclamation project along the Manila Bay. Today, only a few salt beds remain
and only those nearest the seashore remains productive such as those in Barangays Manuyo
Uno, Daniel Fajardo, E. Aldana and Ilaya.

Sarao Jeepney Factory

 Las Piñas has been recognized as the jeep producing center of the metropolis if not of the whole
country. Most original jeepneys are manufactured in this town. The Sarao and Francisco jeepney
factories started business transforming the G.I. jeeps into commuter transportation. Several
other companies are likewise engaged in the same business of building the world-famous
Philippine mode of transportation.

Culture

Las Piñas City is home to unique festivals like the "Bamboo Organ Festival", "Waterlily Festival",
"Bamboo Festival" and "Parol (Lantern) Festival".

Transportation

Rail Transport

Las Piñas City will soon be served by the LRT-1 (via Manuyo Uno Station and Las Piñas Station).

Road Network

Las Piñas City is accessible through these major roads:

 Aguinaldo Highway
 Alabang-Zapote Road
 Carlos P. Garcia Avenue (C-5 Road Extension)
 Daang Hari (Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Cavite, Laguna Link Road)
 J. Aguilar Avenue
 Manila-Cavite Expressway
 Marcos Alvarez Avenue
  Padre Diego Cera Avenue (Quirino Avenue)

There are several bus lines linking Las Piñas and Metro Manila. Bus services that operate in Las Piñas
including Tas Trans Corp./Bensan Trans, Reinalyn Bus Lines, WLH Trans/WLLH Liner, Erjohn And
Almark Transit Corp., MJ Sunville Transport, Arabia Boy Express & ALTRANSCO and various jeepney
routes also ply the roads between the city and neighboring cities and towns in Parañaque, Muntinlupa
& Cavite .
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9
Understanding the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or
RA 11203

Author: DA Communications Group | 10 September 2019

1. Is “rice tariffication” a new policy measure?

No. Rice tarrification was put forward as early as 1986 by a group of economists from the University of the
Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB), when they wrote a compendium of policy papers that comprised the “Agenda
for Action for the Philippine Rural Sector” or “Green Book.”

It was written during the Aquino administration to dismantle the monopolistic enterprises that controlled
specific agricultural commodities during the 14-year (1972 to 1986) martial rule of Marcos.

One of those commodities was rice, wherein the “Green Book” recommended the lifting of the monopoly on
rice trading of then National Grains Authority (now National Food Authority), allowing greater private sector
participation.

2. Why is rice tariffication preferred to the lifting of quantitative restrictions (QRs) on rice imports (or
import bans)?
Rice tariffication is desirable because it is a far superior policy instrument.

It is transparent. Any individual or group willing to pay for the tariff can import rice.

On the other hand, import quotas or QRs are opaque transactions, particularly if these are government-to-
government (G-to-G), and hence breeds corrupt practices.

3. Then why did not the previous governments implement rice tariffication immediately?

They feared then that it would hurt palay farmers because the entry of cheap imported rice would pull
down palay prices. A simulation exercise done by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, a
government think-tank, as early as 2015 on the impact of rice tariffication showed that palay prices would fall
with the entry of cheap rice imports. In addition, the study indicated the volume of rice imports that will enter
the country at varying tariff levels and recommended the appropriate tariff that should be imposed to afford
protection to our rice farmers.

The ‘Left’ then was a considerable force to reckon with in policy making during that time, and their populist
perspective was accepted as sound policy advice, particularly during the Cory administration.

President Ramos took a different tack when he pushed for the membership of the country in the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in 1994. A necessary part of our ascension to the WTO was the liberalization of
agricultural trading, including rice.

We availed of the exception (under the WTO agreement) for rice import for 10 years to allow government to
put in place the necessary productivity-enhancing measures to protect our palay farmers and make them
globally competitive.

That was the reason why the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (AFMA) or
Republic Act 8435, and the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) lending program were
enacted and created, respectively.

4. Did we do our homework of improving the production efficiency of palay farmers?

Unfortunately, we did not. Hence, after the 10-year grace period, we applied for another 10-year exemption
(though this required sacrificing other agricultural producers through lower tariffs) from the lifting of our rice
QR. The 20-year grace period ended in 2014, during the time of former DA Secretary Proceso Alcala (under the
administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III), and we were no longer allowed by WTO to extend the QR.
We resorted to various legal measures such as declaration of emergency situation, imposing non-tariff barriers
(NTBs), or sacrificing more products through lower tariffs in exchange for maintaining the rice QRs.

5. If we are rice self-sufficient, why is there a need to import?

We are not self-sufficient in rice. We are importing an average of five to 10 percent of our rice requirements,
depending on the weather, because we cannot produce enough. Successive DA secretaries promised to attain
rice self-sufficiency, but all failed.

6. But have we not devoted enough resources to make us rice self-sufficient?

A public expenditure review of the DA budget conducted by the World Bank during the last DA leadership
showed that almost 70% of the Department’s budget went to funding rice-related activities. This is the reason
why the development of other crops, where the country has comparative advantages, had
been neglected because most of DA resources went to rice productivity-enhancement programs.

7. Then, why has not rice productivity shot up to at least equal Thailand or Vietnam?

There are a number of factors, but two of these stand out:

First and foremost, we don’t have huge compact flatlands blessed with adequate irrigation. We don’t enjoy
economies of scale. We don’t have a Mekong River—the 12th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in
Asia—that flows through six countries: China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The Philippines is archipelagic with a lot of mountainous areas.

Second, our population is rapidly increasing, which means we have more mouths to feed.

Third is corruption, where beneficiaries have not been provided proper assistance (i.e., fertilizer, seeds, etc.).

8. What about the NFA?

Its role is to stabilize palay prices: Buy high, Sell low — a formula for financial bankruptcy. The NFA’s debt
rose to more than P150B during Secretary Alcala’s leadership. This worried a lot our financial managers.

The NFA was and currently is not effective in its price stabilization role, because it can only buy an average of
two to four percent (2-4%) of the country’s total palay output.

What it normally does to fill up the supply gap is to import, because it has the monopolistic right to do so.

It does earn a lot of money for those engaged in this import business. Aside from the commissions obtained per
kilo of imported rice from wholesalers, there are contracts to bid out down the whole supply chain of rice
importation (i.e., shipping, stevedoring, tracking, barging, bagging, warehousing, fumigation, etc.).

Moreover, there are reports of collusion between NFA personnel and unscrupulous traders, where the NFA
buys palay at subsidized prices for a commission, instead of purchasing directly from small farmers.

Also, the NFA rice when sold in the market benefits the relatively well-off consumers, instead of the poorest
families in urban areas.
9. What is the impact of NFA’s intervention in the market?

Mainly because of the QR or import ban instrument, the NFA has artificially kept palay prices up, benefiting
farmers; and at the same time pushed up rice prices higher for consumers.

Particularly, skyrocketing rice prices occur when the NFA makes a mistake in deciding when rice imports
should come in.

As we have seen it early this year, the high price of rice was a key contributor to our high inflation rate,
worrying our economic managers.

Moreover, NFA’s continuing insolvency is a perennial headache for our economic managers, who see no
solution for it.

Worse, instead of inducing economic efficiency, infusion of more money to NFA is like “throwing more money
after a bad investment decision.” It is simply not financially viable. Then, the question is why not spend money
where the investment can make the situation better, even if it bleeds the economy in the short-term?

10. Is the RTA the solution?

It is. It is required. The Philippines has to abide by its international trade agreement obligation in order to spare
it from being economically-sanctioned by its trading partners.

That is the reason why our economic managers championed its passage, though opposed by the previous DA
Secretary.

11. Did our economic managers consider the adverse impact of the RTA (i.e., falling palay prices) when
they pushed for its passage?

Are they callous to the plight of rice farmers — in their desire to lower prices to benefit consumers and
arrest inflation?

The fall in the palay prices was expected.

Anybody who knows his basic economics will foresee the price plunge.

Seeing such, our economic managers pushed for the creation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF) and wanted its implementation immediately after the passage of the RTA.

They argued for the immediate completion of the national rice roadmap to guide how government funds should
be programmed to fully support the plan. They wanted the completion of the “farmers’ registry” or the Registry
System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), which has been in the doldrums since Alcala’s leadership at
the DA.
The RSBSA is an indispensable tool to successfully implement the “cash income transfer” program, and more
importantly, help eligible farmer-beneficiaries.

The economic team also pushed for the reorganization of the NFA, including deciding on the volume of buffer
stock that should be maintained by NFA for emergency purposes.

They even approached a multilateral financial institution to specifically package a program that would increase
government financial resources, and thus help more rice farmers during the adjustment period. The response of
past DA leaders had been lukewarm.
10
 Pagkain, kapakanan ng magsasaka:
mga pangamba sa rice tariffication
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 19 2019 08:01 PM | Updated as of Feb 19 2019 08:23 PM

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Maaaring mas paboran ng rice tariffication law, o batas na mag-aalis ng limitasyon sa inaangkat na bigas, ang mga
negosyante kaysa ang mga magsasaka, ayon sa isang dating kalihim ng gobyerno.

Ito ay matapos ikatuwiran ng gobyerno na mas makikinabang ang mga magsasaka sa mas mataas na buwis na
ipapataw sa iaangkat na bigas.

Ayon kay dating Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rafael Mariano, maaaring mas paboran ng mga
trader ang interes ng kanilang negosyo kaysa ang seguridad sa pagkain.

Kaakibat din kasi ng naturang batas ang malayang pag-e-export ng bigas.

"Baka nga ang mangyari, nasa gitna pa lang 'yung barko ng imported rice, papunta pa lang dito sa atin, tapos sumipa
nang pataas 'yung presyo sa world market, baka ibalik na 'yung barko eh, i-export na, hindi na darating dito sa atin,"
ani Mariano.

Bukod dito, muling iginiit ni Mariano na mapanganib ang pagbabasura sa kapangyarihan ng NFA na mamahala sa
supply at bentahan ng bigas sa bansa.

 'Mga trabahador sa NFA nangangambang maalis dahil sa rice tariffication'

Pero iginiit ng Department of Finance (DOF) na may importante pa ring tungkulin ang NFA sa ilalim ng rice
tariffication law, partikular na sa buffer stock.

“The rice tariffication law emphasizes the role, the vital role of NFA in emergency buffer stocking. Dahil
napakahalaga na 'yung mga lugar na nasasalanta ay magkaroon ng access sa bigas. It is our country's staple,” ani
Finance Undersecretary Tony Lambino.

Tingin naman ni Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio na palulubhain ng rice
tariffication ang kahirapan at gutom at papayamanin nito ang mga rice cartel sa bansa.

"The enactment of the rice tariffication law will be another broken promise by the Duterte administration as this
measure will only worsen poverty and hunger and will only cater monopoly traders whose primary mission in life is
to profit," anang kinatawan sa pahayag.

Duda naman si Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago kung bakit kailangan pang luwagan ang patakaran sa pag-
import lalo na't sagana sa lupang mapagtatamnan ang bansa.
"Mayaman ang lupa ng Pilipinas para pakainin ang 108 milyong populasyon nito, pero bakit patuloy pa rin tayong
nag-i-import ng bigas? At bakit gusto pa nating mag-import ng mas marami? Ano yun?" aniya.

Samantala, pinag-iisipan ngayon ni House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na magpatawag ng oversight hearing
sa Kongreso tungkol sa rice tariffication law sa susunod na linggo.

"It’s an important bill and we have to make sure it’s implemented," ani Arroyo.

Sa kabila nito, iginiit naman ni Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo na hindi magkakaroon ng korapsiyon sa
pagkakataong tuluyan na maging epektibo ang batas.

"Good governance is the hallmark of the Duterte Administration and the President has zero tolerance against
corruption and wastage of taxpayers' money," ani Panelo, na tumutukoy sa pondong ilalaan sa mga magsasaka.
11
Bureau of Agricultural Research
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Bureau of Agricultural Research

Kawanihan ng Pananaliksik sa Agrikultura

Agency overview

Formed January 30, 1987

Headquarters RDMIC Building, Visayas Avenue

corner Elliptical Road, Vasra, Quezon
City 1104, Philippines

Annual ₱1.17 billion Php (2018)[1]

budget

 Nicomedes P. Eleazar, CESO IV,

Agency
Director
executive

Parent agency Department of Agriculture

Website [Link]
The Philippines' Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR; Filipino: Kawanihan ng Pananaliksik sa Agrikultura), is an
agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that all
agricultural research is coordinated and undertaken for maximum utility to agriculture.

History[edit]
In 1901, the United States Philippine Commission created the Insular Bureau of Agriculture under the Department of
Interior. The Bureau was given the following mandate:
“to conduct investigations and disseminate useful information with reference to the agricultural resources of
the Philippine Islands, the methods of cultivation at present in vogue and their improvement, the
practicability of introducing new and valuable agricultural products, the introduction of new domesticated
animals, and improvement of the breeds of domesticated animals now found in the Islands”.
In 1916, the Philippine Legislature reorganized the government creating the Department of Agriculture and
Natural Resources (DANR), replacing the Bureau of Agriculture.
In 1953, the Bureau of Agricultural Extension was created under the DANR.
On September 26, 1972, the first decree promulgated by then President Ferdinand Marcos was for the
reorganization of the Executive Branch of the Government. For DANR, no major changes took place except for
the further expansion of the Department.
The first serious attempt to integrate research, development, and extension activities in agriculture and fisheries
by the government was done by President Corazon Aquino in 1986 when under the Freedom Constitution she
issued Executive Order 116 reorganizing the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Under this EO, the government addressed the lack of coordination and integration of agriculture research and
development among the existing bureaus, councils, and agencies by creating s under the Research, Training,
and Extension Group.
BAR’s specific mandate to coordinate agricultural research was affirmed by EO 292, otherwise known as the
Administrative Code of 1987.
The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) was created by virtue of Executive Order 116 signed in 1987. It is
mandated to ensure that agricultural research are coordinated and undertaken for maximum utility to agriculture.
The EO requires the Bureau to tap farmers, farmers’ organizations and research institutions especially state
colleges and universities (SCUs) in the conduct of research for use by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and
its clientele.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 or AFMA (Republic Act 8435) and Executive Orders
127 (1999) and 338 (2000) affirmed and strengthened the role of BAR in the management of agriculture and
fisheries Research and Development (R&D) in the Philippines. The AFMA law and the Executive Orders
mandate BAR to orchestrate, consolidate and strengthen the National Research and Development System for
Agriculture and Fisheries (NaRDSAF).

Eight-Point Strategy[edit]
In the pursuit of its vision and mandate, BAR is guided by the following strategies:

1. Allocate resources for the conduct of applied and on-farm researches (OFRs) following the farming
systems perspective to fast track technology promotion and adoption creating immediate impact on the
lives of farmers and fisherfolk. Collaborative researches will be enhanced between DA research
implementing units and agricultural colleges and universities.
2. Foster cooperation with other government line agencies and active partnership with the LGUs, NGOs,
POs and other concerned institutions in the regional level specifically on the planning and
implementation of Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) and technology
commercialization activities.
3. Support research and development projects with direct bearing on the development of small and
medium enterprises; more importantly focusing on the income-generating capabilities of resource-poor
farmers and fisherfolk. Further, rural-urban linkage on agriculture will be studied.
4. Develop and strengthen collaboration among existing R&D systems at the national and local levels to
enhance sustained growth in agriculture, strengthening the convergence initiative.
5. Develop and strengthen the DA R&D’s capability on human resource and infrastructure.
6. Strengthen planning and implementation of an integrated and unified agriculture and fisheries R&D
agenda and program for increased effectiveness and efficiency.
7. Develop mechanisms using information and communication technology (ICT), and conventional means
to enhance sharing and exchange of relevant information and technologies to fast track decision-
making and technology adoption and commercialization.
8. Advocate policies that promote sustained growth in agriculture and fisheries including strategies on
increasing R&D investments.
12
PSC revives Batang Pinoy competition
InterAKTV · Tuesday, September 6, 2011 · 2:06 pm

After a seven-year hiatus, the Batang Pinoy has been revived by the Philippine Sports Commission with five
regional legs and a national final set December 10 to 13 in Naga City.

The 2011 Batang Pinoy is open for athletes athletes aged 13 to 15 with the best athletes from the regional legs
competing in the national finals.

The Mindanao regionals will be held in Zamboanga City on October 27-30, the Visayas leg will be on
November 10-13 in Dumaguete City, National Capital Region leg on November 17 to 20 at the University of
Makati, the North Luzon regionals will be held in Baguio City from November 24 to 27, the Southern Tagalog
regionals on December 1 to 4 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

Archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, three-on-three basketball, boxing, chess, gymnastics, judo, swimming,
table tennis, lawn tennis, taekwon-do, wrestling and weightlifting will be part of the calendar of the events in
the Batang Pinoy that was last held in 2004.

PSC commissioner and acting executive director Joaquin Loyzaga hopes that the athletes that will be
discovered in this year�s edition of the Batang Pinoy will be tapped for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

�We are hoping that we can identify potential athletes on a regional and national level for the Youth Olympic
Games from different sectors which includes the out-of-school youth,� said PSC commissioner and acting
executive director Joaquin Loyzaga after the launch of the event Monday.

Loyzaga also said that the event will also serve as a complement for the Palarong Pambansa where the first
and second year high school athletes can already show their talents before the Palaro.

The event is in partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee, Department of Education, Department of
Interior and Local Government and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays.

During the launch, the PSC also gave out plaques of appreciation to corporate sponsors which included TV5
for throwing their support in the 2011 Philippine National Games in Negros Occidental.

Sports5 head Vitto Lazatin received the plaque in behalf of the network for being one of the media partners of
the event, which was also attended by several national sports association heads and athletes.
13
 BATANG PINOY ! YES!
A Youth Excellence in Sports• Program

The absence of a national competition program designed for in-school and out–of-school children ages 15 years old and below had in
a way denied this sector the opportunity to develop basic athletic skills required for making of a sports champion.

A big portion of Philippine population is composed of children below 15 years old, a period in life that is considered formative in sports.
Thus, this vast sector offers a wide array of athletic potentials waiting to be discovered, tapped and developed. In the same manner, this
formative stage must be filled in with sporting activities that will open doors to aspire for excellence in their chosen sports.

Sport is one of the best intervention to turn this big populace into becoming productive individuals; disciplined, socially-integrated, value-
laden and conscious of a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in sports while young develops certain physical and intellectual faculties, as well.

While the many localities across the country continue to conduct pockets of sporting activities for their young constituents, there must
(also) be a concerted effort from the national government, through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), to provide a venue for this
young sector to engage in a healthy and friendly competition that not only is national in scope, but will also be a means of measuring
athletic prowess.

Although in-school children may have a venue to display and test their athletic skills at the yearly held Palarong Pmabansa, there is a
also a need for a sporting opportunity that brings together both in and out-of-school youth.
Batang Pinoy is launched to address the need for a national program for children.

Executive Order No. 44, otherwise known as the Philippine Youth Games-Batang Pinoy, serves as the national sports competition
program for children and envisioned to address the need for a grassroots sports program centered on values formation inherent in the
practice of sports and fair play. This program is designed to instill the benefits of physical fitness and core values that aid in addressing
juvenile delinquency. It is also tailored as a conduit of the government in developing positive outlook in our youth – an attitude best
caught and taught in their formative years.

Batang Pinoy is conceptualized in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities,/Municipalities and Barangays. The Philippine Olympic Committee and National Sports
Associations, both non-government entities and internationally recognized authorities in different sports, shall run and oversee the
technical management of the event.

WIDENING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH– PERFORMANCE TRAINING

High-performing athletes identified from last year’s competition and for the succeeding editions of Batang Pinoy will entitle him/her to
participate in the selection process technically to be conducted by the different National Sports Associations under the supervision by the
Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission. Those who passed the selection process will compose the national
developmental pool that will be trained and prepared for the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in 2014 for other international
age group competitions.

The Youth Olympic Games, in consonance with the Olympic movement, aims to encourage the youth worldwide to embrace the Olympic
ideals of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. Some 5,000 athletes between ages of 14 and 18 years old participated in the 2010 Youth
Olympic Games in Singapore.

GOALS OF THE BATANG PINOY

1. Provides the structure for a truly comprehensive sports development program for children 15 years old and below. High performing
athletes shall undergo high-level training for in preparation for the second edition of Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in 2014, and
for other international age group competitions.

2. Encourages all local government executive to invest in the development of sports within their respective areas.

3. Solicits commitment from local sports leaders and officials to put premium importance in the early exposure and involvement of children
in sports for the youth’s total development.

4. Instills the values of discipline, teamwork, camaraderie, unity, solidarity, competitiveness and fair play as vital ingredients in building
an alert and healthy youth citizenry.

5. Widens the base to select potential athletes for future national and international sports competitions, primarily the quadrennial Youth
Olympic Games.
14
 Training center to rise in Pangasinan
posted December 03, 2018 at 07:50 pm
by Peter Atencio





The Philippine Sports Training Center will be built in Rosales, Pangasinan.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said this after the Senate bicameral conference
committee recently approved a bill that will make this happen.

“In my discussions with the bicameral committee, the land that will become the PSTC will be owned by the PSC,”
said Ramirez.

The approved bill, which was authored by Sen. Sonny Angara, authorizes the construction of the PSTC to provide
more support for Filipino athletes.

The PSTC is expected to help boost the country’s performance in the Olympics and other international sports
events.

Under the bill, P3.5 billion will be allocated for the project.

The PSTC should be completed in two years after the bill’s signing into law, according to Angara

These facilities, coupled with top level coaching and access to international competition, are key drivers of an
effective sports system as these directly affect athletes, he explained.

Angara said that training centers “reflect the state of sports in a given country, and particularly, the support being
given.”

The sports facility will adopt a scientific approach in training athletes using modern equipment.

Ads by AdAsia

It would also house athletes to allow unhampered and immersive training for major tournaments, including facilities
for expert coaching and referee development.

Meanwhile, the design of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games needed a makeover after it drew flak from netizens.

Organizing Committee Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano said this after Chef de Missions from member nations joined
Philippine sports officials at Clark Freeport in Pampanga last Friday to start the one-year countdown to the Games.
The design, which has been compared to rubber bands, Christmas balls, bubbles and sago pearls, was made fatter.
There were only 11 circles left when it was unveiled with a digital countdown clock.

“It was part of our presentation in Indonesia. Some people loved it. Some people hated it. We wanted to show
something different,” said Cayetano.

The new logo design was unveiled with a new mascot called “Pami,” which stands for family.

Organizers said there is excitement on the choice of New Clark City as one of the venues of the 2019 Southeast
Asian Games.

Chef de Mission of member nations are upbeat about the new venues that are being built after they joined an ocular
inspection of the different venues that will BE used during the biennial meet.

Holding many events at the NCC puts a different feel to the Games because the delegates have been used to
playing many of disciplines in the Manila area.
15
 PSC hopes to build PH Sports
Training Center by 2021
 Aug 26, 2019 01:00 pm

 Romar Miranda

 Batang Pinoy 2019, NEWS OF THE DAY

 213

Determined to establish a new P3.5 billion Philippine Sports Training Center (PSTC), Philippine Sports
Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez targets its opening by 2021.

With President Rodrigo Duterte signing into law Republic Act (RA) 11214 on February 14, Ramirez said
that their team has started the plans to put up the PSTC in Tarlac by 2021.

“Creating the law doesn’t mean that it (PSTC) will be right there. There’s a process we still have to
follow like creating implementing rules and regulations (IRR). There will be a task force to set certain
criteria. Most probably, if we are lucky, we can chart that by 2021”, Ramirez said.
PCO secretary general Edwin Gastanes, who was recently appointed on August 9, said that the “state-
of-the-art” facility will be beneficial to all our athletes.

Under RA 11214, the proposed new international-standard sports complex will be “highly scientific”. It
will include sports facilities and amenities for the Olympic sports and other sports activities deemed
significant and necessary by the PSTC.

Gastanes also encouraged local sports directors to endorse names of promising young athletes whose
talents can be developed, and even said that scholarships are up for deserving kids.

“We (from PCO) are looking for deserving talents. Batang Pinoy National Championships is a good
place to scout for these since marami sa ating Olympians ang galing din sa Batang Pinoy. This,
including the establishment of PSTC is just one way of how committed we are in supporting our
athletes,” Gastanes said.
16
Pangasinan Welcomes Building Of World-Class Sports Center
Community Billboard

December 22, 2018

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Pangasinan Sports Development and Management Council (PSDMC) was thrilled and
expressed support to the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) plan to put up a world-class sports training center in the
province next year.

“It is a good encouragement to the athletes considering that there are a lot of athletes in the province; from the out-of-
school youths and the students, since the province has six divisions. Pangasinan is a very big province so it is really good
if there is this (training center),” PSDMC executive officer Modesto Operania said in an interview on December 12.

Operania said the new sports training center will be an additional venue for training Filipino athletes.

In Pangasinan, the athletes are being trained at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here by the provincial
government.

In a report, PSC announced that the national government allocated P3.5 billion for the construction of the Philippine
Sports Training Center in Rosales town next year, where national athletes, coaches and referees, will be trained using
scientifically-proven techniques and state-of-the-art facilities.

Operania further said Governor Amado Espino III fully supports sports in the province, as indicated by the many
programs and activities pertaining to sports development, especially for the youths.

He noted that some 85 medalists and 43 coaches of Batang Pinoy last September received cash incentives from the
provincial government.

Meanwhile, Operania admitted that they asked the PSC for the extension of the deadline of submission of list for the
Batang Pinoy 2019 Pangasinan team.

He said they need time to conduct a four-day try-out in order to ensure that the composition of the Pangasinan team will
be competitive.

“We do not want to just pick any athlete, we wanted to be fair to every athlete in the province and to make sure that we
choose the most eligible to be part of the Pangasinan team. And last year, we catered to 5,000 athletes who joined the
try-out,” Operania said.

Pangasinan landed fifth in the recent Batang Pinoy held last September.

The deadline for the submission of Batang Pinoy 2019 list is on December 17.