By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
I HAD the privilege of being invited to the launch of Manghanoy Farm School (formerly Manghanoy National High School) in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental on Friday last week, Nov. 10.
The initiative was led by DepEd (Department of Education), spearheaded by its Region 6 director, Ramir Uytico.
It was not a nerve-wracking news event, of course! It even made me literally sleepy and hungry in the middle of the “anti-lunch” program that started just minutes before 12 noon.
However, when Uytico delivered his message, I found it impossible to remain disinterested in the program. What captured my attention was Uytico’s clear mention of the rationale behind the Farm School Program (FSP): to combat hunger.
Speaking of hunger, it’s undeniable that it remains a perennial social issue even now. According to the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI), the Philippines ranked 66th among the 125 countries with sufficient data to calculate.
The Social Weather Station (SWS) survey conducted from June 28 to July 1, 2023, also revealed that 10.4 percent of Filipino families went without food at least once in the past three months. This is indeed a sad state of affairs.
MALNUTRITION AND DEATHS
Continuing with the topic of hunger, it’s important to acknowledge that malnutrition and death often follow. It’s not shocking that a report by Statista Research Department published on January 18, 2023, identified Negros Occidental as the region in Western Visayas (WV) with the highest number of deaths due to malnutrition in 2020.
Out of 475 malnutrition-related fatalities, 91 occurred in Negros Occidental. This is quite concerning, given the current 5.4 percent inflation rate in Western Visayas, which naturally leads to an increase in poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and unfortunately, deaths.
Enter DepEd’s champion of farm schools: Director Uytico.
Now, let’s introduce DepEd’s champion of the farm school concept – Director Uytico. The concept of the FPS is refreshingly simple. Its curriculum aligns with DepEd’s core subjects and focuses on:
* Agri-fishery
* Forestry
* Farm entrepreneurship
* Community development
* Education for sustainable development
* Other community-specific topics
Uytico then clarified, “This is not a duplication of DepEd’s obsolete ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’ program or traditional agri-related courses/programs in college.”
The FPS was piloted during former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones’ tenure but remained relatively unheard of until now when hunger has become more widespread, affecting almost everyone in the lower economic spectrum.
‘UNLOVING FARMING’
In the FSP, collaboration is key. When an educational institution transforms into a “garden of learning” or farm school, it not only imparts knowledge about rice and vegetable cultivation, poultry and livestock raising, or even vermi composting to students, but it also involves parents, teachers, and other education stakeholders in marketing their children’s farm produce.
The “farm-to-table” food concept is at the heart of the FSP, as emphasized by Uytico.
I have to admit that I appreciate this initiative. In today’s digital era, children are becoming increasingly tech-savvy, leading them to lose interest in farming. After completing college or senior high school, young people, even from rural areas, often rush to work as call center agents, potentially endangering the future of our aging farmers. This poses a silent yet real challenge to the country’s food security efforts because the younger generation seems to have lost its passion for farming.
I hope that DepEd’s FSP will serve as new inspiration for the youth to become more involved in farming. If not, these issues plaguing Philippine agriculture may soon escalate into a full-blown food crisis.
‘PASSION AND FASHION’ IN FARMING
We are undeniably in the midst of the digital era, making farming seem somewhat archaic or outdated. However, Uytico has a valid point for why DepEd is relentlessly pursuing the FSP nationwide. We must teach and guide our children to develop the so-called “passion and fashion” in farming that is relevant in today’s world.
Take coffee farming, for instance. While we can still follow traditional methods of planting, growing, and harvesting, we must also innovate when it comes to product presentation to cater to the tastes of millennials and the modern society. There are plenty of opportunities for creativity and innovation in farming. It all boils down to focus and innovation, or simply put, it’s time to take a chance!
I applaud Uytico and the rest of the DepEd team for instilling in the minds of our youth the importance of farming today. I also agree with La Castellana’s Mayor Mhai-Mhai Nicor-Manguilimutan when she says, “Really, there’s ‘gold’ in farming!”
In short, the FSP is not just a “hunger buster” initiative; it’s a critical endeavor committed to identifying the best millennial farmers ready to replace our aging treasures in the farming sector. The government must recognize this and support DepEd’s FSP initiative; otherwise, we risk losing our valuable, hardworking farmers, who are the real heroes behind the food on our tables./PN
