The shrinking, ageing and anemic population of Filipino farmers must have sent an alarming and mind-bungling signal to the Department of Agriculture (DA) leaving to the beleaguered agency to strategize and search for solution to the big problem with gargantuan effect on the Filipinos existence as a race.

A random visit to farms and rice fields provide proof of the age range of farmers tilling the soil. One sees the overwhelming high percentage of old workforce compared to their younger counterpart in the agriculture sector. This sad reality must have driven the DA top officials back to the drawing board, tackle the ageing farmers issue head-on. The bigger question that beset DA, in order to alleviate the fear of fewer hands seen tilling the agricultural farms to produce food for the growing population of the country, is how to lure the younger generation to embrace farming as a vocation, inherit and use their fathers’ plow and carabao to plant and produce food for the table.

DA is advancing the idea to empower young farmers and enthusiasts by rolling out internship opportunities and credit support for agribusiness ventures as come on. The strategy is through training and extension with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), an agency under DA.

On the other hand, in the academe there is a marked disparity in the number of students taking up agriculture and fisheries degrees, compared to those enrolled in social science-related courses. This is evident even in the presence and availability scholarships in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and in State University and Colleges (SUCs) with strong agricultural curricula, laboratory, and field facilities and availability of training programs.

MY COMMENT:
Again, we depend on the government sustained program to strengthen and produce new and young farmers to take he cudgels of tilling agricultural farms and produce rice, corn, root crops, vegetables, and fruits for domestic consumption and for export purposes to enhance our economy, increase dollar reserve and implement social services program of government. It is imperative that we increase the manpower (academically honed), workforce (non-degree, but trained) to populate the agricultural sector.

The internship program of DA should include training on the mechanization (handling) of farms, including the use of PHilMech made agricultural machineries. The mandate of the ATI should be complemented with the MENRO, CENRO, and PENRO personnel devolved from DA and now under the LGUs.
ooo000ooo
NEXT TOPIC : “PNOC pushes Phils to fast-track RE Development Program”
SHARE S & T THOUGHTS through E-Mail: drpacjr@yahoo.com.

THAT’S how love should be handled. If we are given love, we should always give back love also. We have to be wary of our tendency to betray this fundamental law of our life, because instead of repaying the love we receive with love, we give back ingratitude, disloyalty, infidelity, if not hatred itself.

We are reminded of this aspect of our life in that parable Christ told his disciples about a landowner who planted a vineyard, putting a hedge around it and dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it to tenants, then went on a journey. (cfr. Mt 21,33-46) There we can see how good the landlord was in providing the tenants with a well-prepared field.

But as the parable unfolded, when vintage time came, the tenants refused to give what they owed to the landlord. Instead, they beat the servants sent by the landlord to collect the produce of the vineyard. They even killed the son of the landowner who was sent as the last resort to collect what was due to the landlord. Obviously, the landlord punished the tenants severely and leased the vineyard to more faithful tenants.

The parable is meant to expose that tendency of ours to be unfaithful and ungrateful to God in spite of all the good things he has given us. We should be most wary of this tendency and do something about it, being guarded against it and more, being generous and magnanimous in returning the good God has given us.

If we truly love or if there is love involved in any event, this is the dynamic that would take place. If we are given love, we also give back love, triggering what we may call as a virtuous cycle, the opposite of a vicious cycle. Love gets to grow more and more, since by its very nature, love actually knows no limits. It just gives and gives, even if great sacrifices are involved.

It’s important that we be always moved and driven by love. For this to take place, we should make an effort to always acknowledge all the good things God has given us—from our life itself to the many talents, gifts, fortune, privileges, favors, etc. we enjoy in life. Only in this way can we feel urged to be thankful, faithful and to enter into the natural dynamic of love where love is always repaid by love.

We have to be wary of our tendency to be swallowed up by the many powerful and attractive distractions we have nowadays, leading us along the ways of self-absorption, self-centeredness and self-indulgence.

As a matter of fact, we should declare an unrelenting war against our self-indulgence which has become a very formidable problem we all have. Yes, this has always been a problem to us, but these days it is much more so.

With the many new wonderful things that can instantly give us convenience, comfort, pleasure and satisfaction, many of us are trapped into the very sticky web of obsessions, addictions and the many other forms of self-indulgence that feed on our weaknesses, like lust, pride, conceit, gluttony, unhinged curiosities, envy, etc., etc.

We should never forget that what we enjoy in life should be always related to God. Otherwise, we would set ourselves in a position of danger. We should always feel thankful to God. Even in our moments of difficulties and human miseries, we still have reason to be thankful because God continues to be with us and to help us cope with them.

Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out
until you’re left only with
what you love, with what’s necessary,
with what makes you happy.”-Leo Babanta

Speed, Easy, All in One, and State of the Art are just a few of the buzzwords in the advertising and service sector. These are words that evoke the values sought by industries and companies. If it’s an Internet Provider, there is a need for Speed, bombarding us with megabits per second. If it’s a Vitamin or Food Supplement, the All One solution stands out. If it’s an appliance or printing machine, having all in one feature would surely make the product marketable, and profitable.

But looking at all this the reality comes as something that creates a fast and hurried life. “In this fast-paced world, it’s important to slow down sometimes.” Words from a Biker and a writer in Dano Janowski. One small quote which gives a big lesson.

Why do we need to slow it down and live a slow kind of life, let me count the ways;

• it is healthier to take it slow, of course, this advice can never be appreciated by bull-strong young men and women who are eager to get a break and hit it big, but I tell you this is advice that would benefit your future self.

• you can savor the aroma of the roses in the garden because you are not moving so fast. You will learn the virtue and the hard work of farmers and you can see life better in slow motion. Your experiences and memories would be priceless because it was not fleeting.

• you don’t need to worry about keeping up with rich neighbors, you can do your own thing and be rich even with the least resources you have

• you get to admire the beauty of time, which does not yield to anyone, time waits for no one

In all, I would suggest that we live it slowly, unhurried, and simply. It would always be our goal because a lifetime is over in a snap and one day you will wake, rich but old and grumpy. Because you fail at analyzing life and getting a big conclusion, we have to really, take it slow.