Today, I would like to
attract the attention of our President Ferdinand
“BBM” Marcos Jr on millions of
poor Filipino farmers. Thus, this unusual slogan:
“BBM, OY, BBM!”
“Bangong Buhay Magsasaka, Okay Yan,
Basta Bacteria Manggaling!”
English translation:
“Sweet-Smelling Life Of Farmers, It’s Achievable, If It Comes From Bacteria!”
How come? I say:
The invisible bacteria and
visible bugs, centipedes, worms & other soil organisms, if allowed to feast
on dead and decaying matter on the field, will turn the lifeless plants into a
rich mixture that enriches the soil to grow naturally vigorous crops to produce
high harvests to yield healthy foods for consumers and healthy incomes for
farmers!
That to me is the essence of Regenerative Agriculture (RA).
We are celebrating July as
“Philippine Agriculturists’ Month” – I ask, what for?
“Schools offering agriculture courses in
the Philippines” total 278 (FindUniversity.ph, finduniversity.ph).
and yet I cannot find any school teaching Regenerative Agriculture. No, not even the #1 aggie school, the University
of the Philippines Los Baños!
All of July is in honor of our
agriculturists, as President Ferdinand
“BBM” Marcos Jr declared on 14 May 2024 as “PH Agriculturists’ Month”
(PND, Presidential Communications Office,
pco.gov.ph):
The
celebration of the Philippine Agriculturists’ Month will engage professional
agriculturists in agricultural advocacy, policy research and formulation and
provide an avenue for enterprise-building, communications training, and
community development.
Thank you, BBM! For especially noting the
needs for “enterprise-building, communications training, and community
development.”
Enterprise-Building
So, PH Agriculturists! You must (or learn
to be) busy helping individual farmers and/or farmer cooperatives in
organizing themselves, with coop policies training farmers to be business-minded.
No more usurers as sources of funds for farming. All coops should provide capital
for farmers on easy terms.
Communications
Training
In teaching aggie extensionists how to
communicate with farmers, you must show how farmers’ ignorance can be overcome,
not by shaming them, but by showing in the field and/or in pictures (including from
the Internet).
Community
Development
Finally! You are in “my” territory of “Communication
For Development Of Vibrant Villages.” You cannot build or rebuild vibrance into farming
communities if the farmers do not practice Regenerative Agriculture!
RA is engaged right from the start of
farming: creating the fertile mix of soil and organic matter that grows healthy
crops that combat the pests & diseases naturally.
The practice of RA all throughout all Philippine
villages all throughtout the year ensures that fields are healthy, crops grow
healthy and produce healthy harvests – and consumers would love to purchase
those produce, knowing they have been grown in healthy ways!
In one word, vibrancy
– Regenerative Agriculture will always produce energetic PH communities in
terms of food, health and livehood. The RA returns are much higher than the
costs of foods grown by RA. Regenerative Agriculture guarantees – No more poor
farmers!@517
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