Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Unemployed Filipinos

There are 38.2 million Filipinos in the labor force in 2009. Of this member, 7.1 percent or 2.72 million of them are unemployed. This unemployment rate is higher than the 6.8 percent or 2.53 million registered in 2008 based on the data of the National Statistics office.

It is very puzzling why the unemployed Filipinos are increasing every year. These unemployed people to my thinking are generally unwilling to work. Are they lazy? There are more works to be done in the countryside for people with muscles willing to work, for Filipinos who wish to live a real life, not dependent upon parents, relatives, and friends.

Some Pilipinos stay idle because of the strong family ties leading to the "extended family life". A couple’s child or children may stay with their parents even after their marriage and have children. This Filipino value, while admirable, is also deplorable and promoting Pilipinos to their level of idleness.

Go Farming

The Philippines is an agricultural country populated with 90 million Pilipinos. There are wide areas of idle land which can be cultivated to produce cereals, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Soil is fertile and the climate is highly favorable for agricultural production. Grasses grow well and therefore highly conducive for meat and milk production.

The Philippines is floating on the oceans, the Pacific Ocean and China Sea. As such, there are marine products.

These unemployed Pilipinos can engage in rice and corn production to supply the production gap between supply and demand. They can help stop rice importation and save foreign exchange. They can go to farming, enjoy it, produce food and live a good life.

In a few hundred square meters of land, they can produce flowers to supply the needs of our people. Millions of dollars are spent annually for the importation of flowers which could easily be produced locally. They will not only enjoy the beauty of flowers but they will earn as much money base on their diligence and capacity.

The Philippines imports 95 percent of her actual milk and dairy products annual con-sumption. Only 5 percent are produced locally. It is enjoyable taking care of livestock like goats and cattle. Watching them graze, grow, and breed is quite a joy.

Mr. and Ms. Un-employed, please go back to the farms and enjoy the bounty of the earth.

ASU Challenge

In Aklan, making both the adults and the young generation progressive farmers is a strong challenge. Where are the graduates of Aklan State University? (ASU)? ASU started as Capiz Farm School (CFS) in 1917 designed to improve the technical capability of the farmers. CFS was converted into Banga Rural High School (BRHS) in the late 1930s with the same mission and vision of developing progressive farmers and high farms productivity.

Again in the 1960’s BRHS was converted into Aklan Agricultural College (AAC) to produce agri-cultural college graduates who should be leading farmers in their quest to increase agricultural pro-ductivity and net income. From AAC, the college was transformed to Aklan State College of Agriculture and finally into Aklan State University in 2001.

Compared to other provinces, how advance and progressive is the state of agriculture in Aklan? How progressive are Aklanon farmers? Are the farm leaders in Aklan graduates of ASU? What is the level of economic status of Aklanon farmers? Are ASU graduates in the lead in the agricultural businesses in Aklan? These are some of the questions to answer in order to conclude that indeed ASU is a great factor in the agricultural economic development of Aklan and it is doing a good job in pursuant to its vision and mission.

Ompong Plaza

Agusan Del Sur Cong. Ompong Plaza attended the Kalibo Sr. Sto. Niño Ati-atihan 2010. He met the Aklan tri media in a press conference held on Saturday morning, January 16, 3rd Floor of the Kalibo Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Kalibo.

Ompong Plaza is a third termer Congressman and now a candidate for senator in the May 2010 national and local elections. He is with the "Pwersa ng Masa" Party.

One of his advocacy if elected senator to make agriculture more progres-sive and productive. His way to modernize farming are the construction and repair of irrigation systems for the production of palay and orher crops. He will also put up soils laboratory in every province of the country.
Ompong Plaza laments the antiquated way of farming employed by the farmers. He will institute reforms in the farms with the use of agricultural science and technology. He deplored the application of fertilizers to the lands by the farmers without the benefit of soil laboratory analysis resulting to plant overdose, waste of resources and poor production.

He related his scientific and technological practices employed in his rice, fruits, and other crops in his farms in Agusan Del Sur.

Condolence

The sudden death of Press Sec. Cerge Remonde was a surprise to many specially to the media sector. Sec. Remonde suffered cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning, January 19 and died two hours later. His death is a great loss to the country specially to the tri media practitioners.

Remonde is a good friend of Aklanon journalists. He has visited Aklan for many times as press secretary and as chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas.

I found him so amiable. Even if he was one of the shock absorbers of Malacañang who depended some unpopular matters, he did it well. I last saw him during a luncheon offered to the participants of the PAPI Press Congress in Malacañang Palace. /MP