ALPAS Agency

23/10/2021

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, physiological needs are the vital necessity for human survival, including air, water, shelter, and food.

Food makes us energized, able to think, do physical things, and grow. So, who are the heroes behind our food? Yes! You got it right! 👏 The answer is our hardworking farmers. 👨🏼‍🌾 But have you ever wondered what the status of our local farmers is? Sadly, our farmers remain as one of the unprivileged sectors in the Philippines. Nevertheless, we can still help them in many and in our own little ways!

Here, we are going to share them with you:

🌾Support Local
🛒If we purchase goods from the local market, that means we support our farmers!

🌾 Promote Agriculture
📱 By simply posting or at least sharing articles about farmers, people can be aware of what is happening to our farmers. Also, we are giving them a much better return for their products!

🌾Support farmers-focused organizations
🤝Let us volunteer to farmers’ support activities or join different organizations supporting their rights

Friends! What are you waiting for? Take part in appreciating and supporting our local farmers. Remember, Larga Juan! Bayani ng Bukid, Tulungan!

“Kayo po na naka-upo, subukan niyo namang tumayo; at baka matanaw ninyo ang tunay na kalagayan ko.”

Tell me — you’re familiar with these lyrics. Aren’t you?

22/10/2021

As ordinary citizens, what can we do to help Filipino farmers? 👨🏼‍🌾

Let us play a game and figure out what you've already done to help our farmers! It only takes one person to make a change, so let it begin with you. 😄👍 Tell us more in the comment section, and don’t forget to mention your friends! 🙋 🙋‍♂️

Be honest, please. 😄

21/10/2021

Whilst farmers are known for being tough and used to different natural disasters, the pandemic brought a new range of challenges and problems for them. However, even before the pandemic, our local farmers have been suffering from the difficulties that they are facing throughout the years.

Agriculture has a big role in the country’s economy with about 40% of Filipino workers that contribute to at least 20% of Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). They provide food and nutrition for the people but why most of them still belong to the country’s poorest sector or the disadvantaged ones?

Here presented, the main issues👇🏻:

🔎 Small farm size: 78% of farms are less than 3 hectares
🏘 Due to the population growth, most of the country’s agriculture land areas are being sacrificed for housing and also for industrial industry.

🔎 Rice Tariffication Law (RTL)
🌾To modernize agriculture sector aiming for competitive farmers, RTL allows near-unlimited import of rice with tariff that will go to Rice Fund, a credit facility to support the farmers. The thing is our local farmers are desperate to mark down their rice’s price to compete with cheaper rice that are imported, usually purchased by Filipinos.

🔎 Farm Labor
👨🏼‍🌾It was instilled in our minds that in farming, there is no money and there is no future, that is why many people prefer to do industrialized work rather than farming. When this generation of farmers retires, no one will carry on the job. According to The Humanitarian News, the farmers’ shortage in the Philippines will become critical in the next 15 years.

🔎 Lack of Government support
🏗Instead of supporting and focusing more on the agriculture sector, the government is more focused on other projects, meaning there is lack of accountability.

It is evident and obvious that our local farmers are being neglected and were not given enough assistance. It is really sad to see them begging and calling for support where in the first place, that's what they should get. Let us remember, “Hindi naman magrereklamo ang ating magsasaka kung nabibigyan sila ng sapat na suporta.” 🤷🏻‍♀️

18/10/2021