I am Monica L. Cab-ad, 58, a rice and vegetable farmer for life. Even as a child, I knew that I would stay in this kind of work. It was my family’s identity. For years now, I had been managing a 1,500m2 land that can be reached through a 30-min walk from our home in Sitio Tumpic, Labueg, Kapangan, Benguet. It is owned by my cousin but we agreed that […]

Children seldom mention agriculture-related careers when they talk about their future dream jobs. Studies reveal that the youth’s disinterest is mainly because of their perception that farming is unprofitable, that there are so many risks tied to it, and that it is a difficult back-breaking job. This is a global phenomenon. Data from the International Labor Organization showed a decreasing trend of youth involvement in agriculture. In 1988, 48.9% of […]

The Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture or AMIA Program is one of the Key Strategies under the ONE DA Framework. Among the main focus of the AMIA Program is conducting regional and provincial climate risk and vulnerability assessments to identify proactive measures in adapting to changing climate and the hazards that it brings. Its main approach is the establishment of the AMIA Village to serve as a […]

While substantial steps to promote gender equality in our country have been taken with the enactment of the Magna Carta of Women in 2009, gender gaps remain in other industries like agriculture. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 8.31 million men and 2.76 million ladies in 2016 were employed in agriculture. Men were also paid P17.45 higher than women. Yet these data are not enough to reflect the important roles […]

One of the alternative courses of action in disseminating information about agriculture is engaging the youth community. Various programs have been developed to encourage the youth to be involved in agriculture especially in rice farming to help farmers adapt available technologies. Let’s discover the engagements of the youth in agriculture. After almost 7 years of implementation, the Special Training for Employment Programs (STEP) by the Technical Education and Skills Development […]

Darkness starts to engulf the remaining light of the day but the rustles have not slowed down a bit inside the Pinagbuklod na Adhika Multipurpose Cooperative (PNAMC) facility in Macarse, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. The last sack of palay was poured into the brown rice milling machine. Several women can be seen filling plastic bags labeled “Macarse Brown Rice”. In a transformed food system that is gender-responsive, opportunities are given to […]

From igniting movements to catapulting global phenomena in technology, politics, and business, the youth has played a big role throughout our history. Armed with idealism, zeal, and passion, the world’s young cohort continues to grow in terms of population. According to the UN Population Fund-Philippines, our country now has the largest generation of young people in history with 30 million aged 10-24 years old, accounting for 28% of our population. […]

Three women farmers in Currimao, Ilocos Norte retell their stories of separation, hard work, and triumph with DA-PhilRice Batac. They were the Institute’s farmer-partners in implementing the Palayamanan and the JICA Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP) 3 a couple of decades or so ago. Palayamanan is a diversified integrated rice-based farming system that aimed to maximize the use of resources, reduce farming risks, enhance sustainability, productivity and profitability, and improve economic […]

In the outskirts of Santiago, Gerona, Tarlac, a community is nestled in the middle of an agricultural land. Here, families know each other. After all, they are related by blood. By early afternoon, many of the relatives gather under a massive mango tree where halo-halo is being sold to beat the April heat. It resembles an opening sequence of a local movie – children at play, the huddle of parents […]

I am Edelita Bodino, 54 years old. I belong to the Agta-Tabangnon tribe in Danao, Polangui, Albay. As so-called indigenous people (IP), we are known for planting rice and coconut on the mountain slopes. These rices we call Dinorado and Hinawa are cherished for their delicious taste. They are our community’s main staple food, but not our livelihood. We do not sell our rices. We only get cash from selling […]