POLICY PROPOSAL TO ENACT A MAGNA CARTA FOR YOUNG FARMERS

A proposal by PAKISAMA (Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang

Magsasaka)
February 2014
Sixty per cent (60%) of the worlds rural population is made up of young men and women who
are often unemployed, or work informally in unpaid, low skilled, insecure and hazardous
jobs.1 Family farmers are the biggest food producers and investors in their own farms, play a
decisive role in the sustainable production of 70% of the worlds food and in the conservation
of ecosystems and biodiversity. In 2011, the United Nations declared 2014 as the International
Year of Family Farming (IYFF) with the theme Feeding the World /Caring for the Earth.
At an international meeting organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on
Developing public policies towards sustainable family farming, the representative from the
Philippines Department of Agriculture noted that family farms constitute a majority of the
farming system in the Philippines, and that the IYFF should bring about concrete change at
local, regional and global levels. The Philippine action plan should include: (i) development of
a comprehensive set of laws, regulations, and programs that focuses on family farms, to the
extent possible, at all government levels; (ii) provision of sufficient public funds, incentives
and support measures to family farms, e.g., infrastructure, credit and insurance; (iii)
provision of assistance in the promotion of trade, investment and marketing of family farm
products; and (iv) strengthening of family farm organizations through government research
and extension work, trainings, and related capacity building measures. 2
Young farmers in the Philippines, who form an integral part of the family farm, are fast
becoming an endangered species. Sen. Francis Pangilinan, then Chair of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture and Food, remarked in 2011 that Filipino farmers growing old and
young people not replacing them in the fields was an unseen crisis which could threaten the
country's food security in the next few years. 3 Farmers and fishers are getting too old for
what is back-breaking work, and their children not keen on taking over for either lack of
interest or incentive or both.
The prevailing notion is that rural youth are not enticed to enter the agricultural sector as
they do not see farming as a way out of poverty their grandfathers were poor, their fathers
were poor, they will remain poor. The younger generation who saw their parents grow old and
poor in farming do not see agriculture as a lucrative career.4 Many of the youth today are also
said to shun farming because of its perceived hardships, borne by the fact that many farming
families are among the countrys poorest, arguing that their parents are farmers, so why do
they have to go back to the farming. They are witness to high costs of agricultural inputs but
low prices of produce.5 (See Box 1 on statistics related to crisis of aging Filipino farmers.)
To help resolve this crisis situation, PAKISAMA (Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang
Magsasaka) -- consisting of 33,000 men and women farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples and
youth from rural communities in 42 provinces nationwide -- is putting forward this proposal to
enact a Magna Carta for Young Farmers. PAKISAMA believes that the youth can be attracted
to agriculture if they see meaning, income opportunities, as well as feel a sense of pride in
farming. The youth needs training, as well as the presence of mentors, coaches, motivators,
and need to be provided with basic resources especially land, capital and equipments to make
farming less tedious work.

The Magna Carta for Young Farmers shall be a comprehensive human rights law to promote
the social and economic well-being of young farmers, develop their skills and capabilities, and
eliminate discrimination against them by recognizing, protecting, fulfilling and promoting
their rights, especially the more marginalized. The Magna Carta shall define discrimination
against young farmers as: (i) any age-based distinction, exclusion, or restriction which has
the effect of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by young farmers
of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or
any other field; (ii) any act or omission, including by law, policy, administrative measure, or
practice, that directly or indirectly excludes or restricts young farmers in the recognition and
promotion of their rights and their access to and enjoyment of opportunities, benefits, or
privileges; (iii) discrimination compounded by or intersecting with other grounds, status or
condition such as gender, ethnicity, poverty or religion. Moreover, the Magna Carta for Young
Farmers should take cognizance of the situation and aspirations of young Filipino farmers,
enhance their roles, address their challenges, and harmonize existing and proposed policies
that affect the plight of young farmers.
Box 1. Some statistics related to aging Filipino farmers.

Aging Filipino farmers. The average age of the Filipino farmer is 57; assuming an average life
span of 70, the Philippines may reach a critical shortage of farmers in just 15 years. 6 Other
estimates of average farmers age are 55 and 59 years. 7 In Calabarzon, for instance, 65% of
farmers are 41 years and older.8 The situation in Leyte is worse with 77% of farmers 40
years and older.9 Young farmers aged 39 and below account for only 12.3% of farmers in
major commodity sectors.10 The countrys situation is similar to other countries in Asia; in
Japan, the average of farmers is 70.11

Declining number of agricultural workers. Despite being a predominantly agricultural

country, there are now only about 12 million Filipino farmers in a total population of 100
million. And despite a soaring population, the available labor in the farm has been declining
over the years; since 2007, the rate of decline is 1.5% per year. 12 In 2008, Filipinos
employed in the agriculture sector accounted for 35% of the countrys labor force; in 2010,
this went down to only 33%. 13 In 2012, the agriculture sector lost the most number of
workers (624,000) out of the total employment, from 12.47 million in 2012 to 11.84 million
in 2013.14 Farm owners in some places in Central Luzon are reportedly already having
difficulty in finding farm workers during the time of planting and harvest. 15 Agricultural
liberalization has also resulted in traditional crops and livestock products being marginalized
by foreign imports, and the country converted from a net importer to a chronic net exporter
of agricultural products with concomitant decrease in employment in agriculture. 16

Young people
depleting the
pursue more
poverty.17 In

leaving rural areas. Nationwide, the younger generation is leaving rural areas,
pool of potential agricultural workers. Most rural families want their children to
lucrative jobs in commercial centers, as farming is largely associated with
Ifugao, the world-famous rice terraces are being abandoned and are

deteriorating as increasing numbers of young people are migrating toward urban areas. A
2003 study in Cagayan Province found that the rate of out-migration is higher among
farming than non-farming households, in rainfed villages with lower adoption of modern
varieties, lower rice yields, lower cropping intensity indices and where tenancy prevails. 18
More female members, especially daughters, migrate than male, and more sons -- rather
than husbands and other male family members -- tend to migrate. In some areas, rural
youth are also being enticed to work in the booming call center industry in the cities where
incomes can be 4x higher than unskilled work. 19 More recently, young farmers are being
recruited to work in agricultural farms in Japan which reportedly needs some 200,000 young
farmers who should be high school graduates, 18 years old and above; if successful, they
can earn at least $1,200 (P53,000) a month in Japan.20

Waning interest in agricultural courses. Enrollment of agriculture and related courses

offered primarily in state universities and colleges has steadily declined due to perceived low
employment opportunities after employment by both students and parents. Students prefer
office-based jobs; even a farmer would not advise his children to enroll in agriculture. 21
There is also a perception among students that those taking up agriculture are inferior;
students from other disciplines look down on those who take BS Agriculture, as if they are
second class citizens in colleges or universities. 22 Moreover, Philippine agriculture education
is said to have a bias for science or research rather than the practical application of scientific
agriculture.23 At the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), enrollment in agriculture
courses declined from 51% in 1980 to only 4.7% by 2012. 24 Even offering free tuition has not
helped, as in the case of Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC) where enrollment went down
by 25-40% from six years ago.25 The decline in enrollment is feared to lead to a shortage of
capable professionals in the agriculture sector, which will endanger the countrys food
supply, particularly at a time when the government is pursuing a roadmap for self-sufficiency
in rice and other staples by 2016. 26
SEARCA, or Southeast Asian Regional Center for
Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, has identified other challenges to agricultural
human resources across Asia -- lack of student attraction to agriculture careers, agriculture
graduates not well-equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes to compete globally, aging
agriculture research and academic staff, high staff turnover, low budget for research and
training activities, outdated curricula, outmoded research and academic facilities. 27

Farmers/fishers are among countrys poorest. The decline in number of may be due to the
fact that they are among the poorest sector, and the agriculture sector pays farmers so
little. In 2009, the countrys poverty incidence was pegged at 26.5%, and highest among
fishermen and farmers at 41.4% and 36.7%, respectively. 28 In 2010, about 70% of the rural
poor are farmers and fishermen.29 Moreover, agriculture receives the lowest average daily
basic wage and salary compared to non-agriculture sectors. 30 The average daily wage of a
farmer is $6 (approx P240) versus the national average of $10 (approx P400). 31

Low education level. It is no surprise then that the average education level of a farmer is
grade five.32 A Centro Saka study also noted that more than half of farmers in six
commodities surveyed were not able to reach high school or college. 33

Smaller farm sizes. Many Filipino farmers are small landholders tilling an average of 2.5 ha
of land each.34 However, farmers lands are getting smaller as a result of dividing the land
among their heirs35 and because agricultural land faces competing demands, the most
pressing of which is conversion to non-agricultural (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial)
purposes.36 Average farm sizes in Regions X, II and VI decreased in 1991-2002, with land
planted to coconut decreasing phenomenally; the decline is attributed to land conversion,
increase in population of farm cultivators and improper implementation of agrarian reform
program (CARP).37

Increasing food insecurity.

Converting agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses I
unfortunate as the Philippines needs more farmlands to feed a growing population now
estimated at 100 million. According to IRRI, or International Rice Research Institute, about
4.5 million hectares of the countrys agricultural land is planted to rice. One hectare planted
to rice feeds 20 Filipinos, which means that the Philippines needs around 50,000 hectares
more to feed all 100 million Filipinos.38 In 2010, the Philippines imported 2.45 million tons of
rice, making it the biggest rice importing country worldwide that year. The world food crisis
of 2008 taught Filipinos that while money may be available to import rice, rice-exporting
countries are not necessarily willing to sell the rice to us. 39

Aspirations, roles, credo of PAKISAMA young farmers

On February 2-11, 2014, PAKISAMA held nationwide consultations with young farmers between
the ages 18 and 40 years in 11 provinces nationwide (Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Sur,
Capiz, Mindoro Oriental, Bohol, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur).
The PAKISAMA young farmers come from farming or fishing families whose parents are either
small landholders, or landless tenants or leaseholders. They are engaged in farming on a fullor part-time basis, finding other seasonal jobs to augment family incomes. Many are out of
school youth; a few are enrolled in college with courses not necessarily related to agriculture.
Most of them are active members of farmers. Some come from indigenous and Muslim
communities. The large majority express deep care and respect for the environment and
many are practitioners of integrated organic farming. Young women farmers are just as
active in farmwork as men.
Box 2. Story of Ruvie, 1st year high school from Mindoro Oriental
Nais kong maging isa sa mga halimbawa ng mga kabataan na natuto o may kaalaman
ukol sa pagsasaka. Sinimulan ko ito sa mga pagtatanong sa sarili ko, How to plant rice?
paano mag-alaga, mula sa paghahanda sa malapad na lupain tungo sa paghahanda ng
mga butil ng palay, ang pagbabantay at pag-aalaga hanggang sa pagdating ng araw ng
pag-aani.Iba na ang panahon noon at ngayon. Tayo, ikaw, sila, maaari nating ibalik ang
paraan ng pag-aani at pag-aalaga ng palayan noon na di dapat paghahandaan ang
gastos sa pag-aalaga ng palayan.

Aspirations. As with any other young person, young farmers aspire to develop themselves and
realize their full potential and improve their lives through education and hard work. Those
who are students want to finish their courses first so that they become more productive
members of society. Young farmers also want to be able to participate and be given their own
voice in governance and decision-making processes, especially when related to their own
concerns. A majority expressed pride at being a farmer, a proud magsasaka and a love for
farming, saying they grew up and were able to go to school because of farming. They hope to
become role models to encourage other youth to engage in farming, rather than waste time
playing computer games, or engage in gambling or other useless activities. They believe that
young farmers are the countrys hope. [Box 2, story of Ruvie, a young woman farmer from
Mindoro Oriental.]

Roles. The PAKISAMA young farmers identified the various roles they play in family farms:
all around farmworkers oftentimes assigned the more physically-demanding tasks, family
helpers, supplemental income earners, merchandisers, acting farm managers, small
entrepreneurs, knowledge-bearers, eco-warriors (Box 3).
Box 3. Roles of young farmers in the family farm
All-around farmworkers.
Young farmers perform all-around work in the farm,
oftentimes assigned the more laborious tasks, e.g. nag-aani, nag-araro, nagtatanim/talok,
nagpapatubig sa palayan, nag-aabono, nagbabantay, nagbubuhat/estiba, nagpapaupa in
their parents or other peoples farms. They play important roles in all segments of
production from land preparation to harvest to marketing. They are present in all the
commodity sectors.
Family helpers. Young farmers are side by side with their parents in farm work; when they
have families of their own, they still need to help in their parents farm. Young men and
women farmers help in the house chores.
Supplemental income earners. Young famers also play a major role in augmenting their
familys income, by working in odd jobs (e.g. tricycle drivers, electricians, welders). Those
with widowed mothers need to take on the job of their fathers to support the family.
Merchandisers. For those who do not rely on traders, young farmers are merchandisers
and entrusted with marketing and find buyers for their familys produce. Some of them,
however, lament that they are not given a fair share of the income.
Acting farm managers. Many young farmers act as farm managers, supervisors or
caretakers of their parents or other peoples farms.
Small entrepreneurs. Young farmers are small entrepreneurs and decision-makers who
put in capital or form joint ventures to increase the productivity of their farms.
Knowledge-bearers (tagaturo, tagapagmulat sa kaalaman). Young farmers take on the
role of extension workers within the family and community. They transfer whatever
knowledge or technology theyve learned to family members. They strive to study or
research on new farming technologies which they can then share with others.

Eco-warriors. Young farmers are staunch advocates of environmental protection. They

know from experience that degraded land has low productivity and strive to become
sustainable farming practitioners. They are concerned that in many areas, organic and
diversified farming techniques are no longer practiced.

Credo. As a PAKISAMA Young Farmers Assembly, the young farmers declared that they will
work to promote the recognition of young farmers as a distinct sector with human rights and
aspirations. They recognize their responsibilities to improve the agricultural sector where
they belong. Expressing their pride in farming, they affirm that agriculture takes care of
their familys needs, feeds their communities, contributes to the rural development, and
nurtures the environment. They will advocate for farmers rights to land, waters, forests and
seeds, and promote sustainable agriculture. They strive to actualize their human potentials
and achieve a balance in their relations to him/herself, their family, organization, society,
environment, and a Higher Being (see Box 4).

Box 4. Declarasyon ng mga Kabataang Magsasaka ng PAKISAMA

KAMI ANG MGA KABATAANG MAGSASAKA NG PAKISAMA, BABAE AT LALAKI. ISUSULONG
NAMIN ANG PAGKILALA NG MGA KABATAANG MAGSASAKA BILANG ISANG SEKTOR NA MAY
MGA KARAPATAN AT MGA SARILING PANGARAP. KINIKILALA NAMIN NA MALAKI ANG AMING
RESPONSIBILIDAD SA PAGPAPATULOY AT PAGPAPALAGO NG SEKTOR NG PAGSASAKA.
IKINARARANGAL NAMIN ANG PAGSASAKA - ITO AY BUMUBUHAY SA AMIN AT AMING
PAMILYA, NAGPAPAKAIN SA ATING MGA PAMAYANANAN, NAGPAPAUNLAD SA ATING
KANAYUNAN, AT NANGANGALAGA SA ATING KALIKASAN. KASAMA KAMI SA PAGSULONG NG
KARAPATAN SA LUPA, KATUBIGAN, KAGUBATAN AT MGA BINHI, AT SA PAGPAPALAGANAP NG
LIKAS-KAYANG PAGSASAKA. HINAHANGAD NAMIN NA MAGING TUNAY NA MAKATAO AT
TUNAY NA PAGPAPAKAKATAO NA MAY PAGSA-ALANG-ALANG SA BALANSE NG AMING
UGNAYAN SA SARILI, PAMILYA, LIPUNAN, SAMAHAN, KALIKASAN AT DAKILANG LUMIKHA.

Problems of young farmers

Young farmers is one of the most neglected basic sector in Philippine society, with no land to
till, non-livable farmworkers wages, no access to education and trainings, stiff requirements
for scholarships, no financial support funds and specific programs, lack of cash for work
programs, lack of incentives and other support mechanisms (e.g. price of palay), existence of
child labor, early exposure to chemical farming, lack of leadership, no venue for participation
in governance, no recognition, lack of self-esteem. Young farmers are also beset with
problems related to the sorry state of the countrys agricultural sector.

Access to land. Although access to land for women and the youth has improved, young
farmers remain vulnerable; many of them do not own land that they can cultivate. Their
parents may have lost their lands due to indebtedness. They have no money to lease land, so
they sell their labor at low and exploitative wages (pakyaw). With diminishing farmlands,
many soon join the ranks of the rural unemployed who then migrate to the cities in search of
a better life. Moreover, under the agrarian reform law, young people can now apply to be
beneficiaries but they must first be considered an independent household unit and not
dependents of their parents. The law also provides equal rights to land for women who can
now apply on behalf of family unit. However, early research found that few women and
young people demand access to land for themselves as individuals; they are driven by the
family unit which is traditionally represented by male head of household. 40 If women had the
same access as men to productive resources in developing countries, the FAO estimates that
the increase in their farm yields would bring a 2.5-4% rise in agricultural production. 41
Compounding the situation is the slow pace of agrarian reform (Box 5) and landgrabbing and
forcible acquisition of lands that rightfully belong to small farmers, fishers and indigenous
peoples and their heirs.

Box 5. Slow pace of agrarian reform

In the Philippines, the rich 20% own 80% of the land, while the poorer 80% own only 20% of
the land; most big landowners are also local politicians and elite families. 42 Generallyspeaking, improved tenure and secure land ownership give farmers greater motivation to
work, adopt more production technologies, implement permanent farm improvements and
assume greater risks. Over 60% of Filipinos also say agrarian reform was the main reason for
peace in the countryside. The countrys agrarian reform program has been extended twice,
but much of the remaining lands to be redistributed are private lands, with strong landlord

resistance; coconut lands are 60% of agricultural lands left uncovered. Although agrarian
reform farmer beneficiaries have higher incomes than non-beneficiaries, however, they are
still just slightly above poverty line. 43

Low incomes, hunger. Agriculture no longer provides adequate incomes due to the rising cost
of farm inputs; after paying off debts not much is left from the harvest. Lack of farm planning
also bring prices down, as when everybody in the community plant the same crop at the same
time. Young farmers need to look for other jobs to augment meager income from farming.
For lands planted to non-food monocultures (e.g. sugarcane), young farmers and their
families experience hunger nothing to eat for a year.

Underinvestment, lack of services. In 2011, although agriculture contributes about 11% to

the GDP, government investment in the sector was only 4% of the national budget, and
roughly 24% lower than the previous year.44 Government policies have provided few incentives
to farmers and have a bias for white-collar jobs. 45 This has resulted in a pathetic lack of
extension and support services to young farmers and their parents/elders, e.g. capital, seeds,
irrigation, marketing. Young farmers do not have financial resources in order to buy expensive
inputs since they are just starting out. Some who have land or access to land still need access
to financial institutions outside of usurers and traders, or they fall into the same debt trap
like their parents/elders before them. At harvest time, young farmers find it difficult to
bring their produce to markets due to lack of farm to market roads, or where available,
transport costs are prohibitive. Young farmers also need to be trained in marketing skills and
techniques. Oftentimes, pricing policy is dictated by traders or middlemen, and young
farmers have weak bargaining power and do not get a fair price for their products.
Patronage, corruption. If government has programs or services for farmers, young farmers
bewail that these do not reach the intended beneficiaries. Extension and IEC services are
weak, irrigation facilities, support for seeds are inadequate. At the local level, patronage
system (palakasan) is prevalent and color-coded, where only political allies are given
priority as beneficiaries. In some instances, recruitment of extension workers are not meritbased and hence they lack the technical expertise that young farmers need. Moreover, a
large chunk of agricultural budgets finds its way into the pockets of unscrupulous officials and
private individuals in devious schemes of large-scale corruption and plunder.
Unsustainable agriculture. Young farmers express concern that their parents/elders have
become dependent on chemical-based farming which they know need expensive and synthetic
inputs, entail higher costs but less income and more degraded and poisoned farmlands.
Young farmers wish to go back to more sustainable organic farming, but at the same time fear
low productivity during the conversion stage. They are also concerned that so-called
instant farming and the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) may also result in
farmers becoming lazier, or in instant calamities. It may be noted that although an organic
agriculture law is now in place, the government has become more liberal in granting licenses
to GMOs; bt corn, for instance, now has 750,000 hectares of land devoted to it despite little
knowledge of its impact on the environment. 46

Climate change adaptation. Engaging in agriculture is fraught with high risks, including the
increasingly unpredictable weather conditions related to global warming and climate change.
Young farmers have expressed the need for knowledge on climate change adaptation and how
to improve resilience of their family farms. The Philippines is ranked as one of the most
disaster prone countries in the world, experiencing an average of 20 typhoons annually. Major
typhoons, landslide, floods can easily wipe out farmers earnings, and crop insurance and
social protection is sorely lacking. When super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) smashed into Visayas
in November 2013, the damage to crops was estimated at P27 billion - with the coconut
sector bearing the most damage - and the incomes and livelihoods of more than 200,000
farming and fishing households affected.47

Indigenous farming traditions gradually eroded. Indigenous youth are also saddened that
rituals they traditionally perform before planting or during harvest, are slowly fading away
and no longer practiced by young farmers.

Farm mechanization a boon and bane. Although mechanization seeks to attract more young
people and make farming less laborious, young farmers caution that inappropriate
mechanization displaces young farmers and their incomes, as in the case of dambuhala
tractors that could easily displace about a hundred or so farmworkers.
Indebtedness, bonded labor. Many farmers are heavily indebted to landlords and usurers
and make their childrens labor pay for the debts that they owe (pambayad-utang).

Discrimination. Young farmers feel discriminated against and treated as inferior due to
widely-held notion that agriculture is only for the illiterate or those who drop out from
school. Go back to the province and plant kamote is what teachers usually tell students
who fare poorly in school.48 Parents/elders reinforce this notion when they use farming as a
form of punishment for children who do not do well in school (diyan ka na lang sa bukid
just stay in the farm), or when they advise their children to take up courses other than
agriculture - do not be like me, a lowly farmer (huwag kang tumulad sa akin na isang
magsasaka lang). Discrimination also takes the form of being given lesser priority in
government programs for farmer-beneficiaries, or when parents/elders refuse to give the
youth more responsibilities due to their age - belittling what young people know
(minamahina ang kaalaman ng mga kabataan).
Young women farmers are also
discriminated when farming is only seen as mens work, their contribution minimized, and
programs for young farmers largely targeting only men.
Low self-esteem. The discrimination and lowly treatment of farming generally result in low
self-esteem and lack of confidence among young farmers -- Farming is the only option for
people like me who have not gone to school (Ang pagsasaka ay isang karaniwang hanap
9

buhay para sa mga di nakapag-aral, ito lamang ang paraan sa mga kagaya namin na hindi
nakapag-aral).
Neglect. The belief that the younger generation is not interested in farming may be the
reason for the almost zero efforts to engage the youth in agriculture, particularly those in the
20-35 years age bracket. If programs do exist, there is no serious effort to reach out to the
intended beneficiaries as most of the PAKISAMA young farmers consulted expressed that they
have not heard nor availed of any program for the young farmers. Note is taken here of an
extreme case of high suicide rate among young vegetable farmers (15-24 years) in Benguet
wherein a research team from Benguet State University (BSU) attributed to pressing problems
in the context of cash crop farming, e.g., market risks, failing vegetable market, degradation
of land, full agricultural trade liberalization, increasing chemical dependency, acquisition of
farm inputs and basic disregard for health. The BSU team recommends the institutionalization
of school counseling centers that are accessible and friendly to the youth, the conduct of
community integration activities and a restriction of chemicals being disposed for farming
communities.49

Recognition, identity. Young farmers want to be recognized and identified as a separate

basic sector, with their distinct set of rights and aspirations, and a voce and participation in
governance and decision-making processes.
Young people are interested in farming
In 2012, an award-winning research by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)
challenged the widely-held perception on youth wanting to leave the farm, and found that
farmers children see farming as a wealth multiplier, a key to achieving their dreams for their
family, and a way to help poor relatives. 50 The youth care about the livelihood that had
supported their family. Despite pressures to go to cities or work abroad, they expressed a
desire to stay connected to agriculture in various capacities if these options were available.
They expressed a heart for the farming family and vision for the farm; many of them said
once a farmer, always a farmer. Many of the youth wanted to buy land someday so they
could employ their poor relatives. The research then suggested that the rural youth should be
seen as future rice farming investors who can be able to provide capital investment.
The PhilRice research affirms PAKISAMAs own belief that with an enabling policy framework,
right incentives and more support services, young Filipino farmers will opt to stay in the
family farm and make a decent living from agriculture. PAKISAMA identifies the following key
ingredients to attract the youth back to the family farms:
1. MAGNA CARTA FOR YOUNG FARMERS
2. INFORMATION/EDUCATION
- Agriculture-sensitive Educational Curriculum for Elementary and High Schools
- Broader scholarships for all agri-related courses/More Information on agriculture
3. LAW ENFORCEMENT
10

Land for young farmers/survey first/inventory/CARPER

Organic Agriculture Act
Stop Cutting of Trees
IPRA
Fisheries Code: delineation of municipal waters
Bangsamoro Agreement
Cocolevy Recovery

4. PARTICIPATION
- Young farmers representation in all Agri-Policy-making bodies
5. FINANCING
- Access to financial institution:/Credit facility for young farmers
a. Direct support: 1,000 per farmer
b. Pension for farmers (social protection)
- Production Support
a. Input subsidy: seeds/seedlings
b. Community Seed bank
- Market Support
a. Facilitate market for young farmers produce
6. PAKISAMA
- Promote and protect the interest of young farmers/Empower and strengthen roles of
young farmers
- Provide capacity-building:
a. TRAINING AND SEMINARS: on proper farming, skills enhancement; communitybased academy; study tours;
b. skills and indigenous knowledge systems inventory
- Organize young farmers at the municipality/brgay /national levels
- Provide lending facility for agri-supplies
7. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Modeling, starting with ones farm, learning farms
a. Help organize young farmers to become responsible farmers
b. Help in extension work: promotion of IDOFS, Fertilizer-making, community seedbanking, coconut, market knowledge
c. Advocacy/campaign: no plastics and styro; establish Young Farmers Devt council;
mas masaya ang pagsasaka
Existing/proposed policies, programs for rural youth/young farmers
Several laws are already in place that provide programs or services for rural youth and young
farmers, including the following:
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.
Republic Act (RA) 6657 instituted a
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which covers all agricultural lands, regardless of
crop. The retention limit for rice and corn lands is seven hectares; for non-rice and non-corn lands
retention limit is five hectares, while each child 15 years old and above and are actually tilling or
managing the land can retain three (3) hectares.
Eligible beneficiaries are: owner/cultivators;
leaseholders granted permanent use rights over the lands; farm workers who rendered service for
value as an employee or laborer.51

11

 Youth in Nation-Building Act of 1994. RA 8044 defines youth as the critical period in a persons
growth and development from the onset of adolescence towards the peak of mature, self-reliant and
responsible adulthood, from age of 15 to 30 years. 52 Youth is categorized as urban / rural, and
according to four youth sub-sectors: out-of-school youth, in-school youth, working youth and specific
youth groups. The National Youth Commission (NYC) is designated as the main agency responsible
for coordinating policies on youth development and formulate the Philippine Youth Development Plan
(PYDP). Existing NYC programs include Youth Organizations Registration Program; Government
Internship Program (summer work program for students); National Youth Parliament (3-day
convention of youth leaders); Local Youth Development Program (establishment of Local Youth
Development Councils); Mindanao 2020 (advocacy-training program on culture of peace, human
rights and indigenous peoples); Abot-Alam National Program for Out-of-School Youth; National
Action Plan for Youth Employment and Migration (local employment and entrepreneurship).53
Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (AFMA). RA 8435 empowers civil society
groups and the local government units (LGUs) to provide area-specific extension services, and
supports centers of excellence for world-class agricultural education and research. 54
Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund of 2008 (ACEF). RA 9496 provides for an
ACEF earmarked for the protection of farmers against unfair trade practices and increased
productivity of farmers by providing necessary support services.
Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009. RA 10000 institutes an agriculture, fisheries and agrarian
reform credit, insurance and financing system, in which all banking institutions are to set aside at
least 25% of their total loanable funds for agriculture and fisheries credit, and at least 10% shall be
made available for agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. RA 10068 establishes a comprehensive organic agricultural
program by promoting and commercializing organic farming practices, cultivation and adoption of
production and processing methods.
Farm Mechanization Law of 2013. RA 10601 aims to encourage farmers and fisherfolk to use
modern, cost-effective and environment-friendly production, processing and postharvest machines
and adopt new technologies to enhance their productivity and income.
Rural Farm School Act of 2013. RA 10618 institutionalizes the creation of rural farm schools as a
parallel learning system or alternative delivery mode of secondary education to address the needs of
young Filipinos in agricultural or fishing areas, and provides that one public rural farm school be
established in every province, using the core high school curriculum of the Department of Education
(DepEd) with add-on courses focusing on agri-fishery. Public rural farm schools are free from tuition
and other fees, and priority is given to relatives of CARP beneficiaries. 55
Department of Agriculture (DA) programs. These include the following: 4-H Clubs with Agriculture
Training Institute (ATI) as lead agency in promoting ladderized training on agri-entrepreneurship; 56
Young Filipino Farmers Training Program in Japan, with National Agricultural and Fishery Council
(NAFC) as lead agency, involves intensive, on-farm agricultural training in cooperation with farmers
cooperatives in Japan; Young Farmers Program aims to encourage young agriculture and fisheries
graduates (20-39 years) to go into agribusiness and become entrepreneurs; 57 Farmer-Scientists
Training Program with ATI as lead implementor to empower small marginalized farmers to produce
more than their subsistence level; 58 Schools for Practical Agriculture of ATI that develops farmer
leaders to become teachers and community extension workers, and their farm lots as schools for
hands-on training;59 Youth for Agriculture and Fisheries Scholarship Program gives priority to youth
from the poorest families and children of farmers; 60 Adopt a Farm Youth Program to enhance the
skills of young farmers through the use of new agricultural technology; 61 Agri-Pinoy Project launched
by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) to encourage the younger generation to get involved in

12

farming, side by side with their parents;62 e-Learning for Agriculture and Fisheries with ATI as lead
which makes available e-learning courses for free;63 Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank (PinoyRice)
launched by PhilRice to provide online assistance to rice farmers, agricultural technicians and
extension workers looking for area-specific and local resource materials on farming practices and
technologies;64 Youth as farm infomediaries launched by PhilRice to mobilize the youth to help their
farmer-parents search for rice farming information; 65 Increasing mechanization to attract young
farmers with Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) as lead to
mechanize farm work to reduce drudgery.66
Other government programs. These include: TESDAs Agricultural Vocational Course. Under
AFMA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is mandated to provide
agri-fishery skills training programs for farmers and fisherfolks; 67 National Agriculture Organic Board
(NOAB). The Organic Agriculture Act and created the NOAB and allocated permanent seats for
farmer representatives, coupled with an annual allocation in the national budget to develop and
mainstream organic agriculture;68 National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). The youth and student
sector is one of 14 marginalized sectors represented in the NAPC structure which provides for the
sectors participation in policy-making and governance. Other basic sectors are: Farmers and
landless rural workers; Artisanal fisher folk; Indigenous people and cultural communities;

Pending bills in Congress include the following:

Institutionalizing Young Farmers Program (YFP) will institutionalize the YFP to equip the youth
with the necessary technical and entrepreneurial skills, provide them production and marketing
support, and aid them in capital formation.69
Agriculture Scholarship Fund will establish a comprehensive scholarship program focused on
agriculture, fisheries, forestry and related courses where about 25% of the curriculum is in the form of
on-the-job training or related learning experience. 70
Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act of 2010 calls for the creation of the Philippine Agriculture
and Fisheries Extension Agency (PAFEA) to serve as the national apex organization. 71

Global context
The UNs International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) suggested the following set of
recommendations to boost food security and reduce poverty by involving young rural people
in a dynamic, modern agribusiness sector.72
Getting young people interested in agriculture.
With modern technology, training,
communication and information, agriculture becomes attractive to young people.
Changing the way we view agriculture and farmers. Agriculture is not viewed as a respectable
activity. There is need to improve the image of agriculture need to view successful young farmers
as role models.
Setting new paradigms.
First, deal with agriculture based on communities rather than
commodities. Second, respect traditional knowledge. A dialogue needs to take place between
traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge, with the two being seen as equals. Third, stop
talking about developed and developing countries. Countries are developed differently; theyre not
developed and undeveloped.
Prioritizing young rural women and men. For many years national planners have not been aware
of the presence of the youth sector and simply assumed that young people are still in school, which
may be true in urban areas, but not in rural ones. If national planners are ignorant of the

13

contribution being made by young people, they cannot effectively plan for them. It is time that the
youth sector is given greater recognition.
Giving young people a voice. If young people dont have access to public policies, they also will
not have access to land, nor will they have their needs met. Young people need to be given a voice
in decisions affecting their future, and must be allowed to take a more active role in public
debates.
Creating opportunities for young women. Design programs and initiatives to ensure that women
receive access to land and finance and have the skills to use the land productively.
Making funds available to young farmers. The difficulties faced by young rural women and men in
accessing funding are identified as a key barrier to establishing vibrant farm and non-farm
enterprises.
The role of governments and development agencies. Policymakers should look at the household
or the community members involved in agriculture, and their special opportunities, capacities and
constraints. Agencies need to be gender sensitive and youth sensitive too.
Providing young rural women and men with high-quality, relevant education and training.
Giving young women and men access to land.

14

ENDNOTES

15

1 Esther Penunia, Innovations to attract youth to agriculture, Asian Farmers Association

(AFA), 2014
2 DA Assistant Secretary Romeo Recide, Developing public policies towards sustainable
family farming side event - summary and outcomes, October 8, 2013, FAO
3 Kristine L. Alave, Pangilinan sees food crisis as farmers getting fewer, Philippine Daily
Inquirer, January 17, 2011; Kristine L. Alave, Philippines is running out of farmers,
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 8, 2011
4 Remarks by Sen. Pangilinan, In: Kristine L. Alave, Pangilinan sees food crisis as farmers
getting fewer, Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 17, 2011
5 Remarks of KASC president Dr. Eduardo Bagtang, In: Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to
affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

6According to Dr. Asterio Saliot, Director of the Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training
Institute (DA-ATI), In: IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26, 2013

7 Based on study by Central Mindanao University (CMU), the average age of the Filipino farmer is
55 years old; Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Dante Delima pegged the
average age at 59. In: Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila
Times, June 22, 2013

8 Rossana Marie Amongo et al, Mechanizing Philippine Agriculture for Food Sufficiency, Paper
presented in the UNAPCAEM and FAO Joint Roundtable Meeting on Sustainable Agricultural
Mechanization in Asia Bangkok, Thailand, 8 - 9 December 2011.

9 Based on statistics from Department of Agriculture, In: Farmers Getting Older, Land smaller,
Manila Bulletin, September 8, 2013

10 Walden Bello and Risa Bernabe, Putting agriculture in the center of P-Noy's
development strategy and agenda, Active Citizenship Foundation (ACF) and Friedrich
Ebert Stiftung, November 2011
11Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013
12 Data from Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), In: Rappler, Fewer Pinoys get agri jobs,
October 27, 2012

13 Data from Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), In: Rossana Marie Amongo et al, Mechanizing
Philippine Agriculture for Food Sufficiency, Paper presented in the UNAPCAEM and FAO Joint

Roundtable Meeting on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Asia Bangkok, Thailand, 8 - 9

December 2011.

14Estimates from Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), In: Conrad M.
Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

15Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013
16 Walden Bello, The battle for food sovereignty in the Philippines: Lessons for the
Global South, International Development Studies Working Paper Series 002, St Marys
University, November 2013
17 According to Jocelyn Alma Badiola, executive director of COCAFM, In: IRIN, Filipino farmers - a
dying breed? February 26, 2013

18 Joyce S. Luis and Thelma R. Paris, Socio-demographic & agricultural factors affecting outmigration in selected rice farming villages in Cagayan Province, Philippines, Philippine Journal of
Crop Science, 2003, Vol. 28 No. 1 (pp. 49-60)

19 MST News, Startup trains youth for BPO jobs, August 5, 2013; Kickstart Ventures' lone brickand-mortar startup trains rural youth for gainful employment, August 6, 2013

20 200,000 farmers needed in Japan, Panay News (no date)

21 Rappler, Fewer Pinoys get agri jobs, October 27, 2012; Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino
farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013; Philippine News Agency (PNA),
Farmers Getting Older, Land smaller, In: Manila Bulletin, September 8, 2013

22Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013
23 Gina Mission, Diploma in Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Reinventing agricultural
education, 1999

24 According to Dr. Jesusita Coladilla of UPLBs School of Environmental Science and Management
(SESAM), In: Rappler, Fewer Pinoys get agri jobs, October 27, 2012; Gina Mission, Diploma in
Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Reinventing agricultural education, 1999

25Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

26 Rappler, Fewer Pinoys get agri jobs, October 27, 2012

27 Orti Despuez, Migration of rural youth to urban centers may compromise food security
Searca, InterAksyon.com, February 12, 2013; Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect
food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

28Data from National Statistical Coordination Board (NCSB), In: Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino
farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

29 Based on BAS data, In: IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26, 2013
30 Based on the Labor Force Survey by National Statistics Office (NSO), In: Conrad M. Cario,
Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

31 Based on BAS data, In: IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26, 2013
32 According to ATI Director Dr. Saliot, In: IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26,
2013

33 Walden Bello and Risa Bernabe, Putting agriculture in the center of P-Noy's
development strategy and agenda, Active Citizenship Foundation (ACF) and Friedrich
Ebert Stiftung, November 2011
34 According to data at the Senate hearing on the Department of Agricultures 2012 budget, In:
Kristine L. Alave, Philippines is running out of farmers, Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 8, 2011

35 According to DA regional technical director for research and regulations Wilson Cerbito,
Philippine News Agency (PNA), Farmers Getting Older, Land smaller, In: Manila Bulletin, September
8, 2013

36 Paula Monina G. Collado et al, Characteristics of Farm Holdings: Evidence from the
PhilippinesCensus of Agriculture, SEARCA and NSO, 2013

37 Paula Monina G. Collado et al, Characteristics of Farm Holdings: Evidence from the
PhilippinesCensus of Agriculture, SEARCA and NSO, 2013

38 HB 478 (Zoning and Land Use Policy Act) filed by AKBAYAN Rep. Arlene Bag-ao
39 IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26, 2013

40 Socorro Gultiano et al, Population dynamics, land availability, and adapting land tenure
systems: Philippines, A case study, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Committee for
International Cooperation in National Research in Demography (CICRED), 2003

41 IFAD, Feeding future generations: Young rural people today prosperous, productive farmers
tomorrow, February 2011

42 Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC), Lessons
and Insights on Access to Land: The Philippine Experience, Presented at the International
Land Coalition (ILC) -AoM, 23 April 2009, Yak & Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal
43 Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC), Lessons
and Insights on Access to Land: The Philippine Experience, Presented at the International
Land Coalition (ILC) -AoM, 23 April 2009, Yak & Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal
44 IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26, 2013
45 IRIN, Filipino farmers - a dying breed? February 26, 2013
46 Walden Bello, The battle for food sovereignty in the Philippines: Lessons for the
Global South, International Development Studies Working Paper Series 002, St Marys
University, November 2013
47 Pia Ranada, P9B needed for agri, fisheries in Yolanda areas, Rappler, January 8, 2014
48 Conrad M. Cario, Aging Filipino farmers to affect food security, Manila Times, June 22, 2013
49 Maria Elena Catajan, Why Benguet youth commits suicide? Sun Star Baguio, September 16,
2013

50 Really, they dont want to farm?: Challenging existing orthodoxies on youth perceptions on rice
farming in the Philippines, In: Philippine Rice Research Institute, Engage youth in farming - study
urges, 9 May 2012; CSC alumnus wins best paper for research on Filipino youth, Centre for
Communication and Social Change, University of Queensland, Australia; Philippine News Agency,
'Once a farmer...' Despite migration options, study says farm youths want to stay connected to
agri, InterAksyon.com, May 3, 2012; Gian C. Geronimo, Pinoy cited for best research paper in
Malaysia conference, GMA News, January 12, 2013

51 Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC), Lessons
and Insights on Access to Land: The Philippine Experience, Presented at the International
Land Coalition (ILC) -AoM, 23 April 2009, Yak & Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal

52 FAO, ILO and UNESCO, Training and Employment Opportunities to Address Poverty Among
Rural Youth: A Synthesis Report, 2009

53 National Youth Commission, NYC Programs and Projects

54 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Bright Future Seen in
Agriculture (Issue No. 12)
55 Tempo, Rural farm schools in communities, October 15, 2013
56 Beatriz Yanga, ATI Reviews 2012 Performance for 4-H Club Youth Development, January 21,
2013

57 NAFC, Young Farmers Program; COCAFM, The Young Farmers Program: A Primer, 2011;
Program launched to turn graduates into agri entrepreneurs, Philippine Star, May 18, 2003;
Marlowe U. Aquino, Young Farmers Program complements the NTCP, BAR Digest, Bureau of
Agricultural Research, December 2005

58 Rita T. dela Cruz, Palace issues EO 710 to adopt FSTP as a national program, Bureau of
Agricultural Research Chronicle (BAR), March 2008

59 Jose Rene C. Gayo, A new paradigm for agricultural extension, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 23,
2012

60 2011 ATI Annual Report

61 2011 ATI Annual Report; Aileen Diaz, Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Agri office urges
young farmers to join Adopt a Farm Youth program, March 14, 2012

62 Marlo Asis, DA inaugurates food processing, trading center for tobacco farmers, DA-AFIS, 4
November 2013

63 http://e-extension.gov.ph/elearning/
64 Rappler, Online databank offers tips for rice production, November 4, 2013
65 Manila Bulletin, The youth as farm infomediaries, June 14, 2012; Nikka Garriga, PhilRice taps
youth for 'infomediary' campaign, May 31, 2012

66 Conrad M. Cario, The potential of mechanization in agriculture, Manila Times, June 22, 2013

67 http://www.tesda.gov.ph/
68 Marlene Ramirez, Developing public policies towards sustainable family farming side
event - summary and outcomes, October 8, 2013, FAO
69 http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/67555988!.pdf
70 http://202.57.33.10/plis/data/1734714585!.pdf
71 Kristine L. Alave, Pangilinan sees food crisis as farmers getting fewer, Philippine Daily
Inquirer, January 17, 2011
72 IFAD, Feeding future generations: Young rural people today prosperous, productive farmers
tomorrow, February 2011