SHS students learn to appreciate farming
UP LOS BAÑOS, Laguna -- To build interest among Senior High School (SHS) students to consider agriculture, specifically biotechnology, as a career, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Agriculture-Biotechnology Information Center (Searca-BIC) conducted the Seameo Searca AgriBiotech Boot Camp for Senior High School Students on November 15-17, 2017 at the Searca Headquarters and Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), UP Los Banos.
According to the Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), the average age of a Filipino farmer is 57 years. In addition, Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (Pakisama) claims that farmers and fishers are getting too old and due to lack of interest and incentive, their children are not interested in taking over the family farm. The number of children aged 5 to 17 years old working in farms nationwide fell to 1.26 million in 2010.
Pakisama identified that despite being a predominantly agricultural country, there are only 12 million farmers in the Philippines which accounts for 35% of the country’s labor force in 2008. This number decreased to 11.96 million (or 33%)in 2010. Even Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC),Asia’s largest food service firm foresees a gap in agricultural workforce in the Philippines and the need for a new generation that will replace the current farmers.
“Fewer students are enrolled in agriculture and related courses. There is a need to expose the youth to activities like this camp that will let you appreciate and encourage you to build a career in agriculture especially in biotechnology,” said Dr. Satunina Halop of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Biotech Policy Advisory Team.
Twenty nine Senior High School students and teachers took part in the three-day camp which was organized as a buildup activity for the 13th National Biotech Week. Four participants were from Davao City and were endorsed by DA Regional Field Office 11 OIC Director Ricardo M. Onate Jr.
They are Senior High School students Meluzvia Marie Amora of Philippine Science High School – Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC) and Nikka Pareja of Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS) with their teachers Jimae Faith Magnaye and Kenny Lloyd Angon. Other delegates came from Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Cebu, Iloilo, Laguna and Isabela.
The participants underwent learning sessions with resident experts of UP Los Baños on edible landscaping, Snap hydroponics, applications of Biotechnology in Crop Science, Livestock and Fisheries and other special topics like the Agricultural Landscape in the Asean by Dr. Ruben Villareal, President of the Agriculture and Resources Research Foundation, Inc.