Tuesday, January 06, 2009 KAISAHAN, Inc., 3 Mahabagin Street, Teachers' Village West, Quezon City, Philippines
SUCCESS STORY
Sustainable Agriculture as a Social Enterprise: The DIMPC Organic Fertilizer Project
Sustainable agriculture has been one of the advocacies of ASDP in Iloilo. Through the Agricultural Support Fund (ASF), the peoples' organizations were able to engage in organic fertilizer production.The Dela Peņa Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DIMPC) decided to that chemical fertilizers are widely utilized and preferred by almost all the farmers in the municipality. The farmers widespread use of chemical fertilizer is due to (a) its commercial accessibility; (b) presence of lenders who give them access to credit for this type of fertilizer; and (c) the government endorses hybrid crops that requires massive amount of this kind of fertilizer.
"The use of organic fertilizer breaks the dependency of fellow farmers to loan farm inputs from traders. Our aim is to really revert to the traditional farming techniques." - SA practitioner Froilan Palabrica
Froilan Palabrica, a farmer member of the DIMPC, made a comparative analysis on the use of chemical and organic fertilizer. Since a sudden shift of use from chemical to organic fertilizer will alter the soil productivity (and thus, would affect production negatively), Froilan applied both the chemical and organic fertilizers in the first cropping season of his one-hectare farm lot. He obtained 3,360 Kilogram (Kg.) of palay (unhusked rice), a little under the 3,600 kg he usually harvests in his lot that used the chemical fertilizers. Froilan usually earns P29,000- P32,000 per cropping season using chemical fertilizers.
During the 2nd cropping season, Froilan only used organic fertilizer on his lot. After harvesting the produce of the second cropping season, he was able to obtain 4,361kg of palay, higher than the 3,825kg he usually achieves in his lot that used chemical fertilizers. With the use of organic fertilizer, he earned a net profit of P42,000 or an increase of P3,500 monthly income.
Froilan also observed no infestation in his field when he used organic fertilizer. This lessened the cost of production by eliminating the use of insecticides. He further claimed that the soil became easier to cultivate.
| Tabular Comparison on the Use of Chemical and Organic Fertilizers by Mr. Froilan Palabrica | ||
| Production Particulars on a One-Hectare Farm Lot | Chemical Fertilizer | Organic Fertilizer |
| First Cropping Season | ||
| Land Preparation | P3,000.00 | P3,000.00 |
| Labor Cost | P1,500.00 | P2,500.00 |
| Farm Input | P9,250.00 | P6,225.00 |
| Total Production Cost | P13,750.00 | P11,725.00 |
| Production Output | P43,200.00 | P40,320.00 |
| Net Profit* | P29,450.00 | P28,595.00 |
| Net Income per Month** | P7,362.50 | P7,148.75 |
| Second Cropping Season | ||
| Land Preparation | P3,000.00 | P3,000.00 |
| Labor Cost | P1,500.00 | P2,500.00 |
| Farm Input | P9,250.00 | P3,900.00 |
| Total Production Cost | P13,750.00 | P9,400.00 |
| Production Output | P45,900.00 | P52,332.00 |
| Net Profit | P32,150.00 | P42,932.00 |
| Net Income per Month | P8,037.50 | P10,733.00 |
| *Production Output less Production Cost ** one cropping season = four months |
||
When other farmers heard from Froilan that his crop produced healthy yields, other PO members followed suit and encouraged more farmers to use organic fertilizers. The eight sustainable agriculture practitioners of the PO through education activities now tell other farmers that 1) it is less expensive to use organic fertilizer with production costs of inputs per hectare almost halved, 2) production output is normally higher by 10 sacks per hectare; and 3) organic fertilizer acts as soil conditioner and maintains soil fertility while chemical fertilizers lead to soil acidity.
Because of the good effects of organic fertilizers on the soil and the lessened production costs, non-PO members who rely heavily on chemical fertilizers are now shifting to organic fertilizer use. DIMPC members are happy to be giving their fellow farmers the option to engage in a type of agriculture that is cheap, healthy, and environment friendly.
Lupa para sa pagsasakang Pilipino, ralliers and supporters flock
Farmers want more reforms
After 2 hours of intense debate before a jam-packed crowd of farmer leaders, agrarian reform advocates, religious groups and Catholic Bishops, House Committee on Agrarian Reform in a vote of 16-3-1 approved substitute bill that will give the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program another five years extension for Land Acquisition and Distribution and at least 100 Billion pesos in funding.
Different Peoples' Organizations calling for CARP Reform
The bill also includes four (4) reform provisions from HB 1257 filed by Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel and supported by The Reform CARP Movement (RCM). The reform provisions are 1) the indefeasibility of Titles awarded under the program (EP/CLOAs), 2) reinforcement on the recognition of the right of the rural women to own and control land and a gender responsive support services, 3) the exclusive jurisdiction of DAR on agrarian related cases, and 4) recognition of the legal standing and interest of ARBs or identified beneficiaries or their association to file a case or cases before judicial courts concerning their individual or collective rights under CARP and the creation of a joint Congressional Oversight Committee.
Calatagan Farmers at the House of Representatives during the Congress hearing on CARP extension
Before the public hearing, farmers from Reform CARP Movement and Rural Poor Solidarity held a rally outside the House of Representatives. Farmer leaders from different organizations together with Archbishops Tony Ledesma, Diosdado Talamayan and Bishops Deogracias Iniguez and Pablo David met with House Speaker Prospero Nograles to ask for the support of House leadership in fast-tracking the passage of a law for CARP extension with reforms. This was followed by an interfaith prayer offering.
"This is an incomplete victory for us; we want more reforms to be included in the substitute bill. There are important provisions that should be included like the prohibition on conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands, removal of non-redistributive schemes like leaseback and stock distribution option(SDO), rationalization of DAR, progressive land taxation among others. We will not stop until Congress realizes the importance of including those reforms to avoid more reversals and conversion, " Ka Uper Aleroza of PKSK said.
Reform CARP Movement with Congress allies will also lobby and campaign for the removal of the farmland as collateral provision in the bill because it will only reverse whatever CARP gains and will lead to massive foreclosure and land reconsolidation.
"Now is the time for government to show that it is truly serious in protecting the rights and upholding social justice for the landless farmers and farm workers. Enact CARP extension with significant reforms and peace, food security and economic growth will follow," Aleroza stated.
Landowners attempt to evict 27 Ormoc farmers
Twenty seven (27) farmer beneficiaries in Barangays Valencia and Cagbuhangin, Ormoc City recently suffered harassment and human rights violation when personnel of H. Serafica and Sons Corporation (HSSC), attempted to evict them by using tractors and policemen recently.
Ormoc farmers negotiating with PNP
Fourteen (14) years after being covered by CARP reform and five years of waiting to be installed in the contested land, farmers of Valencia Small Farmers Association (VASFA) asserted their right to the land and planted bananas, karlang (a kind of rootcrop), and corn on March 24, 2008.
Nitoy Sarenas, a member of VASFA remarked: "Why do farmers have to suffer with the continued delay of land transfer? We have fully paid the amortization of this land and yet DAR did not install us in our awarded land."
On April 1, however, HSSC personnel brought tractors and destroyed 200 trunks of bananas, 200 karlang and 26 scoops of corn that the farmers planted as well as the bamboo fences that the latter erected. Meanwhile, a truck of policemen arrived in the area with supposed orders from the Mayor to "maintain peace and order".
Ormoc farmers discuss action plan
"What happened to us is like a concerted effort by the local government, police and the landowner to deny us our right to our land. The barangay even refused to record the incident when we reported what happened", Sarenas added.
The said land was formerly owned by Norma Serafica and was covered by CARP in 1994. Prior to this, the lot was rented by HSSC but the contract already expired in 1991. The farmers were eventually awarded with CLOA in 2003 after paying amortizations to the Land Bank of the Philippines. In April 2007, however, the Agrarian Reform officer in Ormoc City, Ms. Pacita David, informed the farmers that there will be a delay in their land occupation of the area as the HSSC has spent much capital for the sugarcane plantation in the land.
Ormoc farmers makeshift meeting area at the site
The farmers as of this day are appealing their case to the DAR Special Concerns Office in Ormoc City. The case only shows that human rights violations continues to rage in the area of agrarian reform where almost always the farmer beneficiaries and former land owners are at odds due to complexities of land transfer and implementing the rule of law. Sarenas has called on the police and the government to respect their CLOAs and recognize their full ownership over the awarded land. The farmers have expressed their readiness and determination to pursue the case and face the legal battle ahead. Another farmer, Antonio Oteda said "We are prepared for this, we have evidences to support our case and we will file counter charges. It is high time that social justice be served to us small farmers, we are more than ready to face our battle for land, our battle for life" he ended.
55 Calatagan Farmers Walk from Batangas - Manila
The Calatagan farmers will march around 45 kilometers today to cross the Batangas-Laguna provincial boundary to Calamba. The Lipa-Calamba leg is the longest so far in their fifteen-day walk from Calatagan to Manila. Before leaving Lipa City, they were met early morning by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of the Archdiocese of Lipa to encourage them and to reiterate the support of the Church to the cause of the Calatagan farmers.The marchers left Lipa City after a send-off mass officiated Fr. Bon Cumagon at the Cathedral de San Sebastian. The farmers are looking forward to see their families who will meet them in Calamba in Laguna.
Press con launching of Calatagan march
The Calatagan farmers were also elated by the approval of the House Committee on Agrarian Reform of the substitute bill for the extension and reform of the CARP law. Virgie Dimalaluan, spokesperson of the Calatagan farmers said that the inclusion of the indefeasibility of Emancipation Patents (EP) and Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) provision in the substitute bill in the House is a victory to the Calatagan farmers who are in danger of facing the cancellation of the 10-year old EPs and loosing their lands. "While the substitute bill is not as favorable as HB 1257 filed by Rep. Risa Hontiveros (Partylist, Akbayan), the reform provisions of the substitute bill gives us hope" Dimalaluan said.
"Krisis sa pagkain, 'wag palalain!"
The Calatagan farmers are set to march to the Senate on Monday morning, April 28, to ask for the support of the senators in their case and to push for the passage of a counterpart bill for CARP reform and extension. They will march to the House of Representatives the next day. April 29.
Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel said that agrarian reform beneficiaries like the Calatagan farmers, give face to the struggle for genuine agrarian reform. "If only the Department of Agrarian Reform and the DENR who are the principal implementors of CARP have half the will and courage of the embattled agrarian reform beneficiaries like the Calatagan and Sumilao farmers, then agrarian reform would have succeeded a long time ago. Agrarian reform implementors and this government should follow the example of these farmers" Hontiveros-Baraquel said. The solon added that the case of the Calatagan farmers is a very concrete example why the CARP law needs to be reformed and not merely extended.
"Protektuhan and kalikasan sa mapagsamantalang mayaman at dayuhan"
"The Calatagan case has shown us how agrarian reform beneficiaries continue to be threatened by landlords a decade after the land was transferred to them and even if they have already fully paid their land amortizations. The clasping hands of the rich landlords reach out across the years to grab back what was rightfully and justly awarded to the farmers" she added.