Organic Agriculture in Siquijor

Groups appeal for adoption of Organic Agriculture in Siquijor towns

SIQUIJOR, Feb 25 (PIA) -- The Provincial Organic Agriculture Board (POAB) and the Technical Working Committee (TWC) of the six municipalities in Siquijor appeal to the local government units and schools to adopt organic agriculture as a way of farming lifestyle in the island. 

"It can be difficult at first, but let’s start now,” says San Juan municipal agriculturist Arnold Manginsay as he appealed to the local legislators for the adoption of RA 10068 known as Agriculture Act. 

In one of the fora on RA 10068 conducted by the POAB and the TWC, Manginsay said that as implementors of the law, it’s not easy for them to convince right away the farmers to turn into organic farming because farmers are used to using inorganic fertilizers as it was the first advocacy to increase production, Manginsay said. 

“The irony is, we from the Department of Agriculture (DA) had introduced the use of inorganic fertilizer to boost the farmers’ income but it is also us, this time who are teaching them to return to organic farming because we have seen the effects of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides to people’s health and the environment,” Manginsay added. 
He said commercialization aspect of the organic agriculture cannot be seen right away but we have to start if we want to save our environment and our people. 

Organic agriculture is a potential tourist attraction for the province, especially for San Juan town that claims to be the tourist capital in Siquijor. Theseries of forum in all municipalities is an initiative of the POAB and the TWC to lobby support from the local legislators for the adoption of RA 10068 and creation of Organic Agriculture Boards and Technical Working Committees at the municipal level. 

The province of Siquijor has adopted the law last year along with the creation of the Provincial Organic Agriculture Board (POAB) with its Technical Working Committee and the formulation of the Organic Agriculture Road map for the province. 

Reaction:

I, as an environmental-oriented student, am agreeing to the appeal of the Provincial Organic Agriculture Board (POAB) and the Technical Working Committee (TWC) to use Organic products in farming instead of using the inorganic one. In using the Organic way of farming it relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming also uses fertilizers and pesticides which leads us to organic agriculture that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. While in using the inorganic way of farming, has some side effects in terms of our health condition and the environment which promotes distruction. 

But the  main problem is here is that the farmers doesn't know how to use this kind of farming. The aren't knowledgeable enough to adapt these kind of methods and  procedures. So how can this bill benefit from them? I think the should give some orientation and discussion about the process they are about to promote. Then, that's the only way that the farmers can do their job. Organic Agriculture is seen as a significant tool to boost the province’s ‘agri-eco-tourism’ and increase the local farmers’ productivity and income, says the POAB in all of its forums.