On July 3, 2017, I walked down the aisle of the cavernous Session Hall of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome to occupy the center stage and make history as the first Fililipno Agriculture Secretary to be elected as Chairman of the 40th UN-FAO Conference on Food Security.
The 5-day Biennial Conference gathers all the Agriculture Secretaries and Ministers from the over 194 member nations and three organizations to chart the world’s Food Security Directions for the next two years.
On the day I was chosen by acclamation to Chair the 40th UN-FAO Conference, the President of Italy was present in the presidential table, including the representative of the Vatican, while two other Presidents were in the plenary hall.
It was an unbelievable feeling for a farm boy who used to sleep on the carabao’s back while grazing in the late afternoon and who plowed the rice fields to be listened to by all the agriculture experts in the world.
I am sharing this story today to serve as an inspiration for boys growing up in the farm that they too could reach what I have achieved – from the farm to the center stage of the gathering of the world’s top agricultural experts.
“I consider this election to the Chairmanship of the 40th Session as victory of the ordinary farmer for I lay claim to the distinction of being the first practicing farmer to be appointed as Secretary of Agriculture of my country,” was the statement the highlight of my acceptance speech.
In the opening ceremonies, I delivered country statement which I wrote myself and here are the excerpts:
“Climate Change is real and to those who claim that it is a farce, I ask them to live in the farm for them to see and feel the proofs.
“When rains do not fall during the times they are expected affecting the farmer’s planting season; when the fruit trees do not bloom with flowers during the season when they supposed to and when typhoons come more frequently and more destructively, these are proofs of Climate Change.
“The manifestations of Climate Change are unpredictable and greatly disruptive to food production.
“As one of the five countries in the world greatly affected by Climate Change, we have learned our painful lessons and with our modest resources, our government has made adjustments.
“The Philippines has established an office under the Department of Agriculture called Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture (AMIA) which led the establishment of the first ever National Color-Coded Agriculture Map indicating the kind of agricultural activity recommended in specific areas of the country based on soil suitability, risks and hazards.
“The public website also provides stakeholders with an advanced information on Climatic threats, including warning for weather disturbances which could affect agriculture and fisheries. This Map was launched by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on March 7, 2017.
“With the help of FAO Philippines, we are now conducting a National Food Consumption Quantification Study which would identify where we would grow or produce food and at what volume to be able to feed the country. It will also include projections on the food requirements of the country 20 years from now.
“To address the frequent occurrence of long dry spells and El Niño, and given the fact that the Philippines has abundant water in its aquifer, we have developed the Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems technology to be able to provide water during droughts and intensified efforts in establishing small water impoundings to store run-off water during the rainy season.
“The Dept. of Agriculture has adopted Tree Crop Farming as an agricultural activity to encourage farmers to plant trees in watershed and water sources which they could grow along with coffee, cacao and other permanent crops. Farmers who will plant trees will be given access to a loaning program payable after 10 years.
‘The Philippine government has just launched an Easy Access Financing Program aimed at helping Small Farm and Fisher Folk Families in increasing their productivity and addressing poverty in the countryside. Granted without any collateral and a service fee of only 6%, Small Farm Families could avail of loans ranging from as low as $200 to a maximum of $500 to buy seeds and other farm inputs, gasoline for their fishing boats and ice boxes.
“To prepare for possible reduction of fish catch because of the warming of the ocean caused by Climate Change, the Philippine Government recently launched the National Inland Fisheries Development Program which will involve the seeding of the country’s lakes, rivers and creeks with over 200-million fingerlings of indigenous and non-invasive fish species, eel and fish water shrimps to ensure available food for the country.
It is on this note that the Philippines calls for the following:
Greater cooperation between advanced food producing countries and emerging food production areas like the Philippines for technology transfer and sharing of best practices.
“Feeding the world must a shared mission of all countries and the old practice of keeping in exclusivity advanced technologies must be abandoned;
“Promotion of more financing and investments to enable smallholders, farm families, especially woman farmers, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable sectors to access markets to cope with the challengers of food scarcity, malnutrition and Climate Change.
“Support for agricultural research institutions by regional and international organisations like FAO and its members to develop more productive and Climate Change resilient technological platforms.
“Finally, to remind everyone that the mission to feed world must be shared by all nations … as this …will greatly contribute to the realization of FAO’s vision of Zero Hunger.
“Thank you and may the Almighty bless us all.”
#MemorableMomentsOfAFarmBoy!
(Attached photos were provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano and Mayette Tudlas.)
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