Comments on: Self Sufficiency Filipino Style

By: Philly

Philly — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:46:14 +0000

Hi Marilou,

Thank you so much for dropping by and for your interesting comment.

I certainly agree that arable land is being gobbled up by commercial development at a great rate … among other reasons this is a consequence of unbridled population growth … the key to many of the Philippine’s problems.

But this doesn’t negate my claim that a great many Filipinos are ignoring the resources they could make use of . Or that forigners looking to make thier life more rich and interesting could engage in self-sufficiency.

Largely (perhaps sadly) because of the mind set of my own country, mention food growing and everyone launches into analysis of large-scale agribusiness investments and government programs to ’solve problems’.

In the long run such thoughts are valid, but my personal point of view is, individuals can do alot to solve problems on an individual or neighborhood level. I may be too naive, but hey, it gives me somehtingto write about

By: Marilou

Marilou — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:58:57 +0000

Hi Dave

My grandparents originally come from Bulacan. I still have a lot of relatives there and my sister’s family lives in Angat. I have been spending a lot of my summer vacation there 40-30 years ago and I can remember the vast rice paddies we pass between Manila and Angat. Sadly during my visits in the last 20 years, I’ve noticed that a lot of the rice paddies have now been filled in and replaced by housing subdivisions. No wonder there’s a shortage of rice in the Phils.

The same is happening in Bukidnon – it used to grow corn and coffee but then again – the cornfields are now being replaced with rubber, pineapple and banana plantations. But I’m glad that my family haven’t fallen into the trap – sadly, we are now a minority. I consider our family lucky to remain self-sufficient in terms of rice, corn, coffee, vegetables (and maybe Jim’s chickens in the near future!) and there’s even enough to get around for the extended family, neighbours and friends as well (if they help out during harvest time!).

By: Philly

Philly — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:57:42 +0000

I certainly consider your points very valid, Laurence. Indeed, land reform legislation here has fragmented a lot of once more productive operations. However, I would argue, though, that the fact that a small holding is less profitable than a more efficient sized one is apoor excuse for doing nothing and begging rice. A .76 hectare plot can produce more than P60,000 worth of rice in a year mainly with one man’s labor and that’s p60,000 he wouldn’t have if he waited around for something better to happen. In particular, I’m interested in doing more to raise what one or a few families need and let the commercial side sort itself out.

By: Laurence

Laurence — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:14:17 +0000

Philly,

A great topic and one that I look forward to following.

I think the size of the landholding is an issue here. A multitude of small plots, with each doing their own thing is not going to raise productivity. If all those small plots were combined into larger holdings, then more efficient methods of rice farming could be utilised e.g. sowing from the air.

Perhaps there needs to be more co-operatives formed amongst rice farmers to take advantage of economies of scale.