BAGUIO CITY — Senator Cynthia Villar has urged farmers in Baguio City to take advantage of the farm tourism law, which, she said, would benefit them hugely, such as on the aspects of higher income and free education, and ultimately give the country food security.
Farm tourism is defined under the law as “the practice of attracting visitors and tourists to farm areas for production, educational, and recreational purposes. It involves any agricultural or fishery-based operation or activity that brings to a farm visitors, tourists, farmers, and fisherfolk, who want to be educated and trained on farming and its related activities, and provides a venue for outdoor recreation and accessible family outings.
In a visit to Baguio on Friday, Villar said about 20 farm schools had already been accredited by TESDA in the entire Cordillera region since the tourism law took effect.
“We started this in 2015 and we are happy that a lot of people accepted the challenge to convert their lands into farm schools.”
She said farm tourism also gives the farmers a competitive edge in their agricultural production because of added knowledge and more potential buyers and traders for their produce.
She added that through farm schools, the children of the farmers could also study and acquire education on farm management and production, which could boost the country’s agriculture industry in the long run.
Aside from these, TESDA will be paying for the tuition fees of those who enroll under the program.
“This will also provide accessibility to free education and at the same time convenience to the farmers. Small farms are very important because it feeds us,” the senator pointed out.
She also cited an international study saying that 70 percent of the agricultural output in the world comes from small farms, not from corporate farms.
“So, if we need food security, we have to take care of small farms,” Villar concluded.
She said to take care of small farms and the farmers, the government should make them competitive and profitable. This makes the establishment of farm schools an important component of food security.
“If you declare your land as a tourist farm, it has to be accredited by the DOT. Once accredited, the department will have to include the facility on the tourist farm list, promote it, and utilize their programs,” she explained.
Villar also mentioned that if the farmers become teachers and educate others with vital, up-to-date information, TESDA would accredit the farmers and provide the modules.
This would be additional income for the farmers, on top of the livelihood derived directly from their produce, she said.
Villar said the agriculture department has a lot of programs now. “The challenge is how to make (these) successful in empowering the farmers, and if the programs will be enough for them to be competitive,” she said. (PNA)
