La Trinidad: Farmers should not see themselves as 'farmers lang' (mere farmers) because of their important role in nation building and people's survival and must take pride in their being farmers. 'Their role is to plant vegetables and cut flowers, and strawberries. We say 'farmer lang' but they should know they have an important role in the community because if there are no farmers, other people from other professions will have nothing to eat,' Mayor Romeo Salda said on the sidelines of the celebration of Farmer's Day as part of the Farmers and Fisherfolk's Month in this capital town on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the town executive said that for the first time, they are marking the occasion with the "Farmer Official For A Day" (FOFAD) activity, where crop growers are "exposed" to other jobs apart from being on the farms, such as managing a government office. He noted that on Monday, some 40 farmers "replaced" local government officials and "performed" their functions in the different departments under the FOFAD program, as provided for under Municipal Ordinance 01-24 passed in 2024.
'It was good because aside from taking one day break from managing their farms and plants, they get to experience becoming an official managing the operation of the office. Who knows? Someday, they could also become officials like us,' Salda said. He noted that the FOFAD program enables the sector to see themselves and their jobs as important as other professions. The mayor said the activity will be an annual event, much like the Scout Officials for a Day, Women Officials for a Day, or the Senior Citizen Officials for a day.
There are 7,300 registered farmers in the Registry System of Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) in this town, but the local government unit (LGU) targets more than 9,000. Nida Organo, municipal agriculturist, said the celebration goes with the theme: 'Farmers: The foundation of food security'. She added that the FOFAD program was included in the event to grant the request of the town's agriculture sector. 'The FOFAD is significant as it recognizes the role of farmers in maintaining and providing food security as well as in the economy,' Organo said.
Organo said that in terms of employment, agriculture provides 34 percent livelihood, especially in rural barangays where agri-tourism is strong due to the strawberry, cut flowers, and vegetable production. Incumbent Vice Mayor and mayor-elect Roderick Awingan said the town's vegetable trading post is the backbone of its economy, providing the LGU with a monthly income of PHP30 to PHP40 million. 'The restaurant, banks and other businesses in La Trinidad exist because of the trading post. Without it, they will not have interest in this town that is why we recognize the contribution of agriculture, of the farmers to our growing economy,' Awingan said.
He said they have been supporting the farmers and the vegetable industry as a whole since the trading post started its operations, and they will continue to look after the welfare of the sector. Organo also said that with the help of technologies being provided to the farmers through the Department of Agriculture, time will come when farmers will take more pride in their profession. She noted that they are starting to introduce the elevated crop production technology at the strawberry farms to other crop farms and the utilization of greenhouses or tunnels to allow the farmers to produce their goods all year-round, even in adverse weather conditions.
Organo said that farm inputs, supplies, technologies, and machinery are provided to farmers to improve their production and increase their income.
