Residents of Barangay Lataban, Liloan receive medals and certificates after completing the Farmer-Scientist Training Program. Among them are the three children (center) who also completed the training. (Contributed)
A sixth grader fulfilled her dream to become a farmer-scientist.
Domenciana Adolfo of barangay Tabla, Liloan town in northern Cebu said her daughter Joan would cry if barred from attending the lectures of Farmer-Scientist Training Program (FSTP) every Wednesday.
“Kada Merkules absent gyud na siya sa klase kay naay lecture sa FSTP (Every Wednesday, she would always miss her class so she could attend the FSTP lecture),” Domenciana said. FSTP phase 1 ran for 18 weeks.
Domenciana said her youngest child Joan is the only family member who likes farming. Joan, who wants to be a teacher, said she joined the FSTP because she is interested in farming.
Joan, along with her first cousin Angel Mae Adolfo who is also a sixth grader, and Charles Tundag, an eighth grader, were among the new FSTP graduates in Barangay Tabla last March 29.
Like the Adolfo cousins, Tundag also skipped classes once a week to join FSTP. He said joining the program does not only make him a farmer-scientist as, he said it taught him the values of hard work and respect of elders.
Capitol Agriculture Consultant Dr. Romulo Davide, FSTP program leader, welcomed the new generation of farmers. He said it is important that not all in the family abandons farming for a different job elsewhere.
In Barangay Tabla, 36 farmers graduated from the program; 23 farmers graduated from phase 1 and 13 from phase 2.
In the municipality of Consolacion, 80 farmers successfully completed their training: 52 from phase 1 and 28 from phase 2.
The 52 farmers came from Barangays Panoypoy and Tilhaong. The 28 came from Barangay Lanipga. Lanipga is the last mountain barangay of Consolacion. The next barangay is Tabla, which is already part of Liloan town.
Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado was also pleased that the new FSTP graduates included 12 young farmers. She said their presence ensures that farming is not a dying vocation in Cebu.
Niño Jay Gonzaga, 17, said being in the mountain area, farming is the only livelihood they have. Instead of wasting his time going out with his friends, he said he helps his parents in the farm if there are no classes and during summer break.
FSTP aims to give small farmers direct training contact with agricultural experts and scientists to provide them with technical and scientific knowledge to maximize production of crops.
Phase 1 is an experimental stage where farmers plant corn and other crops using different trials, while phase 2 is where the trainees apply the best trial they have learned from phase 1.