Senator Cynthia Villar urges the Magsasaka Siyentista in the country to become strong partners in making entrepreneurs out of farmers towards poverty alleviation.
LAS PIÑAS CITY, Metro Manila—The Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG), led by Senator Cynthia Villar, encouraged the Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) to steer the farming community towards agripreneurship during a meeting on February 22, 2018.
Stressing the need to promote financial literacy to the stakeholders in the agriculture sector, Villar noted, "Increasing food production and farm productivity alone cannot move them [farmers] out of poverty. We need to focus on capacity-building activities to make entrepreneurs out of farmers."
Speaking to around 50 MS from across the Philippines, Villar added, "You are the ideal people to teach other farmers because you are both farmers and scientists." She further encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity to become cooperators not only of Learning Sites (LS) accredited by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) but also of Farm Schools supported by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Villar, who serves as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, likewise challenged the Institute to double its targets in establishing LS which will help in creating more Farm Schools nationwide. ATI Officer-in-Charge Director Luz Taposok, in turn, gladly accepted the challenge and assured the senator of the Institute’s full support to the goals of Villar SIPAG.
As a lawmaker and member of the board of trustees of Villar SIPAG, Villar aims to remove the hindrances to attain agriculture prosperity. Among these barriers include financial literacy, lack of technical expertise, and mechanization.
MS representatives during the meeting included members of the Samahan ng Magsasaka Siyentista ng Pilipinas, Inc. led by their president, Henry Binahon of Binahon Agroforestry Farm in Bukidnon. Also present were the Institute's training center directors and officials of the Philippine Rice Research Institute led by their executive director Sailia Abdula.
The attendees took part in a tour to three Villar SIPAG livelihood facilities after the meeting.
The MS are outstanding farmers who promote the successful application of science and technology- and indigenous-based farming practices to other farmers. To date, there are more than 500 MS who serve as partners of the ATI in bringing extension services in rural communities through the Techno Gabay Program.