TITLE : APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO NATURAL FARMING
AND ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
SYSTEM
DESCRIPTION:
- The advocates of Natural farming and Organic
Agriculture have a common intent in reducing the application of chemicals
in the propagation of plant and animal life. This is in response to both
concern for health and the reduction of cost in the farming system.
- The system utilizes a “no-waste
concept where the waste of one is an input to the other.”
- As a system, a natural farmer or
organic agriculturist, takes care of animal waste, convert the organic waste
to plant fertilizer, produce silage for animals and fish, develop
beneficial bacteria, feed free range poultry and animals, water the
plants, raise drought resistant fish, plant drought resistant trees and
root crops, protect fertile soil from erosion, communicate with each
other or a team of farmers.
- These actions that need to be
done in a farm, no matter how small, takes valuable time of a farmer from other
knowledge-based activities. This results in a less educated farmer who
may have been provided with free education, but skip classes to gather grass for animal
feed and watering the plant in the early morning and late afternoon.
- Hence the Application of Science
and Technology to Natural Farming and Organic Agriculture systems is
deemed relevant in the following:
1
Reduction
of labor in the farm,
2
Provide
farmers with ample time to learn new knowledge for personal growth and
development
2. Increase
the capacity of the community for entrepreneurship program,
3. Enhance
disaster preparedness,
4. Develop
capacity to perform Measurements and concoction fundamentals,
5. Apply Basic electronic and electrical fundamentals
for water control.
6. Communications
and farm planning
7. Discuss Training
regulations, competency assessment and certification
8. Study Micro-organisms
in water and air through the microscope
9. Identify
and propagate Drought resistant plants, animals and fish
10. Practice
the principles of Organic agriculture, Natural farming and technology
applications
- The application of Science and
Technology to Natural Farming and Organic Agriculture Systems is a
brain-child of Dr Silvano B. Maranga. This is a conglomeration of both
industrial and agri-fishery knowledge and skills intentionally combined in
his quest to make the marginalized farmer be provided with better education,
self-respect and pride as a farmer retooled with Science and Technology. This is a component to the DOST 7 Grant-in-Aid project " S&T support to Community-based drought resistant Natural Farming System"
- It is also important to acknowledge the persons who made this work possible: Dr. Francisco P. dela Pena,Jr. President / CEO ACES Polytechnic College, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Engr. Edilberto L. Paradela, Regional Director DOST 7, Director Tristan Abando, Provincial Director, DOST- CEBU, Region 7.Mr. Vianney D. Garol, Board of Director, ASKEDWELL Center. Mr. Charlie Taguiam, the owner of the center facilities
- Team involved the the process of implementation are:1. ENGR. ROSELLER BALAOD , SAFERY ENGINEER, AQUACULTURE NC II, HORTICULTURE NC II, DRIVING NC II2. MR. RICARDO UROT, K of C, RETIRED MAO, REGIONAL AGRICULTURE AWARDEE, AQUACULTURE NC II3. MRS. FREDESVINDA Y. BIORE, RETIRED SUPERVISOR, CWL OFFICER, HORTICULTURE NC II4. MR. OSCAR M. ELCANA, LAY MINISTER, FARMER, PROPRIETOR , ANIMAL PRODUCTION NC II, DRIVING NC II5. MR. PEDRO D. COLOSCOS, RETIRED PRINCIPAL, CEBECO DIRECTOR, ANIMAL PRODUCTION NC II6. MR. EMILIO P. BIORE, RETIRED PRINCIPAL, K if C, LAY MINISTER, ANIMAL PRODUCTION NC II, HORTICULTURE NC II7. ENGR. OSCAR S. MA, PME, CHAIRMAN ASKEDWELL CENTER8. DR. SILVANO B. MARANGA, RETIRED TESDA DIRECTOR, PRES/CEO, NTTC TRAINOR OF ASKEDWELL CENTER , TECHNICAL SUPPORT : Engr. Manuel B. Maranga, Electronics Engineer, Retired from ABS and GMA Engr. Macario B. Maranga, Electronics Engineer, retired from Fairchild Semi-conductors, Entrepreneur Farmers from Borbon and Argao, Cebu , Ms. Michelle M. Cuerquis, Trainor BCPD, President- Association of Secretaries, Mr. Mark Wernher P. Maranga, computer networking, GLOBE Staff, Voltair P Maranga, Jonrey P Pinaapol, Rondil Ybanez Agustin Puerta
- BARANGAY OFFICIALS COORDINATING TO DEVELOP A FARM TOURISM COMMUNITY CAPT. ABDIAS C. RETUERTO , PRESIDING OFFICER/PUNONG BRGY KAG. ,NORMA S. MONSANTO KAGAWAD ,FELILIA C. RETUERTO KAG. ROFIL C. VANGUARDIA KAG ELIEZER M. MONDONIEDO KAG ALEXANDER L. COLE KAG. LEONORA R. MONDERO KAG GINALYN C. CUSTODIO BRY. SEC. JESSERIN M. SISA
- It is important to note that many conditions
of unhealthy food and practices are responded to by the Organic
Agriculture as per Republic Act 10068.The following are excerpts of the
Organic Agriculture Act of the Philippines and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations
Section 3 Definition of Terms. - For
purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows
a) Organic refers to the particular farming and
processing system, described in the standards and not in the classical chemical
sense. The term "organic" is synonymous in other languages to
"biological" or "ecological". It is also a labeling term
that denotes products considered organic based on the Philippine National
Standards for organic agriculture.
(b) Organic agriculture includes all agricultural systems that promote
the ecologically sound, socially acceptable, economically viable and
technically feasible production of food and fibers. Organic agricultural
dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of chemical
fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. It also covers areas such as, but
not limited to, soil fertility management, varietal breeding and selection
under chemical and pesticide-free conditions, the use of biotechnology and
other cultural practices that are consistent with the principles and policies
of this Act, and enhance productivity without destroying the soil and harming
farmers, consumers and the environment as defined by the International
Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement (IFOAM):
Provided,
That the biotechnology herein to shall not include genetically modified
organisms of GMOs.
(c) Organic production system is a system designed to:
(1) enhance biological diversity within the whole system;
(2) increase soil biological activity;
(3) maintain long-term soil fertility;
(4) recycle wastes of plant and animal origin in order to return
nutrients to the land, thus minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources;
(5) rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural
system;
(6) promote the healthy use of soil, water and air as well as minimize
all forms of pollution thereto that may result from agricultural practices;
(7) develop and promote the use of biotechnology in agriculture;
(8) handle agricultural products with emphasis on careful processing
methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the
product at all stages; and
(9) become established on any existing farm through a period of
convention, the appropriate length of which is determined by site-specific
factors such as the history of the land, and type of crops and livestock to be
produced.
IMPLEMENTING RULES AND
REGULATIONS FOR REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10068 (Philippine Organic Agriculture Act of
2010) Pursuant to the provisions of Section 27 of Republic Act No. 10068,
otherwise known as the “Organic Agriculture Act of 2010”, the Department of
Agriculture hereby adopts and promulgates the following rules and regulations:
Section 1 Title This Administrative Order (AO)
shall be known as the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act
(RA) 10068, otherwise known as the “Organic Agriculture Act of 2010”.
Section 2 Declaration of Policy
These IRR are issued pursuant to the policies declared under RA 10068, to wit:
“It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote, propagate, develop
further and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines
that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase
farm productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent
the depletion of natural resources, further protect the health of farmers,
consumers and the general public, and save on imported farm inputs. Toward this
end, a comprehensive program for the promotion of community based organic
fertilizers such as compost, pesticides and other farm inputs, together with a
nationwide educational and promotional campaign for the use and processing, as
well as the adoption of organic agricultural system as a viable alternative
shall be undertaken.
8 9 “Risk reduction” is the
concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to
analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including reduced exposures
to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of
land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events
3. The
proponent and facilitator. Dr. Silvano B. Maranga, is a Doctor in Technology Education, an
Assessor / Trainor of TESDA in Organic Agriculture Production NC II, President
/ CEO and founder of Action for Skills Knowledge Education and Wellness Center
Corp , SEC registered, with 4 TESDA registered courses, namely Horticulture NC
II, Animal Production NC II, Aquaculture
NC II and Driving NC II.
4. COMPETENCIES
OF THE COURSE on Application of Science and Technology to Natural Farming and
Organic Agriculture systems are as follows:
a. Basic competencies
1
.
Communications
2
.
Working in a team
3
.
Personal development
4
.
Organizing for livelihood endeavors
5
.
Gender and Development
6
.
Community –based Entrepreneurship
Development
b. Common Competencies
1
.
Safety, Disaster preparedness
2
.
Environment concerns
3
.
Measurements
4
.
Micro-organisms in water, soil and air
5
.
Organic Agriculture Act of the Philippines and other relevant laws and
regulations
c. Core Competencies
1
.
Prepare Fertile soil
2
.
Identify and propagate drought resistant plants, fish and animals
3
.
Test and apply electronic, electrical controls for water flow and communication
tools
4
.
Explain and Perform Concoction fundamentals
5
.
Raise animals, including earthworm or vermiculture in Natural conditions
5. PHILOSOPHY
a. Nature
is the presence of God in things that can be seen and not seen by humankind. This includes the large animals, trees and planktons, both zooplanktons and phytoplanktons and any
other forms of micro-organisms
b. Human
beings live with micro-organisms, many of which we are not aware of their
existence.
c. It
is most of the time assumed that bacteria is bad for human health, but in many
situations bacteria protect the human body from many forms of diseases or uncomfortable
conditions
d. A
human being starts its journey in life as a micro-organism. There are approximately 400 egg cells
produced in a mother's womb over an approximately 30-year productive life time.
These egg cells or ovum are discharged in a menstruation process if not
fertilized by a single male sperm. There are 5 million sperm cells, in seminal fluid, that are
needed for an egg cell or ovum from a mother’s womb to be fertilized by the
father’s sperm. Only one sperm cell of the five million released by the father
in one ejaculation to the one egg cell
is needed to form one person. That union of one of the hundreds of egg cell and
millions of sperm cell would have created a million individuals any other
different identity. This makes us a unique being and a special miracle of God.(based
from the book of Og Mandino,”God’s Greatest Miracle”)
e. We
do not know why, when and how we are born in the same manner that we do not
know when, how and why we shall die. We do not control life.
f.
Between birth and death, we
struggle to live comfortably, trying to evade pain and changes in our bodies
and life. From birth, when we leave our mother’s womb, enclosed in a liquid and
placed in an environment of air, we experienced pain. Then we cried and made our first breath. (inside the living body, www.youtube.com)
g. Our
brain starts to function and assimilate information, then as we, human beings,
grow in knowledge and skills, start to eliminate other life forms for human
survival, or better quality of life.
h. We
want animals to grow faster, plants to be free from damages brought about by
smaller life forms. This we do by killing other creatures for human need.
Nature and natural courses of events are disrupted and this has also affected
human life. Hence, this course is developed to look back to nature and
contribute to saving the environment.
i.
It is our quest to live life in
peace and harmony with God’s creatures, preserve nature and allow itself to
regenerate, while human beings live a life of sharing and understanding that pain
is part of life itself. Knowing that there are living things that can not be
seen but form part our life.
6. SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION
a. Science
and technology are human creations to make life easier to live. One is the idea
or the concept, the latter is the
concrete result or building of the idea into a useful equipment or tool.
b.
The words science and technology can and
often are used interchangeably. But the goal of
science is the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake while the goal of
technology is to create products that solve problems and improve human life.
Simply put, technology is the practical application of science (from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Science_vs_Technology)
c.
Farmers in the Philippines are
mostly in the 55-60 year-old age range, below grade 7 educational attainment
level, marginalized, and tied up to their small piece of land, with few
animals, usually, a few chicken, hogs, goats and cattle. Vegetables are planted
for food and income. With the intrusion of conventional agriculture systems,
the farmers are taught on the use of chemical fertilizers, use commercial feeds
and pesticides. Most of the time, farmers lose in the agricultural endeavor.
The cost of farm input become higher than the gross sales of the farm product.
d.
Farmers need to water the
plants in the wee hours of the day and late in the afternoon. It is noted that
the stomata of plants are open during this time. Watering plants can be done
with simple application of science and technology by installing mechanical or
digital timers
e.
Feeding of birds or poultry can
be done through a simple gadget providing a weekly or monthly feeding schedule
instead of daily schedule.
f.
Communicating with farmers can
be facilitated with a self-actuating amplifier using cellphones for
communicating in far and distant areas.
7.
COMPETENCIES: BASIC, COMMON AND
CORE
1
. Basic competencies include communicating
with self, other individuals, a group and a larger community involved in
Natural Farming and Organic Agriculture, also include actions in the acquisition of
knowledge and skills for personal development, documentation or records keeping
organizing for livelihood and community entrepreneurship, gender and
development, children and women’s rights, senior citizen and indigenous people
rights act.
2
. Common competencies covers a wide range of
knowledge from safety, health and wellness, laws and regulations, measurements
and other information that can make improvement in the processes of natural
farming and organic agricultural practices.
3
. Core competencies covers Preparation
of Fertile soil, Identification and propagation drought resistant plants, fish
and animals, testing and application of electronic, electrical controls for
water flow and communication tools, explaining and performing concoction
fundamentals, raising animals,
including earthworm or vermiculture in natural conditions
8. METHOD
OF TRAINING OR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
a. Seminar
– a process to present the curriculum or course of study in a compact manner.
Discussions and demonstration of skills and gadgets are done within a short
duration in an airconditioned room.
b. Competency-based
training- covers the basic, common and core competencies in two locations.
First ten (10) days in a learning station. Next twenty (30) days in a communal
farm indicated or assigned for the purpose..
c. Follow-up
and site visits in households to ensure that the skills and knowledge are
implemented at home.
d. Competency
assessment within 6 months from the start of training
9. TRAINING
MANAGEMENT SCHEME
a. As
there are many areas that need this training program, a modified system of
creating a branch and extension services shall be implemented. There shall be
volunteer groups assigned in the respective areas and assistant technical
experts fielded after undergoing a qualifying process.
b. Network
of information shall be done with the internet and the self-actuating
amplifier.
c. Video
and computers shall be assigned in a location as a starbook based on the DOST
system.
d. Mobile
Training Units shall be fielded with tools and equipment to support a learning
station as the need arises
10. FINANCING
SCHEME
a. There
are ways a trainee can participate in the program.
1
. Government grants-in-aid
program is deemed most appropriate to this project
2
. Non-government organizations provide the
training resources for their beneficiaries undergoing the program.
3
. Scholarship grants from Action for Skills Knowledge
Education and Wellness Center through student learnership program.
4
. For those who have the financial capability
, pay the training cost as per TESDA authorized rate.
b. Enter
into partnership agreements with legitimate organizations.
11. Some documents that are part of the program design:
a. Endorsement of Director Joel A. Elumba RTD , Department of Agriculture 7
b. Endorsement of Engr. Edilberto L. Paradela, Regional Director , DOST 7
b. Endorsement of Engr. Edilberto L. Paradela, Regional Director , DOST 7
c.. Endorsement
of Provincial Director Tristan L. Abando, Provincial Director DOST- Cebu
d. Manifesto
of support to the course and demand or needs of the marginalized farmers
e. SEC
Registration certificate
f. TESDA
registration certificates of four courses
g.
Copy of Certificate issued
during the conduct of a series of seminars entitled : Executive Seminar on the
Application of Science and Technology to Natural and Organic Farming System
h. Copy
of the Certificate of Copyright and Deposit of the Book On Health And Wellness:
Exercise 60 More Or Less.
i. Sample
Certificate of Training
 |
| Endorsement of Engr. Edilberto L. Paradela, Regional Director , DOST 7 |
 |
| Endorsement of Provincial Director Tristan L. Abando, Provincial Director DOST- Cebu |
