An eight-member team from the municipal government of Maribojoc participated in a Seminar Workshop on Natural Farming at the ACES Natural Farming Institute in Panabo City, Davao del Norte last July 24-27, 2011. The team was composed of municipal Vice Mayor Fructuoso F. Redulla, Jr., Municipal Councilor Florante B. Evasco, Municipal Agricultural Officer Maria Eva F. Bolasco, Municipal Engineer Raul Bernard A. Jabines, Agriculture Enhancement and Development Officer Jose Cyril N. Lobrigas, fisheries technician Agustina S. Espera, livestock technician Reyland P. Jabonillo and Roque Echavez of the municipal engineer’s office. The ACES Natural Farming Institute, in partnership with the Alliance of Concerned Entrepreneurs for Food Security (ACE-FS), sponsored the four-day activity. Dr. Francisco P. De la Peña, president and CEO of the ACES Colleges System, was the resource person for the seminar-workshop. An introduction on Natural Farming Systems was conducted in the first day while the rest of the training days were hands-on sessions on concoctions and natural farming techniques.

The training participants attended lecture and practicum sessions on fermented plant and fruit juices, fish amino acid, oriental herbal nutrients, lactic acid bacteria serum, 3C’s or carrots, cucumber and celery juice as well as native chicken production and natural farming on swine raising. The local government will soon implement the Maribojoc Organic Farming Systems Development Project. One of the objectives of the program is a Natural Farming Development Institute. It will be the training ground for farmers and their families because it aims to rehabilitate and use the remaining local farming resources and increase productivity and income of farm families. The ‘learning by doing’ organic farming academy will develop 6 hectares vegetable areas, 180 hectares rice production areas, establish 6 units of organic fertilizer production areas, construct 6 units fish pond for tilapia production and develop farm products landing areas, among others.