Hope for the upland Farmers, is there any?

Good Morning to you all again. How much do you care? I heard a lovely a story the other day, It appears, a contractor was commissioned to when a road, well, the machines started their work, knocking down trees clearing the rocks, when the bossman noticed some birds in a tree and a nest, so he asked his crane driver to lift him up to see, and sure enough in the nest were baby chicks he told them to leave the tree standing. Untie later. When they eventually knocked the tree down the bossman checked the nest, yes the babes had cane, and the nest destroyed, but he saw a piece of paper in amongst the twigs, and he read the words on it. They were these” we are lucky, someone up there cares.” You see friends, even he birds and animals are important to him. Please believe me, this is a true story.

Lets pause for a moment: The hand that holds the ocean depths, can hold my small affairs the hand that guides the universe can carry all my cares. Those who see Gods hand in everything can leave everything in Gods hand.

Our topic: the upland farmer are among the poorest in the Philippines , and can earn less than any other group of Filipino people.

In the upland were zones of agriculture and forestry are practiced on rolling to steep land with slopes ranging upward from 18 percent. Around 14.9 million hectares or half of the entire country's land area of 30 million hectare are classified as uplands. The uplands are continuously being pressured by increasing population as more people move to these areas. The most recent analysis of population growth in the uplands showed that population in these areas rose from six million in 1948 to a staggering 15 million in 1974. Today, the total uplands have an estimated population of 19 million and an annual population growth of approx. 2.8%. Studies conducted by the University of the Philippines showed that migration to the uplands takes various patterns. Some migrant families first send their headman and able-bodied males to the area to heck it out, if found suitable then the families move to the new found home for permanent residency. Some migrants move to the target area a s whole family unit and settle there without any previous pre-evaluation. Studies have shown that relatives are used as a source of support should the future turn against them.

It ha also been noted that lowlanders moved to the uplands, cultivated the area and then return to their areas of origin. The new found upland areas are only considered as “satellite settlements” only needed to support their living. To e, the uplands is the ecological and social frontier where the battle for future survival of the Filipino society will be fought the future of the country's forests resources are also in the uplands. In 1934, 17 million hectares of the were covered with forests, In 1987, 15 million hectares were classified forest lands, but in fact only 7.1 million hectares were covered with forest.

Today, over six million hectares of declared forestlands are denuded and unproductive, and most of the remaining forests are located in the uplands. These areas are not supposed to be cultivated, but due to upland migration, they are now under heavy cultivation. Did a lot of research on this subject, mainly because I was concerned about the diminishing forests, farming is the main occupation of uplanders, for almost all of hem, production of the main food crops is subsistence-oriented. Some experts say the consequence of this is soil erosion. I fail to agree totally with this areas given up as hopeless can still be resuscitated and made productive again. This can be achieved with technological breakthrough and through the will of a population to make the most of the benefits available to them.

Upland farmers are now recognized by government as effective partners in the rehabilitation, development and protection of marginal upland areas, rather than agents of destruction. Even if the Philippine government poured all its resources, money and talent expanding the lowlands, it would still become clear that the next focus for rural development efforts will have to be he uplands. Take care see you next week.