ESSA News

“The Group of Army and Rebel Returnee Trained Mushroom Production and Vermi Composting”

Documented by: Lorela V. Locsin – FSN Senior Researcher

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) initiated an activity for the rebel returnee to be trained together with the Army in Organic Agriculture.  Last November 11 to 12, 2019 at Central Philippines State University (CPSU), Hinobaan Campus, together with their Extension and Project Coordinator, Ms. Joe-an Escobar, made this very meaningful training successful.  The two-day trainor’s training ended with the taking home of citronella, “night crawler” for their “vermi compost”, fruiting bag for their start of oyster mushroom, and a certificate for their participation.  These take home and the technical knowledge will be the start for their livelihood project towards sustainable agriculture.  The messages from the participants; CPSU-Hinobaan Officials; the Program Coordinator of OPAPP; and the challenging words from their trainer, and an advocate of organic agriculture to continue what is being started in this training.  Among these challenges to note are:

  • Use the non-chemical;
  • Go into natural farming;
  • Condition your mind;
  • Practice Sustainable farming;
  • To leave the next generation  a good quality of soil; and
  • Continue the partnership through this training

With these challenging words, the participants clearly and absolutely YES.

It is a privileged to witness this happening that the military together with the six rebel returnee become classmates for two days training.  That, through the OPAPP the government provided new beginning among the rebel returnee to start a new life. And in this training, they choose it to be into Organic Farming. 

Though the two groups benefited from the training that they could apply in their different camps or personal lives, but the essence of bringing them together as classmates was beyond this fruitful technical learning.

I may not able to witness the whole two days activity, but I am still thankful that I was able to attend the last day of the training.  The trainer shared that the first day was theory and practical activity on mushroom propagation and “vermi” composting.  And on the second day, I witnessed that the attendees, apart from their status, stand on the same and equal ground to actually put the mushroom spawn into a fruiting bag that they prepared on the previous day.  They forget their previous differences on these moments of their lives.  They are holding the pens, paper, “vermi”, mushroom spawn, and fruiting bag, and not guns.  They are listening not to their commander, but to their instructor of organic farming.  They are strategizing not to fight their enemies, but how to learn the sustainable way of living.

The master of the program encouraged further the participants and to help the spirit of organic farming live in them when they parted from this training the three letters “OMV”.  It is OMV because it is Organic Farming, Mushroom and “Vermi” Composting.

According to Ma’am Joe-an Escobar it was not the first time that she trained these technology to the military. Month before, a camp at Himamaylan, Negros Occidental undergone the same and they are about to harvest their mushroom.  True enough; taking this good opportunity and collaboration, the CPSU team led by their President, Mr. Aladino Moraca, also an organic agriculture advocate visited the camp to witness the success of the training and to strengthen the partnership of CPSU and the Armed Forces.  Words appreciations were exchanged among leaders (CPSU & Military) and the plans to be done to further this beginning. 

A symbol of commitment to the delivery of technology, the CPSU President wanted to enhanced what was the current state of “vermi” composting and promised to deliver within the day additional five kilos of “African night crawler” beside a very hectic schedule. The President himself together with the CPSU team practically demonstrated how to properly do and care this “vermi” composting.  The sincerity in advancing the sustainable agriculture is very apparent among them.

ESSA Activities

Appreciative Inquiry Workshop Will Help Improve the Research Output

Sustainable Integrated Area development (SIAD) uses Appreciative Inquiry as an effective tool in conducting participatory activities in the community. Having revisited the outputs of the field researchers on the working models (Organic Farmers and other Stakeholders), and the room for the improvement of the outputs, it was then decided that the team will undergo an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) workshop. The workshop was facilitated by SIAD team last October 17, 2019.

During the workshop, the team was able to learned and realized that to have this tool, it will be used to extract a desired outcome from the interview. The workshop also brought optimism among the participants and confidence that what ESSA council requires and expect shall be delivered as expected. The team especially the field researchers recognized that by using a positive approach, a positive result will be delivered.

The workshop even more appreciated with the word of wisdom imparted by the ESSA council chairperson. According to her, the interviewee will be very much willing to be interviewed and will undoubtedly share their stories if we (the researcher) will lay down to them the purpose of the interview which is to inspire others to practice organic farming.

Reinforced by the case conference happened between the researcher and the FSN council, a healthy discussion provided a clear direction on the research output. The conference even ended with a precise agreement what shall be delivered towards our goal in a advancing Organic 4.0.

ESSA Council Stories

Venancio Garde Jr.

Venancio Garde Jr.

Venancio Tornilo Garde Jr. graduated from Nueva Ecija University of Science & Technology Gabaldon Campus and obtained his Diploma in Agricultural Technology. Once, he was a volunteer Cathecist, SK chairman, and a Community Organizer of Gabay sa Bagong Pag-asa (GBP) SAFRUDI. He was also involved in other NGOs like MASIPAG, a farmer scientist partnership in Sustainable Agriculture. He is also part of PRRM or the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, PABINHI (Pilipinas Pambansang Inisyatibo ng Pagbibinhi sa Pilipinas and currently he is part of SRI Pilipinas as National Trainer and Consultant.

Notable Contribution in SRI Pilipinas:

A Sustainable Agriculture Consultant, Senior Technical Associate and Project Coordinato PRRM/SRI-Flipinas Currently the SRI Trainer in SRI-Pilipinas SRI and Sustainable Agriculture Consultant In I releaf foundation Inc. from 2015 up to present

Swine Raising Consultant in Quirino provincial agriculture office from 2016 up to present

SRI-Trainer and Consultant ORAS-NA/people’s organization LGU-Aringay La-Union

SRI-Trainer SRI and Natural Farming Technology Oxfam –GB 2012

SRI and Sustainable Agriculture Consultant Bahay tuluyan 2016-present

Organic livestock Consultant Guingona farm Tarlac 2011 SRI-Trainer

SRI-Season Long Trainer AGREA-Foundation June to October 2016 National Trainer

Organic Field Support program Department of Agriculture 2009.

Mr. Garde is sixth among nine siblings. He is a generous brother willing to help his siblings as long as he can and able to help. A father that is willing to do everything for his family without thinking of how hard it is as long as he perform his duties as a father to his children. He was married for 10 years to her loving wife and they have 3 lovely children.

In every success stories there is always challenges and problems that we need to face. When he was in elementary level he experienced being pandesal and balot vendor just to have allowance. In his high school days at the age of 15 or 16 he became a miner, he mines using only shovel and other mining tools that are all manual. He go in a tunnel without any safety gears, he experienced falling debris falling on her head and back. It is not safe for his age to be in this type of job and environment but his motivation is to save money for his studies in high school and to help his family. He was dreaming to finish Mechanical Engineering Course but because of financial problem he was not able to pursue it. He was thankful that there is a NGO that supports his studies in Agricultural Technology and at college he is also serving NGO as part-time job.

Despite of those challenge he is not willing to give up because according to him if you are determine in one thing , you need to do everything inorder to achieve it. Those challenges made him strong in every trials that he experienced. Every time he attends a mass he always have this reflection that those experience is part of his mission in his life that made him stronger, resilient and widen his perception about the things that surrounds him.

At present he loves his job as long as he is helping other people through Sustainable Agriculture that’s why he is considering it as his mission in life. His happiness in unmeasurable when he see his former students in SA became successful. He believed that even he was not able to see and talk to source he believed that the source is the one who taught his students.

As a Roman Catholic his eyes and mind is already open with the help and supervision of his parents, he believed that he is here in this world to perform a mission and that mission is to help the farmers to do the right things. He also have this mission to become a catalyst of change in the Philippines when it comes in Agriculture. He wants to share to other people the Organic Agriculture can assure food security that will feed their own family.

His dream for OA even it seems impossible is to transform every program of DA into Organic.

ESSA Uncategorized

Participants Experienced and Gone Thrilled On Bio-Dynamic and Organic Vegetable Growing Training

As part of the staff development, the ESSA team was able to attend the “First Introductory Training Course on Organic and Bio-Dynamic Vegetable Growing” at Center for Bayanihan Economics (CBE), GK Enchanted Farm, Brgy. Encanto, Angat Bulacan last October 14 to 20, 2019 that was facilitated by Nicanor Perlas.

During this six (6)-day workshop, the ESSA chairperson, Digna Ruth Daliva was able to spoke and introduced what ESSA is and the composition of the team as well as the council present to the participants and then about the upcoming National Conference on Sustainable Agriculture this February 11-15, 2020 at Iloilo Grand Hotel, Iloilo City.   The chairperson was able to invite the Organic Agriculture Stakeholders and advocates to witness the upcoming event, what will they experience in the said event and its direction. 

Nicanor Perlas also added that the National Conference on February 11-15, 2019 will tackle the seven (7) dimensions and Organic 4.0.

The chairperson also mentioned the membership in the network and the Inner conditioning Workshop to be held on December 7 – 8, 2019 as one of the requirement of being a member of the ESSA.    She stressed that, the inner condition is very essential to highlight the value of the individual and looking into the members as a full human being.  That, she looks forward to a more exciting and to find a space in order to exude the human full potential through the  Inner Conditioning Workshop.

During this event, because of their appreciation of the training, some have already made their intention to participate in the Inner Conditioning Workshop in order to be a member of the ESSA network and others look forward for the Organic 4.0 National Conference on the said date.

ESSA Activities

ESSA and SEA Inc. take part on the Climate Emergency Hour last September 20, 2019

In joining the global movement to raise the awareness on climate emergency, the staff produced a video and poster it in the social media. This is the ESSA and SEA Inc. participation to contribute in making an impact to the community on this campaign.

Aside from that, the ESSA and SEA Inc. Team also shows support to Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist as she delivered her powerful message to the whole world. See link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY_S7n3jkkU