REPORT AND PHOTO BY REMAI ALEJADOA three-day seminar in natural farming system (NFS) concerning the cassava rootcrop was initiated the other week with the Subanens from Lakewood.
Cassava in local parlance is kamoteng kahoy or balanghoy.
Provincial Agriculturist Marilyn Bersales and Agricultural technologist Ramon Rodrigo Jr. trained the Subanens on NFS while supervising cassava livelihood coordinator Jothan Marc Agad assisted.
Board members Eriberto Sumalinog and Ernesto Mondarte likewise participated in the training as resource speakers, tackling on the two important advocacies of the Provincial Government which is Better Quality of Living and the Anti illegal drugs campaign, respectively.
Primarily, the training was for Subanen tribal leaders and members to know NFS for sustainable rural development and food security.
Interest in NFS has been advocated by Gov. Aurora Cerilles since 2001, as she sees this essential to agricultural production in the province, aside from health and environment considerations it gives to consumers.
Thus, preferring to plant only organically-produced crops, Cerilles sees an opportunity for farmers to cash in on cassava and perhaps, after the training, the 54 timuays and their tribesmen will become model-trainers in their Lumad community for the cultivation of cassava.
With NFS applied to cassava planting, there’s what they call the “Cerilles method,” which means and as Rep. Antonio Cerilles would always suggest, require the use of compost or organic fertilizers.
Not only realistic but sensible since cassava can withstand periods of prolonged drought, and therefore the use of organic fertilizer is highly recommended.
Cerilles has employed livelihood coordinators all over the province who are tasked with teaching farmers in 681 villages about the “Cerilles method” and transform their land into productive farms.
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NICP) Regional Director Abdul Puengan sponsored the training in part along with NCIP Provincial Director Marita Miñao, who distributed pick mattocks as digging tools for planting.
Also, the Provincial Government also handed out cultured trichoderma samples to the participants for development into organic fertilizers.