It is no secret that the Philippines had turned into a laggard in terms of agriculture output and land

reform. In the past, Filipinos used to teach the Thai people agricultural practices but now, Thailand
overtook the Philippines in agriculture. According to the Washington SyCip, founder of the financial
auditing company SyCip Gorres and Velayo in the country, Thailand are so far ahead of us in terms of
agriculture. They used to grow no sugar. Now, we are growing 2 million tons while they are growing 4
million tons. After the World War II occurred, the post-war administration assured the country that
"being a democratic and Christian nation, we would be the 2nd fastest growing nation next to Japan."
But as of today, we are now behind Indonesia. Even though many resources have been devoted by past
administrations to agricultural modernization, the provision of agricultural inputs and agrarian reform,
the Philippines continues to face a lot of challenges in bringing the economy up. This problem is still
unresolved even today.

The Philippines have a total of agricultural land area of 14.1 million hectares and as of 2012, only 9.671
million hectares are being used for producing agricultural crops. The decrease in total farm area could
be attributed to the conversion of farmlands into residential and commercial purposes. In 2009,
according to the National Statistical Coordination Board, the GDP growth for the agricultural center was
merely 0.1 percent compared to the 3.2 percent in 2008. Last 2010, it was also showed that the GDP
growth of the 1st quarter of the agricultural sector was zero. One of the problems that has contributed
to the low growth in the country's over-all productivity is the implementation of land reform.

Agriculture in Cavite

Cavite is predominantly an agricultural province. Despite urbanization and industrialization, a significant

number of Cavitenos are still engaged into agribusiness. Data gathered from Office of the Provincial
Agriculturist shows that though the province lies in the industrial belt, the agricultural land is about
49.38 percent or 70,466.53 hectares of the total land area of the province. Bacoor comprises 5,240
hectares of the total agricultural areas as well as Imus having an area of 9,701 hectares. Based on the
interview we've had with Gov. Jonvic Remulla, the. most common crops grown in the province of Cavite
are rice, corn, vegetables, coffee, coconut and fruits. Silang is also known to have the widest planted
area followed by Magallanes and Indang.

Crop Production in Cavite

According to Gov. Jonvic Remulla, rice is the most planted crop in Cavite. Considerable amount of
vegetables like tomato, eggplant, pepper and bittergourd can also be found in the province. A lot of
Caviteno farmers are now venturing into specific vegetable niche such as organic farming which they can
market in major commercial supermarkets in the area. Coconut is also a major crop of the province.
Multi-level farming is also predominantly practiced in Cavite that gave way for integrated crop farming.
This means that farmers can engage in multi-cropping wherein their land are planted usually with
coconut on the upper level and other crops on the lower level. Cavite is probably best known for their
coffee which is also considered as a provincial cash crop. The province is producing roughly 1/3 of the
entire national production. "Much attention is being given to coffee farming to improve it's efficiency
and productivity." stated by Gov. Jonvic Remulla.

Agriculture in Bacoor

Due to urbanization, much has changed in the land uses of the municipality of Bacoor. According to
Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla, within a span of almost 20 years, the municipality has largely cost it's agri-
fishery base for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial purposes. Because Bacoor is
currently experiencing a rapid shift from an agriculture-based economy to a residential/commercial
urban center, only about 100 hectares of land in Bacoor is used for agriculture. As of now, Mayor Strike
Revilla's goal is to improve incomes derived from fishing and farming activities by promoting agri-fishery
production and upgrading the skills of fishermen and farmers on modern agri-fishery technologies
through trainings, massive information campaign and livelihood assistance organizations and
cooperatives.

Government Action

The current administration, through the Department of Budget and Management has already started to
compile it's Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), an electronic compilation of basic
information on farmers, farm laborers and fishermen - the target beneficiaries of agriculture-related
programs and services. The RSBSA is intended to be used to improve the targeting of subsidies and aid
to proper beneficiaries and likewise serves as an auditory mechanism to ensure that resources a given to
those who need them. Proper distribution and rightful delegation of lands to farmers is also being
implemented in the past administration as well as in Aquino's government today. Whether the current
efforts of the government will be successful, only time will truly tell. Perhaps, it is also time for everyone
to recognize that we can't leave everything to the government. If we wish the agriculture sector to grow
in importance, then we all have to do our share in helping farmers, in reducing transportation costs, and
reducing the profits of middle-men.
Insights on Agriculture

The Philippines is an agricultural country. We have the best agricultural scientists, fertile land and good
climate. What we lack is the proper distribution of lands, the cooperation with one another and
understanding the needs of our fellow Filipinos. The implementation of land reform is not yet that
stable that's why agricultural lands have either been padlocked for years or being converted into other
use like industrial parks and golf courses. Because of this, the farmers have no land to till hence the
inflation of informal settlers in the country due to lack of income. Land reform has been misleading for
years as it planted the idea into farmers that giving them free land guarantees them sustainable jobs. It
doesn't tho. It does not mean that if you till the land you worked on after several years, you should
automatically own it.

Land reform is not a guarantee for having a consistent means of income. If the land is not fit for planting
or is very inaccessible to the market for selling, even if you own the land, you would not make a profit
out of it. It is better to build an infrastructure instead rather than letting the land wilt away and be
considered as a loss. proper knowledge of one's land and how it can be use to utilize it's maximum profit
must be analyzed by the land owner and the government as well so that they can know if it is worth
giving anything at all. If in case the land is fit for crop agriculture, the problem then lies in the
arrangement between the land owners and the farmers when it come to earning profits. The profit
scheme where the farmer has to wait until harvest is a lose-lose situation to the farmer while land
owners have nothing to lose on this type of settlement. If the Philippine government pushes for a
different scheme and make an agreement of a balance profit between the farmers and the land owners,
balance can be achieved and communication and understanding between each other will be
harmonized.