Shifting Lifestyles to Help Slow Down Climate Change

Each person leaves a carbon footprint. The size of his footprint depends on his lifestyle and his attitudes in life. How one lives his life determines the carbon footprint he leaves and no matter what, he is responsible for making his footprint as small as he can to help slow down climate change.

A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person (Wikipedia). The type of house where one lives, the appliances he uses, the food he eats and how he cooks it dictates on how much greenhouse gas he produces.

A concrete house or building with glass windows and very little wind flow needs air conditioning units to cool and make it more comfortable for people living in it. High rises not only need air conditioning units and expensive lighting but also elevators and escalators to get from one floor to the next. Such buildings would consume several times the amount of electric power needed by a sprawling one storey building with the same floor area which had been designed correctly with eco-friendly features and with energy efficiency in mind.

The trend for high rises started in the early 1900s when people thought of cities and urban centers as the focal point of economic and political leadership. Factories and other places of employment arose to attract people from the agricultural areas looking for employment and perhaps a better way of life. This urban trend also set the trend for people to build vertical structures because of the pressure on land availability. Technological breakthroughs also enabled people to build taller building and create support structures for them such as more and reliable power so that the basic amenities are supplied to the residents.

All these main and support systems resulted to one ultimate product: greenhouse gas (GHG) production and its pressure on the environment. GHG had been determined as the main culprit behind the rising temperatures (global warming) and climate change. Many savants however say that global warning is a misnomer. They say that while one part of the globe may have rising temperatures like the North and South Poles resulting to the melting of ice in these areas and causing the seas to rise, some areas may have opposite effect like the cooling of the temperatures which result to deaths of plants and other organisms not adopted to lower temperatures.

Doing One's Part to Help slow Down Climate Change.

So how can each individual do his part in helping slow down climate change? A single individual doing his part may not seem much, but with many following suit, then maybe there would be substantial effect that would eventually lead to a movement that can turn the tide of this accelerated phenomena of the changing climate. Here are some recommendations from experts:

Major structural changes. One major cause of GHG is the propensity of people to opt for large buildings as a sign of progress, change and wealth. These large buildings despite many new innovations to make them more earth friendly, power efficient, etc., all are still heavy consumers of electricity, most of which are generated either by petroleum and coal fired power plants. Both of these power sources notorious for generating large volumes of GHG. “Back to basics advocates” had been agitating for buildings and habitats that have low carbon footprints.

While we look down to a large degree about the houses and structures that our parents and forebears had been building and where many of us had been born in, these are in fact the types of houses that are truly eco-friendly. Houses made of bamboo and with nipa shingles as roofs, are relatively cooler than those built of concrete or even lumber. Bamboo slats have natural openings in between that allow for passage of outside air. More so when bamboo is also used as flooring. Nipa shingles are natural insulators against the heat generated by the sun's rays. Even without ceilings, a nipa roofed house is several degrees cooler than a concrete house even without the use of an electric fan.

But nipa and bamboo houses can be modernized, like what the Am-Fil couple, Bob and Carol Hammerslag, did at their residence in Tigbauan (http://myphilippinelife.com/we-build-a-bahay-kubo-bamboo-guest-house/). While looking much like the traditional nipa house, the columns are made of concrete so as to withstand time and the ravages of nature.

When bamboo and nipa is not available and not the first choice of home-owners, earth advocates push for natural materials and for recycled materials which are also biodegradable. These advocates push for smaller but cozy houses which not only saves on electric energy but human energy as well since spaces are small and one can access all parts of the house with just a few steps. (http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2011/01/14/11-small-homes-houses_n_808518.html#s223304&title=Small_Wood_Cabin).

In Mindanao, several NGOs had advocated the use of earthen bricks which are a combination of tamped earth mixed with cement (http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Compressed_Earth_Blocks). Using a presser of their own fabrication, the earth is mixed thoroughly with the cement and rammed through a manual machine (http://www.windward.org/notes/notes67/walt6720.htm) to fabricate the blocks which can withstand both vertical and horizontal pressure. Such a manual machine can be seen at: http://www.ferncometal.com/products.htm.

Earth friendly construction however is also taking root in other parts of the globe especially in the US where it had long history among earth advocates and the back to nature groups. Even then they had been pursuing the low carbon footprint lifestyle and many have reconverted to this philosophy. While the current vogue among the affluent is the size of the floor area, there are minimalists who can survive and grow on a few square meters or home space. These houses are also very earth friendly with low power requirements, confined mostly to lighting and heating (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ 2011/01/14/11-small-homes-houses_n_808518.html#s223304&title=Small_Wood_Cabin).

New technologies are also paving the way for energy efficient gadgets and appliances which means for lesser energy consumption. Even compact flourescent lights are now being replaced by the even low consuming light emitting diodes (LED). Even televisions are also being revolutionized with the new LED technology that consumes barely 20% of the previous models. The inverter technology for compressors have also lessened power consumptionfor refrigerators and air conditioners. But the most important revolution is the banning of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants which had been determined as the most destructive ozone depleting compound man has ever discovered.

The shift for man towards creating a smaller carbon footprint should not be so hard after all. The most important step however is the resolve or the decision to do one's share in helping reduce pollution, reduce carbon emission and be more earth friendly.

FARMING OPERATIONS THAT ACCELERATE CLIMATE CHANGE

While in general humans are the major instruments for accelerated climate change, the varied activities including farming or agriculture (also aquaculture) are a major cause of this phenomena. Climate Change Fact Sheet describes climate changes as: “Climate change is a long-term shift in the climate of a specific location, region or planet. The shift is measured by changes in features associated with average weather, such as temperature, wind patterns and precipitation. What most people don’t know is that a change in the variability of climate is also considered climate change, even if average weather conditions remain the same.” (http://www.thegreatwarming.com/pdf/ClimateChangeFactSheet.pdf).

Even the mere process of land conversion from forest to crop land contribute immensely to climate change. Trees are among the highest buffer for carbon dioxide conversion. Unused or unconverted carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming. Opening up a forest land for crop plantations, reduces CO2 absorptive rate by as much as 70 percent

According to the International Panel on Climate Change it accounts for up to 12% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.pan-europe.info/Resources/Factsheets/Climate_change.pdf). Intensive farm operations for annual or cash crops like rice, corn, sugarcane, etc. accounts for the highest precursor due to the heavy application Nitrogenous fertilizers like urea and other nitrate forms in order to boost yields. Nitrous oxide released from these fertilizers is one of those identified as greenhouse gases or which causes the heating of the earth's atmosphere similar to that of a greenhouse where the inside temperature is much higher than that outside.

Urea is the common fertilizer source in the Philippines. This is a 100 percent imported source as it is manufactured from petrochemicals. According to experts, only up to 60% of the urea broadcasted to the field during fertilization is utilized by the plant and the rest is gasified as nitrous oxide and escape to the air. While in other countries, environment-friendly forms of urea is now being promoted and widely used, particularly the slow-release types which slowly dissolve and is used by the plant over a longer period, farmers in the Philippines still use the basic forms which immediately dissolve upon contact with water. Once dissolved, urea is immediately converted into soluble forms and are absorbed by the plants. However once liquid, it is also easily converted to ammonia and therefore escapes as nitrous oxide.

Rice farms like those found in the province where stretches of hundreds of hectares are found in areas like Pototan, Dingle and Barotac Nuevo are prime contributors to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. So are sugarcane farms in Central Iloilo and the corn farms in Northern Iloilo. Despite the ban on burning of rice straw, corn stubbles, sugarcane leaves and other organic wastes, many farmers still follow the traditional method of burning as the easiest way to clear the land prior to land preparation. “Globally, biomass burning is estimated to produce 40 percent of the carbon dioxide, 32 percent of the carbon monoxide, 20 percent of the particulates, and 50 percent of the highly carcinogenic poly-aromatic hydrocarbons produced by all sources (Levine)”. (http://www.burningissues.org/lukebiomass.html).

Large livestock operations such as feedlot cattle and ranches for cattle, goats and sheep are also prime culprits in accelerating climate change. Cattle, goats and sheep are ruminants and produce methane inside their digestive system. The gas escapes directly to the atmosphere and at the same time the manure still undergoes decomposition which also produce methane or biogas.

Large piggeries also are large producers of methane gas because of the decomposition of manure. A pig produces about 3 to kilograms of wet manure and urine. A 100 sow level operation has about 1,000 heads of pigs of various ages at any given time. So collectively the said operation will produce at least 3 metric tons of fresh manure daily. Many of the commercial piggeries in Iloilo and Panay do not have sophisticated waste management systems and most of them have simple multi-compartment to first trap the manure in anaerobic chambers, gradually releasing them to open ponds. Methane produced in these chambers escape to the atmosphere without being utilized. A good waste management should be able to utilize the methane for many purposes like driving gas engines heat piglet nurseries nor used to cook feed stuff.

WHAT FARMERS SHOULD DO:

Farmers should do their share in slowing down climate change. In previous articles we explained how responsible farming can help. We have also written about farming systems that help mitigate the problem but offer better income streams as well as added or higher incomes. However farmers should also adopt other measures in order to reduce their carbon footprints. One's carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by one's activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year. (http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition).

Burn less or none at all: This is one practice that helps not only the environment but the farmer himself. By decomposing his farm wastes like rice straws, etc., he turns them into rich organic matter that improves the fertility and texture of the soil, making crops grow better and produce more. Decomposing leguminous leaves and stalks offer the farmer an even bigger bonus since legume organic matter has higher nitrogen content which plants need in bigger amounts. Manures have high amounts of phosphates and using them as nutrient source for legumes results to better growth of legumes which have higher phosphate content that when decomposed can be used directly by the target crop.

More efficient waste management systems for livestock operations: There is a need for government regulating agencies to strictly implement environmental waste management especially for commercial livestock operations. These medium to large scale operations should not only put up both anaerobic and aerobic systems but should find a way to tap into the methane produced by their operation. But even backyard or small scale operations should likewise put up basic waste management not only to mitigate environmental pollution but also to reduce carbon dioxide emission from the hog manure.

Livestock operations do not only produce manure. Regular disinfection releases toxic chemicals to the canals which if not degraded will harm the environment. Thus, the waste water should be effectively modified prior to their disposal to the waterways of the community. Aside from the problem of the waste, the ammonia produced by the manure also releases foul odor to the immediate area that becomes a source of conflict between the operators and the community nearby. Thus, odor pollution should likewise be a primary concern of the livestock farmers. One solution for this problem is the creation of a thick layer of trees and vegetation that can effectively filter the ammonia and odor released by the farm so that even with strong winds, the odor is not transmitted to the community nearby.

INTEGRATED FARMING IS STILL THE BEST BET:

As in the previous articles, agriculture and farming in general should be integrated where there is no reliance on mono-crops. As cited earlier, the benefits derived from integrated farming far outweighs the advantages of mono crop agriculture. The shift should be on a wider range or levels where there is policy direction from the top level government managers. Farmers should not also be complacent especially that the changing climate is wreaking havoc on crop patterns. The usual dry climate during summer months is not anymore true to type. Rains fall even during the months of February, the period for watermelons which need a relatively dry climate to have sweeter fruits. Also, too much moisture will predispose the watermelons to diseases and poor quality fruit.

The effects of the erratic weather systems can somehow be lessened by lowering the risks of each particular farming operation. Advance weather prediction system can also help a lot especially now that governments worldwide have data sharing agreements. Local farmers in Iloilo and Panay should have ready access to these data by tapping the internet and designing the cropping patterns or farming systems so as to reduce risks of total crop loss.

COMMUNITIES CAN HELP MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE

The Internet floods with information on the causes of climate change where both nature and man are acknowledged as culprits in speeding up the process. There are also doomsday predictions or the world ending as a result of unchecked changing climate and environments. The fact is that with the changing of large areas, some still unexplored niches may have been lost forever.

While world bodies are discussing how to retard or even turn around the rapidly changing world, the ordinary citizen asks himself how he and his community may be able to help out. On one hand, the oft repeated directive to plant trees are also sending the wrong signals especially when no specifics are added like the purpose for planting trees, the specific use for such tree species and a clear explanation of how the trees can help the person, farmer and his community. Also, without proper safeguards and stewardship, the tree planting activities end up as failures.

There are local government units, communities, individuals, farmers and farmer groups who had been successful in doing their share in helping slow down climate change. While savants are in agreement that it takes worldwide concerted effort, they also share the sentiment that communities and individuals should do their part. Here are some of the successful models here and abroad:

Plastics-free Communities:

Plastics and other products from synthetic sources, mostly petroleum in origin are acknowledged as the major source of pollution. Its property of slow degradation or decomposition makes disposal difficult and is attributed to the accumulation of large volumes not only in dump sites but all over, often causing the death of unsuspecting wildlife. There is already a worldwide drive to reduce plastics use and to develop biodegradable types of plastics but total shift to the latter may take a long time and therefore, the former or the need to reduce its use is more practical and achievable.

In the province of Iloilo, the Municipality of Sta. Barbara is the pioneer in coming up with an ordinance to limit the use of plastics. Several local supermarkets also came out with biodegradable plastic bags which deteriorate within months of exposure even at room temperature. Some of these supermarkets have also launched programs such as bonus or rebates for shoppers bringing their own bags for their purchases. It is seen that a city with a population of 200,000 can dispose at least 5 tons of plastics daily which only a miniscule will immediately decompose or degrade, leaving no toxic traces in the environment.

The process of decomposition especially by microorganisms

COPING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE (2):

CREATING MICRO AGRO ECOLOGY IN FARMS AND COMMUNITIES

“Climate change will have major impacts on the availability of water for growing food and on crop productivity in the decades to come”, warns a new FAO report. This means that the next battle ground in agriculture will no longer be for land but for water resources.

 

That report also stated that “an acceleration of the world's hydrological cycle is anticipated as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. Rainfall will increase in the tropics and higher latitudes, but decrease in already dry semi-arid to mid-arid latitudes and in the interior of large continents. A greater frequency in droughts and floods will need to be planned for but already, water scarce areas of the world are expected to become drier and hotter. 
Even though estimates of groundwater recharge under climate change cannot be made with any certainty, the increasing frequency of drought can be expected to encourage further development of available groundwater to buffer the production risk for farmers. And the loss of glaciers - which support around 40 percent of the world's irrigation -- will eventually impact the amount of surface water available for agriculture in key producing basins”.

“Increased temperatures will lengthen the growing season in northern temperate zones but will reduce the length almost everywhere else. Coupled with increased rates of evapotranspiration this will cause the yield potential and water productivity of crops to decline.
"Both the livelihoods of rural communities as well as the food security of city populations are at risk," said FAO Assistant Director General for Natural Resources, Alexander Mueller. "But the rural poor, who are the most vulnerable, are likely to be disproportionately affected."

“
An acceleration of the world's hydrological cycle is anticipated as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. Rainfall will increase in the tropics and higher latitudes, but decrease in already dry semi-arid to mid-arid latitudes and in the interior of large continents. A greater frequency in droughts and floods will need to be planned for but already, water scarce areas of the world are expected to become drier and hotter. 
Even though estimates of groundwater recharge under climate change cannot be made with any certainty, the increasing frequency of drought can be expected to encourage further development of available groundwater to buffer the production risk for farmers. And the loss of glaciers - which support around 40 percent of the world's irrigation -- will eventually impact the amount of surface water available for agriculture in key producing basins”.

Urbanization and rapid population increase has likewise taxed the limits of water availability. In many areas in the country where cities have become bigger, the problem of water extraction has even become magnified. Salt water had intruded into the aquifers left empty by too much extraction. Freshwater due to its scarcity can no longer replenish these underground storage systems, creating a permanent loss to humanity.

The Food and Agriculture Organization in another report urged governments to become proactive in helping combat climate change by implementing multilevel programs, ranging from pollution control to carbon sequestration. For his part, President Pnoy pronounced the ten million trees program last year ad there seems to be no more follow up nor a report to the nation as to the status of its implementation. The 10 million trees broken down into 70 or so provinces would mean just about 150,000 trees more or less per province. But Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor went much further and targeted 1,000,000 trees per year up to the end of his term, meaning 3,000,000 trees over a three year period. To implement this, he had instructed his personnel to break down the target into achievable components like distributing nurseries through out the province and based them in strategic locations in each district. The tree species were also broken down into acceptable terms by the communities like industrial trees and fruit or multipurpose trees so that the mix will enable the communities to earn while becoming stewards of certain species that should not be cut down. These trees which should be maintained and preserved are those which are found to be better absorbers of rains and run offs as they are deep rooted and can survive the harsh environments to grow tall and become future watersheds. Multipurpose trees and other species like fruits (e.g. jack fruit or langka) and bamboo are taken cared of by the communities because they can periodically and regularly benefit from them.

Aside from replanting trees and reestablishing the forest cover in the uplands, Governor Defensor is going further to redevelop the coastal mangrove forests in the coastal areas of the province starting at the Municipality of Leganes in April 2012. The objective is to reestablish the mangrove forests to serve many purposes like buffer zones for large waves and potential tsunamis, breeding ground for marine life and as first line of defense against massive sea water intrusion. Once fully planted in key locations all over the coastal areas of the province of Iloilo, Defensor hopes that specific and unique coastal ecosystems will reemerge and stabilize and thus benefits the communities in these areas.

In the process of establishing a tree cover in certain areas like denuded forests and farm that had been planted intensively with single crops, a micro climate is also created. A micro climate is best described by the free on line dictionary as “the climate of a small, specific place within an area as contrasted with the climate of the entire area”. Explained further, it is the general climate of say, a farm or community that is distinct compared to the climate of a larger area. Take the case of the barangays of Moroboro, Lincud, Caguyuman and tulatulaan in Dingle, Iloilo. These barangays surround the Bulabog-Putian Mountain range which is also a protected area under the parks and wildlife bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Massive campaigns to plant trees in the past three decades had rebuilt the tree cover of the area that upon entering the area from other parts of the province, a marked difference in ambient temperature is immediately noticed. While the communities can no longer plant short term crops intensively, they are now reaping prosperously from the products of the forests like coffee and shade loving crops. The furniture industry where they turn out furnitures and other finished wood products is also alive and earns more for the communities than from just mere raw lumber, charcoal and firewood.

Even a small area like 6,000 square meters can become a vastly different micro ecology compared to its neighborhood. This is the case of the Provincial Nursery at La Granja, La Paz District in Iloilo City. For more than a decade starting with the first term of Governor Arthur Defensor, the Provincial Nursery was planted with mother trees of key species as a source of seeds and seedlings for province wide agro-reforestation efforts. Now the giant bamboo species called “afus” by Southern Mindanaoans are towering over the other vegetation with several langka trees as middle level canopy and bananas taking up the lower areas. Nursery men are now using the ground level as potting and seedling area. As one enters the Provincial Nursery, a distinct coolness is felt because of the dense foliage and the canopy which effectively blocks the intense heat of the sun. While one sees the dryness of the whole La Granja community upon entering, the nursery area is fairly wet not because of the water system available but mainly due to the shade provided by the trees and the thick matting of fallen leaves which effectively prevents the heat from drying up the soil.

For farmers to sustain yield and productivity therefor, it is essential that they find reliable sources of water in their farms. While irrigation systems provide relief, their investment cost is high. It is vital for farmers to find their own water resources and one approach is to create their own stable agro-ecology right in their farms and attempt to control or manage their own micro climates. Such agro ecology involves the right mix of trees, crops and livestock that will stabilize the ecology of the area where there is interaction among the various components. Components that should be included in a stable agro-ecosystem include trees, short term crops, livestock and even cultured micro-organisms. Trees providing shade, leaves (for fertilizers and other uses), fruits for food and income, etc. Cash crops are the sources of short term income while livestock and poultry provide food, income and manure which is essential to sustaining high yields of the crops and trees.

Farmers Can Cope with Climate Change (1)

Farm Diversification and Integration

by Larry Locara

This year's erratic weather should serve as a wake up call for farmers and agricultural development workers. Rains in February and March, long dry spell in July to September last year are only the first indication that something has gone wrong with the climate systems worldwide. Watermelon crops of Oton farmers were gravely affected. So are the mangoes of Cabatuan, Guimbal, Igbaras and Tubungan. Meanwhile rice farmers were having a bounty harvest since the majority especially in the flood plains of Iloilo enjoyed sufficient rains that allowed them a third crop for the year. Even now, they are preparing for the first a May crop because there is still residual water from the previous crop.

This erratic weather however spells disaster for the farmer in the long run. They should be lucky if their particular crop suits the weather system that arrived. The rice crop is one example. Rice farmers enjoyed good harvests because of the La Nina phenomenon but it was a disaster for the watermelon and mango crops because they need a dry spell to mature and be disease free. On a general note, heavy rains or even typhoons in the midst of summer months cause heavy flooding that destroys properties and losses of human lives.

Wikipedia defines climate change as a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions, and human-induced alterations of the natural world; these latter effects are currently causing global warming, and "climate change" is often used to describe human-specific impacts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change). Many experts claim however that it was mostly human abuse that brought this disastrous global phenomenon into being.

This being already a given, many farmers are asking what they and their governments can do about it so as to mitigate and lessen the impact of climate change especially in their farming, their families and their way of life. There may be macro and micro approaches that somehow would help lessen the impact and allow farmers and their families to cope.

Diversification and Integration:

Time and again, agricultural savants warned about mono-crops and their disastrous results. While the intention is to produce as much single crop to feed certain markets and industries, large tracts of land grown with single crops lead to the modification of ecosystems whereby existing environments that had become stable for millions of years have been destroyed and its inhabitants, from micro-organisms to plants to animals are also destroyed or forced to vacate. The single crop will then encourage certain pests to multiply because of the presence of food. The classic example here is brown planthopper which was once a minor pest but has now evolved to be a major head ache for the farmers who now need large volumes of chemical poisons just to control them. Numerous studies and actual experiences now point to diversification and integration as one key to coping with climate change and other human farming errors.

Diversification means that the farmers establish many other crops and farming ventures aside from their major crop. For example on a one hectare farm which can earn a farmer about P60,000.0 per year, he can grow livestock like goats and cattle fatteners which can be fed with hay, rice stubbles and grass growing on the dikes and he can add about P20,000.00 more per year while still adding 30-50 ducks which feed on the snails and wasted rice grains, he can still add about P5,000 more to his income aside from providing more protein to the growing children.

Diversification also means adding value to the existing crop like processing some of the rice into food which the farm wife can sell in nearby schools or barangay centers. Processing would add at least 30% to the original value of a commodity. Selling milled rice directly to consumers would make 100 kilograms worth P1,400.00 of palay into P 2,050. worth of milled rice while the farmer still gets about 12 kilograms of rice bran worth P144.00 which he can feed to his chickens and ducks. He can go further to turn his duck eggs into “balut”, a favorite of Filipinos, and sell it for P12.00 per egg instead of just selling it for P6.00. The cost of production for balut is about P2.20 per egg.

Integration means growing and raising as many crops and livestock at the same time or in sequence in the farmer's land. By growing complementary crops and livestock, the farmer achieves many objectives. First is intensification of land use. Using crop interrelationship like legumes and grassy species, sun-loving and shade-loving plants, the farmer can plant two or more crops on a single area. Some experts note that the main crop can still produce up to 100% of its potential yield even with integrated drops beside them on a row while the complementing crop underneath can still produce up to 70% of its potential. For example on a second season in rain fed farms, the farmer can establish a sorghum crop as main while planting munggo in between. Given one hectare, sorghum can produce about 3,000 kilograms while munggo will produce about 800 kilograms. The income would be more than the returns if the farmer will plant just sorghum or munggo which has a potential of only about 1,200 kilograms per hectare under standard culture.

Our recent article cited the experience of Dingle farmers who accepted the Community Participatory Action Research where they learned hands on, the intensive cropping of rice for two seasons and the third crop is vegetables while year round, they raise improved native chickens. The participants gave testimonies that the action research had improved their incomes and family health dramatically that they now have institutionalized the system as part of their farming methodologies.

Livestock can also be introduced into the integrated system. The purpose is not only for added income but also as a supportive component where the manure of livestock becomes a vital factor in improving the fertility of the soil. This is especially relevant when the farmer has shifted to organic farming. For example, a small hog project growing about 10 to 15 finishers per load is added to a one hectare rice farm. This would reduce the rice area by about 500 square meters thereby reducing rice production efficiency by about 5% computed to about P2,500.00 per year but the added net income from the sold hogs would be at least P20,000 per year without yet factoring in the savings from purchases of organic fertilizers because hog manure is a rich source of organic nutrients.

In areas where the agro-ecology had changed from fairly wet to dry land and rainfall had become erratic it may be prudent to study and try other crops. Hills and slopes in Western Mindanao where natives like the Subanen tribes had long existed, a little known grain crop known as adlai had been their staple. Rich in protein (14% CP), this grain is milled, cooked like rice and sold as specialty food. It is now being looked into seriously by technical people as an add-on crop for dry areas after rice or corn. Sweet sorghum, an arid crop is also being promoted by the ICRISAT or the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics as a dual crop: food and as source of ethanol.

Effects of Integration and Diversification on the Environment:

Diversification and integration helps improve the ecology and micro climate of the farm. Planting trees especially fruits and timber trees will not only improve shade but also act as permanent carbon sequesters especially when the farm is also stocked with livestock. Other farms with livestock also add a methane gas generator to sequester bio-gas or methane from the manures of farm animals. Bio-gas is used as fuel for household cooking but if not tapped, they rise to the atmosphere to react with ozone thus adding to the depletion of earth's first line of defense against intense ultraviolet rays.

While adding more income to the farmer, diversification and intensification also reduces costs. By planting between rows of the main crop, the farmer also reduces weed incidence while also adding more vegetation to allow the main crop from being attacked directly by its main pests. Actual farmer experience documented testify to the benefits derived from these practices.

Diversifying and integrating also reduces farmers' risks. The erratic weather systems often wreak havoc on the farmers crops that leaves them nothing after the onslaught. When the farmer is dependent on one crop alone, this will spell disaster for him and his family. However if he has integrated other crops or projects in the farm, he can still survive and grow the next crop. (To be continued)

MAYOR GROWS AND ENJOYS PURPLE RICE

Mayor Matt Palabrica is one mayor who is also a hands on farmer. A graduate of BS Agriculture, he had been farming since he was still young, having been led to farming by his father, the late former Mayor Zafiro Palabrica. Until his death, Zafiro had been passionate about the farming as a way of life and about changing lives through farming. He was as innovative as he was persevering, proving not only to himself but to the whole community that new technologies, products and processes can be made profitable in Bingawan, their hometown. This passion has been inculcated to the brood especially to the male members of the Zafiro Palabrica line. Having a mother in the person of Josephine Plagata is a plus factor for Mayor Matt since the Plagata clan is landed and Matt's grandfather, Victor, the first mayor of that town, raised his family as a prosperous farmer.

Bingawan, being inland, small in land area and with many barangays still not fully accessible to year-round transportation, is a challenge to the young mayor. His focus is on farming and in improving the productivity of farmers and their families, so that they can improve their economic status to feed their families well and send the children to school.

“I have to lead by example and in so doing, I have to try and make successful new farming trends, technologies and crops. Or else, farmers in our town would not even think of growing new crops or adopting new technologies”.

“I have gotten my first taste of the purple rice when I attended a barangay fiesta where they served food and purple rice. At first taste, I immediately liked it so I asked to buy a few kilograms of seeds since this is an open-pollinated strain. As I planted it, I researched on its potentials and the possibility of a large market in the event than I can convince many of our constituents to produce the strain”, said Mayor Matt. Since then he and his family had eaten purple rice exclusively. Now his children are so used to it that they often express surprise that there is such a thing as white rice. “We serve purple rice year-round since I have dedicated half-hectare to it. And we plant at least two times every year”.

Technology used:

According to Mayor Matt, this particular purple rice strain is very much like any modern high yielding variety which responds to conventional culture, from seeding to harvest. It can be established through direct seeding and transplanting using both the “dapog” and the seedlings grown for a longer period. Being an early maturing (105 days), it responds to timely and appropriate levels of fertilization and would yield as much as any HYV given the optimal levels of fertilizers and other inputs.

Mayor Matt applied his learning from various trainings especially his on farm training in Japan to the best advantage not only of his farm but for his constituent-farmers as well. The best yields he and other farmers have achieved are through the profuse use of organic inputs. By shifting technologies from conventional to more natural and organic methods, Mayor Matt is now enjoying yields comparative to if not higher than when they applied heavy inputs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And at a much lower cost. Organic fertilizers applied at heavy doses may not immediately improve yield but in the long run, will improve soil fertility and provide a more balanced mix of nutrients which are needed in the right amounts by the rice plants allowing them to grow more robust and resistant to attacks of insects and diseases that affect chemically fertilized plants. Plants provided with balanced nutrition from organic sources have sturdier stands, larger panicles and fuller grains.

Enjoying the Purple Rice.

Decidedly, purple rice has many advantages than the ubiquitous white polished rice. Aside from the high fiber content which is a result of trying to preserve the red color by lesser polishing, the red pigments classified as anthocyanins are documented to boost the immune system and guard against the attacks of free radicals in the body and thus help prevent lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer (http://howtocookrice.net/types-of-rice/purple-rice/). Many varieties of purple and red rice are also fragrant or aromatic akin to the jasmine rice, that they are sold at much higher prices. Mayor Matt's strain of red rice is is also fragrant especially when newly harvested.

Outlook:

Mayor Matt sees a bright future for purple rice not only for him and his constituents but also for the rest of Ilonggo rice farmers. “We are ready to go big time if we can find a stable market for this variety. Right now, we can only do isolated planting like mine and the farmers from whom I got my seeds. I have also heard of the initiatives of the Iloilo Provincial Government led by the Research Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. If a good market is found, even if the pricing is only a bit higher than the standard white polished rice, then we can re-engineer the whole farming system of my town to produce hundreds of tons of this highly nutritious product”.

“We have also tried other integration strategies for our rice farming activities. Remember that our dad, Zafiro was one of the first local chief executives who advocated innovations such as water impounding with fish integration. Until now our dams which are used during the dry season as a source of water for the third rice crop, are stocked with all kinds of fishes. Now we are hot about the pangasius which is called the dory fish in high class restaurants. So far we have grown big ones which we got as start up from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Hopefully with a good market and more fingerlings to start with, we can grow more of the fish and our farmers will have extra incomes aside from the rice they are growing”.

“We are also interested in other programs focused on rice and other crops that can be integrated into the system. If we expand the purple rice industry, we will be needing more infrastructures like warehouses and a rice mill that can only remove the husk and leave all the nutritious fiber and outer covering in tact. The lesser the polishing, the more higher priced the output will be. In this we will need technical support from other agencies to transfer to us the technology. We also would need grants and external investments for the warehouses to be built. If we can do this, we can assure our farmers of ready storage facilities and eventual better prices for their produce”.

But Mayor Matt has spread his advocacy of purple rice consumption to many of his constituents. He said that as he is developing a larger market for the product, he is assured that if many more of his constituents consume this particular nutritious strain, eating purple rice can become a nutritious way of life for the people of Bingawan.

COCKFIGHTING: MORE THAN A CULTURAL TRADITION

The Candelaria 7 Cock Derby that started January 29 and will end on February 2, 2012 is a cockfighting and tourism event that had become a tradition for cockfighting aficionados worldwide. It is expected to attract more than 10,000 attendees mostly males, who had made it their yearly pilgrimage to watch the much anticipated fights, participate in the derby or simply enjoy the company of friends.

 The event which is the biggest in the region and once in the whole country, attracts the best breeders and cock fighters vying not only for the prize money but for the prestige of having won the Candelaria Cup, a much coveted prize that opens many business prospects for game fowl breeders and those employed by the industry such as handlers, feeders and knife-tiers or gaffers as they are popularly called. Having won in the Candelaria 7 Cock for breeders mean more sales of their prized fighting cocks at a higher price.

Joining the event is not only a distinction but also a badge of honor. Becoming a champion earns you the bragging rights for having bested the country's best breeders and cock fighters. But even by merely joining gives one the feeling of “having arrived”. The entry fee is a stiff P50,000.00 and the minimum bet per fight is P22,000.00. In the previous years, there was a guaranteed pot money that ran to more than P5,000,000.00 but this year, the Pit Manager, Mr. Luis Tinsay said that the Board of Directors have decided to adopt the format of “Win-as-much” of all the other big events nationwide.

Gamefowl Breeding as a major industry in Region VI.

Region VI that is comprised of the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros is undoubtedly the country's game fowl capital. The collective output (stags and cocks) of the region dwarfs the total output of the whole country lumped together. This is due to the early start of Ilonggos and Negrenses in bringing in quality gamefowl breeding materials from the United States which with correct breeding produced offsprings that dominated the cockpits all over the country. Even many of the winning lines developed in other regions are said to have blood originally from this region. A stag in the game fowl lingo is the male aging 8-12 months old, a bull stag is aged 12-20 months while the cock is from 21 months up.

Game fowl breeding is said to be both a science and an art. Science because the principles of genetics is applied. Breeders, both big and small look for the best breeds of their choice and acquire materials whose progeny they think would perform well in shows and in the cockpits. Shows are held regularly to find the best individuals or families that represent a particular breed. However, the final test is the cockpit where the breed should be able to win against the breed of his opponent. The art aspect of breeding is in the ability of the breeder and his men to discover the best individual in the lot so that it goes to the breeding pen to be mated with hens which hopefully would turn out more individuals that best meet their requirements. The rewards in the game fowl business comes in the form of winning many derbies and which earns the respect of other breeders and the cock fighters and will finally redound to sales of their produce.

During the worst years of the sugar industry of Negros Occ., it is said that game fowl breeding became the savior. While there was economic collapse due to the low prices of sugar, people turned to commercial breeding and supplied the booming cockfighting activities of Manila and other parts of Luzon where cockfights are held almost nightly and every night of the week. These non-stop fights demanded hundreds of thousands of game fowls which only Negros Island and Panay can produce. Being a high priced industry, game fowls have a high returns on investment, for as long as there is a ready market and that the price asked by the farmer or breeder is matched by the buyer.

A big breeder who produces and sells at least 100 stags and cocks every year would be spending about P70.00 per cock per month and if he sells the stags, aged 10 months at P3,000.00 to P10,000.00 depending on the name of the breeder and the quality of his produce,the margin would be sizable. A small breeder producing between 10 to 100 stags and cocks would be spending less per head since he often resorts to lower priced feeds. The quality would also be lower since the small breeder seldom has access to high priced breeding materials. A small breeder would sell his stags from P2,000 to P5,000.00.

Breeding is a major livelihood of coastal communities south of Iloilo City and in many of the municipalities of the province of Iloilo. Insiders estimate the total output of Iloilo and Panay alone at about 500,000 annually while Negros would produce between 2 to 3 million stags. The majority of these fowls are sold to Luzon buyers. Local airlines say that their daily cargo includes boxes of these game fowls shipped nationwide and some of them for transhipment to other Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

Veterinary companies too have joined the band wagon of the game fowl industry. Since game fowls have special diet requirements, specialized feeds had been formulated and sold exclusively for them. So too are the vitamins and other support veterinaries like antibiotics. Products for this specialized market is often priced higher.

The average farmers are also participating in the industry by producing more grains and feeds. A major portion of the native yellow corn goes to the game fowl feed market. Game fowl breeders and feeders have preference for the small seeded hard flint yellow corn produced by local Ilonggo farmers and these are priced a few pesos higher than the ordinary yellow hybrid corn . Many legumes are also being produced since the game fowls are fed with a special grain mix which includes several types of legumes and several types of grains.

Cockfighting as a tradition and part of the Filipino culture:

Cockfighting as a pastime is deeply ingrained in the Filipino culture. Long before the Chinese and the Spanish came, Filipinos already engaged in the pastime as a Sunday activity. Even then, the cocks were tied with knives so that they kill each other faster. It follows that even those times which date back to the 12^th century or even earlier, game fowls were already selectively bred. In the early 1950s, there were already regional breeds like the Malaking Pulo of the Southern Luzon Area and the Visayan reds and greys. It was only in the early 1960s when the first of the American breeds came into the country. While many in Luzon bred those fowls, it was in Iloilo and Negros where the first of these were mass produced and where genetics as a science was used.

It was also in the 1960s when the first of the American cockfighters like Duke Hulsey visited and brought in their superior breeds. Others like Richard Bates came later and their entry brought in more science into the game. Duke Hulsey came and stayed for a few years handling many roosters for the famous cockfighters of the time and in the process imparted modern techniques that greatly improved the skill of the locals. Mike Ratliff, another American who opened the first and only cockfighting school in the US also came and taught Filipinos, especially Negrenses in the art of breeding and handling roosters. These and other Americans who came have helped sped up the growth of the game fowl industry which is now dominated by Filipinos worldwide.

Ilonggos and Negrenses as major players in the Cockfighting World:

It can be said that Ilonggos and Negrenses are major players in the cocking world. The biggest federation of game fowl breeders in the country, the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders is led by an Ilonggo, Mr. Ricardo “Ricoy” Palmares, Jr. Under his leadership, the once divisive association of gamefowl breeders have united and federated to evolve national competition for the different classes of gamefowls starting with stags and ending with cocks. With the evolution also came the large prizes never before offered in the history of the game. The 2011 Bakbakan had offered the largest pot so far of about P30,000,000.00 in total prices. Not only did the federation evolve in terms of the prizes and the scale, it also improved the quality of game fowls being fought in the various parts of the country.

Negrenses are also major players in the industry. It is in Negros Island where large farms producing thousands each are found. The game fowl breeding industry is in fact second to the sugar industry where many of the sugar farms also engage in the business as a diversification and support strategy since the off period of their workers can be utilized in producing gamefowls for the Manila and Luzon markets.

Expert or skilled game fowl workers are also in demand in other areas of the country. Nationwide one would immediately spot an Ilonggo handler or knife-man by the unique slow-paced accent that only Ilonggos are known for. Many breeders outside of Iloilo would advertize for farm workers and handlers because of our familiarity with handling and breeding champion fowls. Thus, these artisans not only give way to a new crop of handlers but also bring in much needed money for the families they leave behind.

Some of the famous breeds that dominated the country's arenas also originated in the region. In the 1980s to early 1990s, the so called Zamboanga White bred by Boy Primallon who himself is an Ilonggo dominated the Manila cockpits. It is claimed that a parent of the White breed came from the farm of Mr. Kiko Palmares of PassiCity. Mr. Eddie boy Ledesma who inherited the famous lines of his uncle, the late Mayor Nonoy Jalandoni is famous for his “Hulsey Left In” line. This much coveted blood which can sell for about P250,000.00 is difficult to acquire. It is said that even at ¼ or 1/8 dilution, one would be able to breed outstanding aces that can win in any pit nationwide..

So are the lines bred by brothers Ricoy and Mayor Jesry Palmares of Passi City. In the 2009-2010 seasons, their greys which they and their cousin Fred bred, dominated the major cockpits and with Fred earnong the much coveted “Breeder of the Year” cup of the Panay Gamefowl Breeders' Association (PAGBA).

Candelaria 7 Cock Derby as Focal Point:

The Iloilo Coliseum is probably one of the most famous landmarks in Philippine cockfighting. It is said that winning a championship in the said event is a major milestone in the life of a breeder and cockfighter. Breeders like Mr. Rafael Nene Abello who is famous for his Sweaters and Mr. Johnny Jalandoni who is equally famous for his Lemon-84 tinted breeds have already etched their names in the history of the Iloilo Coliseum. Small breeders like Dr. Pepe Sullano, Dr. Rex Muyco and their team have likewise fought and proved that even small teams like theirs have the right fowls to get them a share of the Championship. Others are now trying their best to get their names into the annals of the Coliseum's history. But definitely, the road to glory as champion of the Candelaria is hard and arduous. However, there is that assurance that there will be fairness all the way. Mr. Luis Chito Tinsay will be there to insure it.