07 Aug 2020
“We are simple farmers not terrorists”
Our dear friends in the Philippines have been busy during this pandemic. As the United Nation’s
secretary general recently noted, the threat from coronavirus is temporary whereas the threat from heat waves, floods and extreme storms resulting in the loss of human life will remain with us for years.
Though Bravely trying not to succumb to the dreaded implications of the corona-virus they are trying to come together to build a stronger community and developed their approach to sustainable living.
Earlier on in the year they had begun their relentless “Beat the Plastic” campaign in which they were making brick products from the plastic trash and now they are admirably trying to create a sustainable living by launching their UMAHANTA programme on MAY 15, 2020 the Feast Day of San Isidro Labrador (Patron Saint of the Farmers). They have already obtained a DSWD certificate (registered as a Social Welfare and Development Agency) and are now waiting on a licence to operate.
The beginning of the growing plan.
A beautiful array of their organic produce
MSC Centre for the poor in the Phillippines
“We have a total of 4.2 land hectares with an encroachment of cemetery more or less 5 mts. by 300 mts. With more or less 40 tombs inside our property.”
Their main aims are :
1. Establish a farm structure with a nursery house, seeding shelter house & composting area.
2. Build a Water system which will include a deep well, solar power , a big water tank and water impounding area.
3. Build an inventory of Bodega Farm Tools for the community . (Enough for 10 workers)
4. Construct an Animal Raising house (i.e. huts for goats, chickens, pig, turkey etc.)
5. Increase their crop production i.e.
-Vegetables bahay kubo (nipa hut) 10 kg harvest
-Fruit trees (minimum 20 pcs each)
Indigenous Trees/Fruit Trees will be sourced out from San Luis, La Paz, & Talacogon, etc.
“We want to adopt the style of Fr. Mac in Surigao generously dispersing seedlings all the time. Our Target for dispersal: at least 100 seedling trees every month.”
Saturday learning meetings
Home made organic bio feed
The Piggery
They also intend to produce quality organic Bio-feeds from Market Waste -fruits/vegetables and farm roughages with their machines like the Shredder, the Pelletizer, the Presser and the Mixer with a proper Fermentation Technique.
A Livestock Dispersal Programme – Must be planned out and intensified in this time of pandemic with the farmers who are willing to avail of this livelihood.
The MSC Centre for the Poor Phillippines wants to pursue this project by organising the local community, schools, parishes, organizations and gather their collective efforts to carry the following advocacy:
-Education on the integrity of creation,
-Zero Waste and Segregation,
-Ecological Balance,
-Garbage Management.
“We have to open our resources for the people our “UMAHANTA” Community Farming Program serves as a model to develop more farms… .COVID 19 has brought us back to the BASIC…
We must establish and produce farm products which is sustainable for people to live.”
There is a strong need now more than ever to create income generating projects and other efforts to raise the quality of life for the rural poor, promote and work with technology that is appropriate , ecologically balanced and safe. They must be able to save and use the traditional rice, corn and vegetable seed varieties that are not dependent on heavy chemical input.
Through this they need to create training programmes on Environmental Management Systems that will strengthen their centres and collective farms.
Sustainable farm sample
The Bishop’s visit to the centre
Meditation room in the MSC centre for the Poor Phillipines
We must look forward and work for a just, equitable, judicious use of our natural and human resources.7. We believe that we are all connected and that by helping another, we help ourselves. Each individual can make a commitment to work towards the common good. As individuals, our personal contributions may be small, but when united in common cause, we can change the world. Let us reshape our planet revolutionizing sustainable life style of today to a much better future starting with ourselves.
development.
Update from MSC August Conference 2020 , Fr Richie Gomez MSC and Fr Tans MSC