I have embarked on a new personal journey as a farmer. I am passionate in my conviction that the only way to give Muslim Mindanao a fighting chance is through agriculture. I want to be one of those who try to take into effect small but effective ripples of positive perceptions about our homeland, especially now that our land is getting smaller everyday. I believe that we should develop our agricultural industry in Mindanao. I'm convinced that agriculture has the greatest potential to increase its productivity. since our Muslim farmers are blessed with typhoon free production areas and can be globally competitive. Our farmers can even plant and harvest all year round.

I myself had first hand experience in farming when I visited our land in Sultan Gummander. I remember my mom would always ask me to check on our land when I would have a free time. My parents would never lecture me by letting me just sit down and blab on and on about what life is like and what values I should possess. They have been good examples to me for they have taught me to do what I need to do to be better than others.

Lately, I realized that maybe one of the reasons why my mom would ask me to check on the farms is for me to find out for myself the real situation of our farmers; that in this progressively growing money-oriented world, there is a need to return to a life of simplicity and frugality. The thought that more than a billion people in the world live in absolute poverty while another billion live in excess should make us pause and reexamine our lives and particularly our patterns of spending. In my countless visits to our farms, I learned about agriculture--how to cultivate rice, corns, mangoes, durian and coconuts as well. Together with local farmers we would transport coconuts from the mountains to the roadside to be picked up by the copra trucks. And whenever we are thirsty, the local farmers would climb the coconut tree, pick its fruit and drink its juice.

I noticed a typical child who's among the farmers' kids who has never gone beyond grade 6 level due to lack of financial means and the high cost of education. Despite initial setbacks like poverty, some farmers are prepared to invest on their children's future by providing them assistance for their education where they themselves may not have been provided with. I've met some who do not hesitate to mortgage their small lands and lone carabao their own welfare in fact. Just as long as they could insure school diplomas for their children as it is a sign of academic achievement for their family.

I remember one time after collecting copras, I had the chance to interview one of the farmers and his 9 year old child. I started by asking him about our crops and farming; and he answered my questions with surprising speed and intelligence. He sounded well educated. He knew a lot about agriculture. But there was a moment of hesitation when I asked him to describe to me their typical meal. I found it improper to ask about it though, I was simply asking out of curiosity. But I was not prepared for the answer I heard from him. I felt so stupid that I thought we lived in a perfect world. Instead of answering promptly, he fell silent. I looked at him and patiently waited for his reply. Then finally when he began to speak, tears fell off his childlike eyes. He told me how poor his family is; so poor that his brothers could not even eat decent meals, and his only kid is malnourished because the small amounts of food he eats obviously lack nutrients. I knew he was crying because he felt helpless that he couldn't do anything about it. I tried to change the topic to make him stop crying because I really felt sad seeing him cry so I invited myself in their house for lunch. I gave him money to buy us food in the market. While me and his kid waited for him in their house.

They live in a barrack-like house that's made of bamboo and discarded tires were on top of its roof. For the first time I've known the meaning of poverty in the midst of plenty. His son asked me why some people have mansions while others have no place to stay at all. I never did get to answer his questions. Then he started to question their life that seems to be destined to suffer. Right there, the child confessed to me that his Ama is not just any farmer but he's also a Mujaheed. I asked the little boy if he's afraid of his Ama being killed in jihad. Again, I was not prepared for his answer. The little kid replied that he isn't afraid because his Ama promised him that if he dies a Shaheed he will go to take him to paradise with him. Those confusing words stuck in my mind until years later a brother tabligh explained it to me.

I have learned more about life by just living with our farmers. It amazed me how they could be so familiar to me. They let me in to their humble homes and treated me like their own. I am really grateful for all the care they have given me. One time after lunch, I talked to the farmer again. This time he expressed his bitterness and disappointment against the government. He told me about his father joining the MILF--just because he got caught clearing the lands in the mountains and was then accused of illegal doings and was threatened to be jailed. When his father defended himself, he was accused of being a rebel; he was hunted down and later was killed by the military. I had seen horrible stories like these only on TV and newspapers. But it was entirely different hearing the accounts first hand. I cried as he gave me details about the abuses they had to endure. I wanted to share his pain, ease his loneliness and make everything all right for him but I do not have the power to do so. It was killing me that I was feeling so helpless. I knew that I will never understand how painful it was for him because it wasn't me who lost a loved one. No matter how we all try to sympathize for his loss, we will never know how much remorseful it was for him. That's why I found it really hard to comfort him.

That short talk I had with that poor farmer made me wonder what could've happened if I were him. What would I do to the government? Where is my anger going to lead me? This shows how in its dealing with the Bangsamoro, the government is guilty of a terrifying abundance of legalism and a terrifying lack of humanity and understanding. I wouldn't mind seeing the budget of the military reduced to 1peso and the remainder used to subsidize our agriculture and education. That's what this government needs to do. How can this country spend its resources on weapons while its Schools are deteriorating and its people starve? This seems like such illogical behavior that it is hard to understand. The answer lies in the realization that it is not a country that decides how to spend money, it is individuals. because all these businesses concerning their war against terrorism is a rip off. The government is just diverting their attention and resources from the things that are more vital to us. After all agriculture employs nearly half of the countrys labor force and contributes 15% the total gross domestic product.

Farming is the main livelihood of our people, but inefficient irrigation system often results in low crop yields. Lack of feeder roads, deteriorating post harvest facilities, high electricity cost, inadequate milling services push them to have their rice milled outside the province. This does not withstand the hauling services they are forced to hire which add up to their total outlay before they could actually sell the rice. Because of this factor, our farmers find it difficult to produce the quality and quantity of rice which could compete with the products from neighboring provinces.

Our farmers are not given the support and opportunity to better their lives and contribute to this nation's food security. Because this government chooses to take its wrong stance rather than to take action to its effectively way in helping to uplift the lives of our Muslim farmers. Four decades ago, we trailed only Japan in economic standing and could not see Thailand behind for being lost in a cloud of dust. What the Thais did was study in our schools and applied what they learned to Thailand. What we did was apply what we learned elsewhere. Today, Thailand grows rice abundantly and is one of the economic dragons of Asia. Today, we import rice from Thailand and are the laughingstock of Asia.

Now more than ever, I think that the first and important thing we need to do for the present is to provide food. This must be done by unrelentingly pursuing a policy of food security. Why? It is because our poor brothers are insecure food wise. Despite the pledges of commitment of our politicians they actually have been unwilling to lend financial support; because this would not give them immediate political gain. Good governance is good only as a topic of closing remarks during government speeches. It is good as forgotten as soon as the ceremonies are over. For the democratic process to work there's a need for the citizens to be able to express themselves. The government also needs to listen to them. It merely tells our hardworking farmers that democratic process is not the way to get their positions herd.

I believe that the only way to raise agricultural productivity is to have our farmers shift to high value crops. I have seen what's been happening to our local vegetable farmers who are already beleaguered by problems; they are forced to be content with vegetable importation which drives down the prices of local products and cuts our profit to the bone. And because profits are low, fewer people go to vegetable farming which in turn results in to a decrease in vegetable production which leads to importation.

We must also help install water systems to multiply cropping seasons to lessen the price of our rice since it's one of the most highest in Asia. It can't be solved by more and more importation; which merely puts us at the mercy of global storms. what the government should do is organize our farmers and provide a support mechanism, so that farmers can produce agricultural products that the private sector will buy to supply their export market. Traders and exporters will be provided with financing and encouraged to make investments in the processing of agricultural products -win-win policy for the financial institution, as this group of businessmen are lower risk borrowers. Its also a win-win situation to the agricultural sector, because our farmers are assured of markets from volume production at profitable prices to the farmers. The main incentive to the exporter is the stability and growth potential of supply on one end, and control over product quality on the other. They should also implement an aggressive marine regeneration program that would protect and develop Iliana Bay in Sultan Gummander.

Can I just tell you two probable reasons why many Mayors along coastal areas do not implement fishery regulations? One is their lack of appreciation of the value of fishery resources under their jurisdiction. This is because unlike land resources, it is not easy to estimate the financial value of fishes that are hidden down under the sea. Another is the lack of technical competence in the management of fishery resources. This is because many coastal municipalities do not have fishery experts. agriculture plays a crucial role in the country economic development, that fact shouldn't be lost completely on the country's policy makers. Otherwise prospects in the farming and fishing sector will even be dimmer and poverty will remain widespread. So we better stop crying and start sweating, stop talking and start walking, and work together with our common fate. Inshallah, if all of these would be realized, we will be able to contribute to the overall economic development of Muslim Mindanao. It's important that every Bangsamoro individual should know and understand this vision. We are all stakeholders of this and each and everyone of us should understand how we can contribute to the realization of this shared vision.

WASSALAM

Sunny Rasheed 24,a farmer in Maladeg, Lanao Del Sur, For comments, you can e-mail the writer at santino_101@hotmail.com About Author :

ASSALAMUALIKUM its important n showing these crises 2 people in dis country,occupied bangsamoro state(muslim mindanao)& d international community by getting a reaction we r bringing des crises 2 d attention of d world & inshallah ultimately provoking an international reaction..millions of people r struggling through crises in places that rarely,if ever,get mentioned in d news,& in my experience, silence is the best ally of injustice...kno