The dream of our forefathers

My grade school teacher once asked the whole class to write an essay on what
profession we aspire to be in the near future? ; beginning with the word when I
grow up. The first thing that came to my mind was the thing that I loved the most;
I wanted to become a servant of god. So I wrote with all honesty; that when I
grow up I want to become a priest and preach the word of god. Funny thing is I
ended up becoming an atheist.

For a second let’s cast aside the shocking revelation that I just made; and allow
me to ask you this rhetorical question. To all of those who are present today;
what was your answer to that same question? Can you still recall? If so” I want
you to keep the thought at the back your mind; for I am about to reveal a sad
reality in our society today. And that is the fact that none of us here today wrote
on their essay’ stating the words that they wanted to become a farmer when they
grow up. Am I wrong? Is there anyone here; at least one person who actually
wrote that they dreamed of one day becoming a farmer? No?

Not a single soul would aspire to plow fields of mud from sun up to sun down;
for we see farming as an undesirable line of work because of its dirty and
demeaning nature. While favoring a much easier profession; behind the desk of a
well ventilated room. Reinforced with the fact --- that right from the beginning of
our childhood we were never encourage to aspired such profession; neither the
government nor our parents.

Thus we never really saw the importance of agriculture in our lives; despite
being the prime mover of our country’s economy. It is once said that the
Philippine archipelago is most coveted by many nations for its rich environment
and fertile land. The very land that our forefathers fought hard to reclaim is now
wasted in the hands of our new generation.
 That last line may sound like an insult to some of us here; but fear not for I am
no better; probably worst. But it doesn’t mean we no longer have the capacity to
improve ourselves and show to them that their sacrifice wasn’t all for naught. For
we bear the flag of our nation; we should all stand for its greatness and protect its
beauty and all things that breathes.

We should all unite to help our local farmers get what they deserve. Call out the
government for all of their stupidity and incompetence in giving aid to our local
farmers. Make the National Irrigation System Department pay for all the
corruption within their ranks. Cause despite being the recipient of the countries
bulk of investment; they always fall behind their expected performance year after
year. That alone greatly affected the productivity of the land for it forced our local
farmers to go back into the old paradigm of farming; and solely depend on rain
water for their irrigation.

We should create a better agricultural system that will enable our local farmers
to produce more and earn more. We should eliminate bureaucracy that hinders
the distribution of aid that our local farmers greatly deserve. Make better land
reforms so that they can now get the chance to own the land they cultivate for
many years.

We should pass a bill that would enable the government to convert huge portion
of land in the Mindanao region into farmlands; creating thousands of job
opportunity for our Muslim brothers and sisters; creating peace and prosperity in
the region. Let us embrace agriculture and eliminate hunger once and for all.

For we now face the greatest dilemma of our generation. Should we abandon
our forefather’s wishes? To cultivate and protect the gift bestowed upon us; and
embrace industrialization align to the will of our government; which may result to
its complete demise. Or bring ourselves to the realization that farming and
agriculture might be the answer to the economic problem that we face today.