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Introducing Palayamanan to Rice Farmers in Pamplona, Camarines Sur and Milagros, Masbate through the Climate Field School


This paper presents the experience of introducing Palayamanan through the climate field school (CFS). The stages included development of curriculum, CFS site selection, choice of participants, role of resource persons, facilitation, and techno demo farm activities. The 18-week course curriculum, which is a combination of classroom discussions and actual demonstrations in the techno demo sites, was developed after a series of consultations with stakeholders in the two study municipalities. It allowed flexibility on the part of the facilitators and resource persons to address specific needs under the present conditions in the community. The CFS curriculum development is a continuous process, depending on the needs and priorities of the participants. A total of 234 farmers completed the CFS and 12 techno demo farms (four in Pamplona and eight in Milagros) were established. The success and challenges of the CFS experience were attributed to several factors, which affected farmer’s participation, rice and vegetable yield, and animal production in the techno demo farms. Activities during various stages of implementation of the CFS in the two municipalities have been observed to provide different outcomes. Vegetable and animal production, organic farming, techno demo and field days were some of the activities most favored by CFS participants. The frequent engagements through the CFS developed stronger ties between the farmers and agricultural technologists. It not only improved the relationships within the CFS but also provided change in the barangay through some technology interventions.

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