Filipino Farmer promotes Tree Conservation and the Art of Farming
“Farming is an art. I enjoy what I do and can do what I want. It’s great to see what I have done after [participating in SUCCESS Alliance training sessions].”
- Mr. Nolie Vasquez, Brooke’s Point, Palawan, the Philippines
In an area where environmentally destructive slash-and-burn agriculture is common, Mr. Nolie Vasquez has become an advocate for the environment and successful practitioner of cocoa agroforestry.
Mr. Vasquez, a member of the Brooke’s Point Tribal Federation, received 10 hectares of forest land under the Integrated Social Forestry Project. This Department of the Environment and Natural Resources project encourages sustainable agriculture by granting stewardship of the land to upland dwellers, and/or forest base dwellers who depend livelihood from the forests’ natural resources. These farmers are qualified as recipients of stewardship awards if they adhere to certain conditions. Under the terms of the grant, farmers may only fell second growth trees and are required to plant a certain number of hardwood trees per hectare. Grants are for a 25 year period with the possibility of renewal. As a member of an indigenous community, Mr. Vasquez is also eligible to apply for custody of the land under the Indigenous Peoples Act.
The land grants presented a great opportunity for the community of Brooke’s Point. However, to fully benefit, farmers would need to learn the skills to farm successfully while complying with the terms of the grant. Cocoa was one of several crops that grant recipients were encouraged to grow. Like many Filipino farmers, Mr. Vasquez had long kept a few cocoa trees for personal consumption in a traditional drink called tsokolade , but did not see cocoa as a crop with broader commercial potential. In 2004, SUCCESS Alliance began offering training sessions on cocoa. Mr. Vasquez enrolled and began to realize the great potential for growing cocoa on his farm and throughout Palawan. He received 100 seedlings to begin his farm and began to promote cocoa to his neighbors. Later that year, he was offered the opportunity to become a training facilitator, a role he enthusiastically accepted, training 115 farmers. He is looking forward to training more farmers as the second phase of SUCCESS Alliance begins in the next months.
Mr. Vasquez is passionate about his role as a steward of the land. He is working with Brooke’s Point Tribal Association to promote sustainable farming and environmental conservation as new settlers arrive in the area.