For 27-year-old Melvin Isog, a Mangyan farmer from Sitio Liguma, Lisap, Bongabong, farming has always been about following the ways of his ancestors. For generations, they relied on the slash-and-burn method or kaingin, to cultivate crops like vegetables, ginger and other root crops that sustained their livelihood. He explained that after a planting cycle, they would abandon the land and move to another area, repeating the cycle.
But this has been changed when Melvin along with his fellow Mangyan farmers attended the Mindoro State University’s (MinSU) training. Melvin was one of the participants on the training entitled Empowering Mangyan Communities through Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) conducted by MinSU at Sitio Liguma, Brgy. Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro from November 27 to 29, 2024.
“Marami akong natutunan sa training na ito” [I learned so much during the training],” Melvin said. “Tinuruan kami ng tamang pamamaraan nang hindi sinisira ang aming lupa at hindi palipat-lipat ng taniman. Nalaman din naming ang kasamaang dulot ng pagkakaingin sa ating kapaligiran [We were taught how to farm properly without destroying the land or moving from one area to another. We also learned the disadvantages of kaingin in our environment.]”
The training introduced SALT to Mangyan farmers, a simple and effective way to farm on sloping lands without causing soil erosion.
“Hindi namin alam na pwede pala ito sa aming pagsasaka [We didn’t know we could farm this way],” he said.
Melvin along with other Mangyan farmers learned the SALT to help prevent soil erosion and keep the land fertile. To learn the new technologies themselves, the resource persons namely, Mr. Mervin Icalla, Ms. Cristine Joy Paynando, and Ms. Marevel Ortega, faculty members from College of Agriculture and Allied Fields taught them how to make an A-Frame and create contour lines and hedgerows during hands-on activities. They also demonstrated how to check their soil through soil sampling and analysis, which helps them understand its condition and how to improve it.
According to Mr. Icalla, one of the resource persons, their goal is to help Mangyan farmers maximize their land’s potential while preserving their culture and the environment.
“Their land is rich, and we want to help them make it even richer using the right technologies,” he said.
As the training concluded, Mr. Icalla hopes that when they return to their communities, they will see positive results from the new techniques they have learned.
Melvin is grateful to MinSU for sharing knowledge that will help improve their livelihood. “Hindi nila kami nakalimutan para paunlarin ang aming kabuhayan at alagaan ang aming kalikasan. [MinSU didn’t forget us. They came here to help us farm better and take care of our environment]. Ito po ay aming i-aapply sa aming sakahan [We will apply this to our farms]” he shared.
This initiative is part of the ongoing commitment under the (STC4iD) Project, funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). It is designed to uplift indigenous communities by equipping them with knowledge and tools that promote sustainable agriculture while enhancing their livelihood.
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