Young Farmers Open Letter Entry #2: Harly de Los Reyes, Philippines

I am Harly de Los Reyes, a young Filipino aspiring agriculturist. My family lives a life of poverty in a far mountainous village in the Philippines, but I am proud that I was able to finish an agriculture course through my parents’ hard work and sacrifices.

I can say that farming is not a piece of cake. I saw how my parents struggled just to loan from banks and creditors to finance our farm production. The high-interest rates, high prices of farm inputs, the inaccessible road from our area to the market, and very low price of harvested products were just some of the plights of farmers I am very much familiar with. We are obliged to produce because we are farmers, but at the end of the day, we are being left behind.

My parents are now old and can no longer perform heavy work on the farm, so they had to bequeath the work to me. But if the tendency of unsuccessful farming continues, how can I help them provide a good future for our family?

I want to appeal to the secretary of our Department of Agriculture. The Magna Carta of Young Farmers can be a way to encourage more young farmers to join our stand. If this becomes a law, rest assured that there will be food security for the younger generation.

Harly de Los Reyes
Philippines