by Amiel Zeus Bautista, Communications Officer, Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN)

The Municipal Government of Alaminos, Laguna, Philippines passed an ordinance for the establishment of Young Farmers Council on July 18th 2023. This is the first ordinance in the country that will give leadership to young Filipino farmers while championing their own rights.

The main objective of the ordinance is to have a planning and policy-making body of the young farmers’ programs, projects and activities in the municipality. The Young Farmers Council, co-headed by an elected young farmer representative, will  create and implement a Municipal Young Farmers Roadmap containing Market Development Plan, Community-based Food Security Plan, Climate Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) and other guides for agricultural needs of young farmers.

The council members will consist of representatives from young farmer and farmer organisations, youth organisations, Local Youth Development Office, Municipal Agricultural – Fisheries Council, Municipal Agricultural Office and other civil society organisations (CSOs).

“I prioritized this ordinance because I observed that our farmers are getting old,” remarked by Councilor Nicole Arida Pampolina, primary author and Vice Committee Chairman on Agriculture of Alaminos. The Young Farmers Council is also mandated to conduct an Annual Young Farmers Convention to increase youth participation in the agricultural sector.

Passage of the ordinance is also led by Edgardo Briz, co-author and Committee Chairman on Agriculture, signed by Hon. Glenn Flores, Municipal Mayor of Alaminos, Laguna. The ordinance was presented July 18th, following the approval on May 2nd 2023.

The policy was also a product of SAKAbataan, a youth-led coalition of young farmers and allies, which is an Influencing project under Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN) together with Center for Agrarian Reform, Empowerment, and Transformation (CARET).