CEBU CITY, Philippines - A training program for rural farmers piloted in Argao town, Cebu is being made a nationwide model by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through Executive Order (EO) No. 710.The Farmer-Scientist Training Program (FSTP) was piloted by Dr. Romulo Davide, brother of former chief justice Hilario Jr., in Argao town in 1994. The project is aimed at increasing corn production in the country to reduce poverty in underdeveloped municipalities. EO 710 replicating the successful project was issued on February 27 and comes at a time when a shortage of rice and corn is being experienced in the country.
The project introduced by Davide of the University of the Philippines in Los Baņos (UPLB) was expanded to other parts of Cebu through the Sugbo Maisan project of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in 2004.
The program increased production of corn and the income of farmers through technologies directly introduced by researchers to the target farmers. Three government agencies will devote at least two percent of their annual budgets for research and development into corn production. The departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, and Environment and Natural Resources will be lead agencies. Funds will be remitted to the FSTP National Center for operation and management at the UPLB college of agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture will give participating provinces at least P200,000 annually as counterpart to jumpstart the operation of the FSTP. The concept of the FSTP is to spread to marginalized farmers scientific knowledge in increasing production of corn beyond their own consumption with a surplus for sale. The FSTP also involves the development of increased produce in vegetables, fruits, and livestock, other than corn.
Scientists or those involved in agricultural research program in educational institutions like the UPLB are encouraged to do extension work programs to reach marginalized farmers to promote multiple root crops alongside corn fields. The priority of the project is upland farmers in 6th, 5th, and 4th class municipalities through regional coordinators. Coordinators, who will be deployed to the different municipalities, will also be trained at UPLB before conducting seminars and workshops for farmers.
In finding areas and specific farmers for the project, the local government was tasked by the President to play a major role. She said a wide information campaign should be done by the participating local government unit. Funds for an information drive and coordinators will be sourced through the annual budget of the LGUs allocated for agricultural development. | 
