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ABSTRACT

Challenges of farmers toward their work. This study is expected to provide vast

information that promotes understanding the life of an individual, their lifestyles,

challenges they are facing and their roles in the society as a significant social agent.

The researcher were seeking to describe the challenges being faced by the farmers and

finding answers how they deal with those challenges.

This qualitative research focuses on the perspective of individual. It do not use of

numeral data and not measurable. The data will be gathered through conducting an

interview, unstructured type of interview. The questions will be answered freely by the

respondents on what they feelings, ideas and thoughts.

The sampling in this study were selected through non-probability sampling, more

specially purposive sampling. The sampling is subjective the researcher chooses their

own set of population those who had experience and able to give the information needed.

The respondents to the study are the farmers have farm in Sitio Sapangbato and Barangay

San Rafael, Cabangan, Zambales.

As a conclusion, Farmer has its own peculiar problems as well as its rewards. All of

farmers feel happy and proud because they can earn money, they can provide the needs of

their family and others.

INTRODUCTION

The farmer is one of the most useful people since the beginning of civilization.

We all depend upon agriculture to meet our requirement of food. We get our food

because the farmer grows crops and do the agricultural activities. They feed the entire

country and yet their life conditions are far from satisfactory.They work hard whatever

the season is. During summer, they work under the sun. During rainy seasons, they get

wet while plowing the field. They do their works despite of the cold weather.

Farmer is much dependent upon forces of nature. For agriculture, appropriate

weather is important. If the rainfall is accurate, the product would be good. When

summer comes, the farmer needs more water to prevent dryness of the soilso that the

plants will not die.

The role of the farmers is to ensure that their plants will grow healthier and

productive plants. They plan for the entire season. They clean and fertilize the rice field

and take care of the plants.

This study aims to find out what are the challenges being faced by the farmers of

SitioSapangbato and Barangay San Rafael. It also sought to answer the possible solutions

on how they deal on those challenges. Lastly, it will describe the perception of the

farmers towards their work.

In addition, the significance of this research is to have a guide on how the farmers

effectively deals with their difficulties towards their work; and on how they were

perceived themselves as mammoth contributor in the success of farming industry.

This section discusses information about topics related and mentioned in the study.It

presents and provides gathered facts and ideas from related literature like

books,journals,magazines,and electronic sources.This chapter also presents brief

discussion about related studies from locallymade and foreign studies.There are several

studies analyzing the correlation between economic reformed state economies,there are

no studies on the impact of economic reforms on the socio-economic status of

agricultural workers.

For many decades prior to 1970 agricultural development in many parts of Australia had

focused on the release and clearing of land for agriculture and improvements in

agricultural technology and production. In Western Australia, for example, in the 1960s a

million acres per year was released for farming before the severe drought of 1969 brought

land release to an abrupt end. Concerns began to be raised about the impact of traditional

farm practices on farmland (Kingwell,2002).

Rice production has two cropping season, the dry season, and wet season. There

are rice farms that are only planted during dry season or wet season. Rice farms which

are near shoreline of the Laguna de Bay are usually planted in dry season only while

rainfed rice field are planted only during wet season. There are rice farms that are planted

both in dry and wet season. The El Nino phenomenon brought increase in production

along the areas along the shoreline of Laguna de Bay. These municipalities are: Siniloan,

Pangil, Pakil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Sta. Cruz, Pila, Victoria, Bay, and Los Banos.
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On the other hand La Nina phenomenon brought increase in rice production in some

areas being seldom planted particularly on the upland area that rely only on rain for water

irrigation. But it has to take note that there are many rice farms that are located at the

shoreline of the Laguna de Bay therefore La Nina may definitely decrease the rice

production.Farmers in Laguna can be classified into certain types: a landowner who is

either having other business or works and thus can afford to have means to sustain the

expenses of his rice farm; a landowner and farmer who rely mostly to the profit that he

will gain from rice production and where he will get his expenses for the next cropping

season; a farmer and tenant of a rice farm where expenses and profit rely on the

agreement between the landowner and the tenant; a farm laborer who is being paid by the

farm owner from his services.Rice farmers of the province find his own means to support

his financial expenses. Some of them have their own capital while some has to loan from

persons or banks or lending agencies while others have already set aside certain amount

of money from the last cropping season.Payment of labor depends on the prevailing cost

in the farm community or as agreed by the farm worker and farm owner An ordinary

farmer whose has no enough capital for rice farming will work on his own and sometimes

labor also to other rice farms for his family’s sustenance.Expenses in rice production are

high as well as labor. Being a rice farmer is a great task. His physical strength, patience in

work, and resiliency in facing the odds of farming are his great capital (Fernandez,2014).
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METHOD

This Qualitative Research focuses on the perspective of an individual. It does not make

use of numerical data and not measurable. The questions are answered without focusing

on the quantity. Instead, it focuses on how people look into something. It is more on the

experiences of people and it is used to unveil the opinions, reasons and judgment of a

person (Hancock, 2009 et.al).

The data was gathered through conducting an interview more specifically an unstructured

type of interview, for the questions were freely answered by the respondents depending

on what they feel or thought. To help make the respondents comfortable during the

interview, the researchers conduct an individual interview so the respondents will not

worry about other respondents and also to keep confidentiality on their

thoughts.Interview is mainly used as a weapon in investigating people’s life. It describes

and gives meaning to the subject’s feelings, thoughts and ideas. It is used as a data

gathering procedure to gain insights into the challenges being encountered and able to

know the solution to the challenges identified (Kvale,2006). An audio recorder was used

to record the whole conversation because it is more convenient than a pen and a paper.It

is a device used to record and capture clear, precise sound that you can get even the

smallest detail.
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The sampling technique used by the researchers is purposive sampling. This sampling is

subjective in which the researcher chooses their own respondents. The main objective of

this is to make a sample compatible to the objectives of the study (Lavrakas,2008). The

chosen respondents of the study are those who had experience and can able to give the

information needed. The respondents for the study were the farmers that have farm in

SitioSapangbatoand Barangay San Rafael, Cabangan, Zambales.

FINDINGS

The researchers were seeking to describe the challenges being faced by the farmers and

finding answers how they deal with those challenges. They conducted an interview to the

respondent’s ideas, thoughts and feelings when it comes to their work.

The first question sought to know the feeling of being a farmer. The respondents are

asked what do they feel being a farmer. Here are some of their answers.

Happy. Most of the respondents agreed that it was happy and fulfilling because they were

able to provide foods for their family and earn money as well. According to Farmer 1,

“Masaya dahilkapagnakakatanim, may aanihin, kaya may pagkainangpamilya”[Being a

farmer, I feel happy because if you reap, you will sow later on. There is a food for my

family so it gives me happiness.]

While Farmer 3 said that,

“Angpakiramdamngmagsasaka, masayakungmerongkita.”[The
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feeling of being a farmer is happy especially if there is a profit.]

Sad.Some of the respondents said that it was sad because of uncontrolled calamities and

insufficient harvest. Farmer 5 said that,

“Kung kakauntiangani, nakakalungkot”[If the harvest is few, it is sad.]

while Farmer 1 said that,

“Nakakalungkotkapaginaabutanngsakuna.”[It feels sad to have lessharvest due to

uncontrolled calamities]

Proud.Some of the respondents said that they are proud to be a farmer because they raise

crops and agricultural products specially palay which is the main source of food in the

Philippines.

“I am proud to say that I am a farmer because I am the one who raise

thePalay and other

agricultural products which is the main source of food in our country, Philippines.”
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When the respondents were asked what are the challenges they are facing towards their

work these are theanswers of the respondents:

Climate change.One of the challenges they are facing is the abrupt change of climate.

According to Farmer 1,

“Ahhh… maramingmga challenges sapagtatanim. Unasalahat ay yungsapanahonngayon,

yung climate change. Hindi moalamkung kalian ang tag ulandahilsa ditto saCabangan ay

umaasalamangsasinasabinating rainy seasons…” [There are many challenges in farming.

First of all, is the weather, the climate change. You do not know when the rainy season is.

In Cabangan, farmers are only relying on the rainy seasons].

Insufficient water supply.According to Farmer 6, lack of water in their rice field is the

challenge he had faced.

Grass.The massive growth of grass stole thenutrients that is supposedly to be for plants.

“Some challenges that I am facing in farming or in agriculture, first, is the massive

growth of roots and grass…”

Pests.These pests eat the crops of the farmers. As stated by Farmer 5,

Calamities.These calamities destroys the plants. According to Farmer 8,

Plowing Rice Field.Plowing the rice field under the heat of the sun and rain is one of the

challenges farmers have to face.

Lastly, they are asked how did they dealt with the challenges they faced. These are the

interventions or the solutions they did.

Seek for the guidance of God. Some of them said that they ask for the guidance of the

Almighty God to give them good weather and prosperous harvest.

Listen to weather forecasts.

Take care of the plants.

Kill the pests.

Provide water irrigation.

Diligence and Patience.

Attend on seminar and training.

In addition, they think and find solution to the problems like cleaning the rice field,

spraying pesticides to the plants to kill the pests, produce water irrigation and they listen
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to the weather forecasts in television or radio to know what is the weather and they will

know when is the right time for the seeding and reaping of plants.

DISCUSSION
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The study aims to provide a guide on how the farmers effectively deal with their

challenges towards their work and on how they perceived themselves as a contributor in

the farming industry.

Farmers feel happy to know that they will gain something in return to their hardships—

the fruit of their labor. Through farming they can sustain the needs of their family. They

do not need to buy their food because they already have a food to eat. Also, they can earn

money through farming. They can sell it to the market. As stated by Sarian(1996), it

could be the main source of income or sideline. It could provide a decent livelihood. It

can also be a good investment especially if it is well manage.

Some farmers feel proud because they think they can help feed the nation. They think that

farming make their life meaningful knowing that they are a big contributor in the

development of the country. It is what makes them determined to work hard regardless of

the difficulties they are facing. According to Erin, “Nothing is quite as gratifying after a

full days hard work knowing that you were a part of putting healthy, nutritious,

delicious food on another family’s table.”

According to the respondents, they consider farming their life. So they feel sad if the

harvest is few and when calamities and pests struck their crops. It is like all of themoney

they spend, efforts and hardships were put into nothing.

People suffer challenges every now and then. Some is because of their own making,

others due to reasons beyond their control. This study found out that one of the

challenges faced by the farmers is the climate change. Abrupt change of weather are felt

in different parts of the world. It threatens and causes damage to the crops.According to
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Nakpil (2016), that climate change affects food supply by reducing crop yields. It has a

big effect on the growth of the crops and poses a fundamental threat to places and

people’s livelihood.

Water is very essential to farmers because plants need this to grow and survive. If there

is no rain for a long period of time or no sufficient water supply, the crops will die.

Grass takes the nutrients instead of the crops. It prevents the crops to grow and become

more productive. Also, farmers have to deal with the pests that damage their crops. It

gives them headache because these pests ate the crops they are taking care of.

Calamities are one of the challenges faced by the farmers today. The typhoons are gone

but farmers had to deal with its aftermath. The crops are damage because of the floods

and strong winds carry by the typhoons. Sometimes if landslide occurs, it goes down to

the crops. This is an event that no one has the power to control with so even if it is hard,

farmers does not have any choice but to accept the cruel fate of their crops.

Another challenge they faced is the plowing the rice field. Before they plant the seeds,

they have to plow the rice field to clean and soften the soil. Plowing the rice field is tiring

especially if it is very hot because of the sun or cold because of the rain.

Successful farmers tackle the tough times in various ways. Some of them ask for the help

and guidance of God so they will have a good harvest later on. They believe that God will

provide their needs and He will not forsake them. Also, they prepare themselves to the

challenges they will face then they think of a solution to their problems. They work hard

and think of a strategy to make their harvest bountiful.

To make the plants grow and be productive, farmers must take care of it like their life

depends on it. Before farmers harvest their crops, there are many challenges they have to

encounter. They need to water it everyday, put fertilizer if needed and kill the pests that

will destroy their crops using pesticides.

Farmers listen to weather forecasts in televisions or radio to know when is the rainy

season or if there is a typhoon coming. It is very important for the farmers to be updated

about the weather so they will know what to do and able to prepare if ever a typhoon will

come. Farmers should also master the art of timing because in farming there is a perfect

time for everything. There is a right time for sowing and reaping.

If there is no rain, farmers provide water irrigation to ensure that the soil will not get dry.

However, if ever farmers do not have any resources to produce water irrigation for their

crops, they have no choice but to water the plants manually. Being a farmer is not easy. It

is very tiring but according to the respondents, diligence and patience is the key. Only

those who are patient enough are the ones who remain in this field of work.

To know more about their crops, some of them attends on seminars and training to gain

additional knowledge about farming. They are taught what should they do in times of

challenges and many more.

As a conclusion, among the challenges faced by the farmers in their everyday life, the

most common is the insufficient water supply, caused by the climate change. Most

Farmers here in Cabangan rely more on rainy seasons that is why the climate change

affects them bigtime.

Based on the findings and conclusion of the study, here are the recommendations to be

considered . First, it is recommended that further studies be carried out on farmers from

other places to see whether there are any similarities in the findings. It is suggested to

increase the population of the samples to get new ideas regarding the Challenges of the

farmers towards their work. It is also suggested to focus more on the solution how to deal

with the challenges being encountered by the farmers.