Importance of Cultural Competency (Extension Workers)

I am so privileged to have been invited yesterday by the Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, his honorouable Amb. Bienvenido Tejano, to witness the "first" harvesting of Philippine hybrid seeds here in Papua New Guinea.  It is a pilot rice farming all-mechanical project spearheaded by the Philippine Embassy where the seeds and the technology all originated from the Philippines and brought here.  And yesterday, was their first successful harvest, that I'm more than grateful to be part of.


the Ambassador of the Philippines to Papua New Guinea H.E. Dr. Bienvenido Tejano

the working Ambassador, Ambassador Tejano

ultimate photobomb

the long and winding road to Gabali Farm

my newfound friends, Lily and Naomi

local television news channel

A highly-technologically advanced machine 

called "harvester"

the river where the source of irrigation comes from

group picture with the Ambassador and the hardworking local crew

They used all automatic mechanical sprinklers to water the farm.  No manual watering.  A technology that I can't still get over with.  Wishing to see the same in the Philippines.

 

the freshly harvested hybrid grains

The project was assisted by the Village Garden Ltd to empower rural people to use high technology in modern commercial rice farming.  The rice is grown using one of the best irrigation methods and rice farming methodology and technology from the Philippines.

That being said, I’d like to discuss cultural competency in the light of the hardworking agricultural extension workers who are bringing social development and transformation through technology and research here in Papua New Guinea.
 

First, let us dissect the meaning of culture.  Culture has many definitions, it is often used to represent ways of life included rules, values, expected behaviors, shared ideas and beliefs about what are morally right or wrong, or what is culturally acceptable (Brennana, 2005).

On the other hand competency is defined as knowledge, skills, or abilities required of the job (Cooper & Graham, 2001). Therefore cultural competency is knowledge and skill on the culture of client system. Extension worker must be culturally competent and it means to understand the cultural values of the rural people system and use them in planning and implementing extension program and services (Fong and Furuto, 2001).

Similarly Olsen, et all. (2006) defined cultural competency as the ability to work effectively across cultures. It is an approach to learning, communicating and working with people different from themselves. Culture can refer to an individual’s race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status and age, among other things.

In developing countries such as Papua New Guinea, rural people have depended on extension worker for technical advice and information. The success of extension programs will be determined to a large degree by the ability of the extension worker to be qualified and competent since the whole extension process is dependent on them to transfer new ideas and technical advice to the rural people. Productivity of the extension organization also highly depends upon the function of extension workers. In fact competent extension workers ensure the success of the extension services and extension organizations as well.

Although majority of extension worker transfer technical advice to the rural people however extension is known as a human system. Extension therefore is a human process as well in which technical information are integrated and used to help rural people achieve their potentials (Boone, 1990).

Since the most important interface in technology transfer is human; therefore the key point in technology transfer is how to transform the rural people into a new idea (Jon Chang Hong, 1994). Furthermore human attitudes and behaviours are influenced by their society’s culture, it therefore important for extension workers to have knowledge on the culture of the rural people before embarking transferring of technologies to them. In fact in all societies there are accepted ways of doing things and these ways are related to the culture of the society. Okley and Garforth (1985) stated an extension worker will be more effective if understands the cultural background of the rural people with whom he works. He will be better able to offer advice and useful information that fits in with the culture of the society, and can use the culture of the society to the benefit of his work.  Thus, extension workers must be culturally competitive.

Can cultural competency among extension workers make a difference?

Cultural competency has become a necessity for service providers, professionals and agencies (Laurie Olsen, et all. 2006). Since extension is a non-formal educational function that applies to any institution/agency that disseminates information with the intention of upgrading knowledge, attitudes, skills and aspirations of the people (Rivera & Qamar, 2003), cultural competency indeed appear to be necessity for extension agency and extension worker as well.

Oakley and Garforth (1985) reported some areas of competency as important for the extension workers to perform their job effectively such as rural life competency or cultural competency; this includes local traditions, practices, culture and values of the clients. The more extension workers learn about the culture of rural people the more he will be accepted by them and the more he will also know type of advice will be useful for them.  . A working knowledge of these groups’ cultures and values helps extension workers tailor care so it is effective and appropriate for the stakeholders needs.

Similarly Warrix and Bocanegra (1998) stated that extension worker must understand the culture of the rural people in order to develop effective training programs. Extension worker need to view culture as an enabler before developing extension activities. Extension worker’ failure to understand rural people’ culture will result in under- used extension programs.

The culture of Papua New Guinea is many-sided and complex. It is estimated that more than 7000 different cultural groups exist in Papua New Guinea.  These groups vary in culture, language, socioeconomic status, race and religion. Culturally competent services are needed beyond race and ethnicity. Extension worker are dealing with these ethnics to transfer advice and new technology to them.  There is great urgency for extension service and extension organizations to reach these groups and be able to serve them effectively.  Within this county more than 850 languages are spoken.  These languages are spoken by the inhabited tribal groups of Papua New Guinea making it the most linguistically diverse place on earth.  Culturally competent extension workers are also better able to address issues underlying technology and development.  One factor that affects successful transfer of technology is the involvement of a committed bilingual extension worker who can provide ongoing communication to the different clients.

With the help of this competency extension worker will be able to serve all rural people and bridge across culturally differences, and ultimately improve the extension outcomes and performances. As a result one factor that affects successful transfer of technology is the involvement of culturally competent extension worker to understand the cultural values of the rural people and use them in planning and implementing extension program and moreover provide advisory services to the rural people that fit in with the culture of society. Extension workers should respect and work through the existing culture. It is important that the extension worker be aware of the existence of local norms and to take them into account in the process of technology transfer.  Hence this competency can improve extension performance.

It can be persuasively argued that effective development is impossible without a working knowledge and understanding of a person’s or group’s culture and background. As we move into an ever more pluralistic and multicultural society, extension workers are among those best-equipped to deliver that technology and to empower people from all backgrounds to lead connected, developed lives.

FURTHER READINGS

HYBRID RICE:

http://www.emtv.com.pg/article.aspx?slug=Philippines-Ambassador-Encourages-PNG-To-Grow-Rice

https://www.facebook.com/villagegarden.pg

CULTURAL COMPETENCY :

http://www.nccccurricula.info/culturalcompetence.html

http://www.nea.org/home/39783.htm

REFERENCES

Boone, E. J. (1990). Crossing Lines. Journal of Extension. 28 (3). www.joe.org.journalof Extension. Accessed on 25 October 2007.

Cooper,A.W.andGraham,D.L.(2001).CompetenciesNeededtobeSuccessfulCountyAgents and County Superiors. February 39 (1). Journal of Extension.

Fong, R. & Furuto, S. (Eds.) (2001). Culturally competent practice: Skills, interventions, and evaluation (pp. 11-32). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Oakley, P. and Garforth, C. (1985). Guide to Extension Training. Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

Olsen,L. Bhattacharya, J. and Scharf, A. (2006). Cultural Competency: What It Is And Why It Matters. California Tomorrow. Prepared by California Tomorrow, was part of a convening of grantees that the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health held on Thursday, Dec. 7. www.lpfch.org/informed/culturalcompetency.pdf.

Warrix,M.B.andBocanegra,M.(1998).KeystoBuildingSuccessfulTraining Day Care Providers. December 1998.

36 (6). Journal of Extension.http://www.joe.org/joe/1998december/a4.html.

Individualist Culture and the Collectivist Culture

INDIVIDUALIST VS. COLLECTIVIST CULTURE

SOURCE: https://todaysweather.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/00-respect.jpg


INDIVIDUALIST. Identifies primarily with self, with the needs of the
individual being satisfied before those of the group. Looking after and
taking care of oneself, being self-sufficient, guarantees the well-being of
the group. Independence and self-reliance are greatly stressed and valued.
In general, people tend to distance themselves psychologically and
emotionally from each other. One may choose to join groups, but group
membership is not essential to one’s identity or success. Individualist
characteristics are often associated with men and people in urban
settings (Shwartz, 1994).

SOURCE: http://research-methodology.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Individualism-versus-Collectivism.jpg


Individualist culture is not much celebrated here in Papua New Guinea.
However, I want to present to you few individuals that I perceived to be individualists. Meet Mr. Ole, the
school administrator from the former school of my kids here in Papua
New Guinea. He is an Australian perhaps in his 50s. Coming to school
three times a day during school days, we hardly see Mr. Ole doing
nothing within the premises of the school. Sometimes, he is outside,
talking to the guards, and giving directions on where private vehicles and
where official vehicles should park. He even at times man the parking
and neaten the orange parking cones himself, to the parents’ amusement
who are by standing in school. More so, there is this one instance where
I saw him talking to the gardener, briefing what groom he prefers the
plants must be. He even demonstrated to the gardener how to cut the
bushes. To my surprise he was talking to the gardener in Pidgin (local
language of Papua New Guinea). It was helpless to grin in discreet
hearing a white man talking a different language apart from their one and
only English language.

Then, there is Wayne. Wayne is the landlord of an apartment that we
leased during our short vacation trip in Cairns Australia. He is of course,
an Australian probably in his 40s. May I also note that Wayne has a very
strong Australian accent that not in few occurrences with my
conversations with him that I needed to ask him to repeat what he said
so I can understand him. I vividly remember when we check in he was
asking me “How many keys do you need?”, but he pronounced the word
keys as “case”. I frowned and was trying my very best to decipher what
I understood he just said. My husband whose more acquainted with the
accent came to the rescue when he saw my confusion and took over the
conversation. Going back to Wayne, for two weeks that we stick around
that apartment, we hardly see this guy smile. Everyday, we see him
circling the place riding a scooter, but never initiated once a “hi” or
“hello”. By the way, I forgot to mention that he never helped us with our
multiple heavy baggages when he sent us to our room at the 2nd floor of
the building. He just said, “I think your luggage is heavy.” This is how
things work here in Australia when renting a self-contained apartment.
Even if you’re a guest, you have to transport your own baggage without
the help of hotel boys or concierge, you likewise have to collect and put
your rubbish in the bin outside the building . They don’t even have
security guards to look after the place and the parking. They never
needed it in the first place. Many places in Australia are relatively safe.

As I was saying about Wayne, it is a common view to see him in long
face. As days came to pass, we observed that Wayne is a one-man staff.
He is the owner, the receptionist, the cleaner, the guard, and the travel
organizer. One morning, we visited the reception to get some flyers, but
it was closed. We decided to just give it a ring, and Wayne answered. He
said, he was out of the office for a while because he was in one of the
apartments tidying the room that was just vacated. Then one time we
were at the pool area where my kids were swimming, he came in, without
a word or a nod or a smile. He checked the barbecue area if it was used
or clean. Then walked out without a word again.

What I was attempting to endeavour here as regard to the topic of
Individualist culture, is that Australians being next in line to the United
States as the most Individualist countries, are sometimes arrogant, selfcentered,
and never practice the “beating around the bush” approach. I
recount one day, when Mr. Ole was so pissed with the guards for reasons
we were not aware of, when he walked past us, he pointed his temple
referring to the guards who are Papua New Guineans, similarly saying
“these people have no heads or not thinking.” This is to emphasize how
straightforward Australians are, unmindful even if he was pertaining to
the nationals of the country where he’s earning his fortune at. I don’t
think Filipinos are like that nor will ever do that. Then in one rare
instance where Mr. Ole and I accidentally were on the same flight from
Sydney via Cairns to Port Moresby (capital of Papua New Guinea), it
was a delayed flight. Then I saw him in the check-in counter so
distressed because of the delay, he was raising his voice to his fellow
Australian lady. He was not aware I was there as I didn’t approach him
to say hi. When we chanced upon each other in school, I told him, we
were on the same flight and I saw him. Then, he started telling me a
story that some “bloody Australian” threw a cigarette butt in the rubbish
bin on that day that I saw him, then it smoked and caused the alarm to
went off, the reason why the flight was delayed. It was an interesting
narration, however, I was surprised with the uttered “bloody Australian,”
so I asked him, "are you not Australian?" He said, "yes I am," that is why I
am allowed to say so. We shared a good laugh afterwards.

Hence, Individualists are more likely to prejudge people based on
obvious personal attributes. In Western cultures people enjoy more
personal freedoms, take greater pride in individual accomplishments,
enjoy more privacy, and live with more spontaneity than people in
collectivist cultures. However, individuals in western culture are also
suffer from more loneliness and depression, higher divorce and homicide
rates, and are more vulnerable to stress related diseases.

Individualists such as Mr. Ole and Wayne being Australians are dominant
in nature, but we should not forget that Australia is a first world country.
Australians are focused, goal-oriented, determined, independent, and
hard worker. These attributes of Individualist culture are the underlying
ingredients for a successful economic growth and holistic development of
a country.

COLLECTIVIST. One’s identity is, in large part, a function of one’s
membership and role in a group, e.g., the family or work team. The
survival and success of the group ensures the well-being of the
individual, so that by considering the needs and feelings of others, one
protects oneself. Harmony and the interdependence of group members
are stressed and valued. Group members are relatively close
psychologically and emotionally, but distant toward non group members.
Collectivist characteristics are often associated with women and people
in rural settings (Shwartz, 1994).

SOURCE: http://thearticulateceo.typepad.com/my-blog/2011/09/cultural-differences-individualism-versus-collectivism.html

Here in Papua New Guinea, where many expatriates from different parts
of the world are drawn to help their country become globally
competitive, RACISM is becoming an inevitable practice. Racism is the
view that there is a race of people, usually determined by skin color and
appearance, and that they're all basically the same. Racism is
fundamentally collectivist.

In Royal Papua Yacht Club Gym where I used to teach physical fitness
class, my students there are inter-racial. There are Australians, Indians,
Filipino, and Malaysians. These set of girls are generally stay at home
Moms like me, and wives of the most affluent expat families here in Port
Moresby (capital of Papua New Guinea). They are wives of CEOs,
Presidents, and Owners of huge businesses and tradings here.
And then there is Life Gym. A gymnasium where I also used to teach the
same physical fitness class owned by a British national and is located
inside a well-known hotel here in Port Moresby. My students here are in
large number Papua New Guineans. There are also Filipinos, and
Malaysians. They are all in the working class or employed.

The difference of both places is, in Royal Papua Yacht Club, sessions of
physical fitness are exclusively available only for the members. Nonmembers
are prohibited to attend the class. Membership in this club is
significantly expensive as members are mostly sponsored by the
company. Membership is as much as K4000 Kina (P80,000pesos) a year.
Yacht club members are dominantly Australians as they own yachts and
small boats as their usual weekend hobbies. Wherein Life Gym, you can
attend class without membership, like a pay-and-enter type of class with
a minimal fee of K20 Kina (P400 pesos).

When I talk to my students in Yacht Club and they will learn I teach in
Life Gym as well, they blatantly say that many of them never like it there
as many Papua New Guineas are attending the class, whose emitting foul
smell as they perspire. On the other hand, when my students from Life
Gym learned that I am teaching in the Yacht Club, they will say that they
don’t like it there neither, because there are many expats there who are
arrogant and airy.

Truly, this kind of orientation are Collectivist in nature. This is clearly an
example of racial discrimination. Instead of viewing individuals by their
own actions, values, or attributes, the group is judged and the outcome is
arbitrarily assigned to the individuals. They made a judgment base on the
venue, as Yacht Club is for the elite groups, and Life Gym is for the
mass. They both made judgment base on the race, as expats are proud,
and locals are ill-smell. In other words, you get praised or blamed not by
your own actions, but by the actions of someone else (or more than one
person). Racism therefore, is a huge injustice, and turns the whole
concept of moral judgment upside down.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of culture, most persons carry both individualistic and
collectivistic tendencies to some degree. One definite example is my
very own self. I consider myself as Individualist when I decided to enroll
and pursue my Masters in Development Communication through distance
learning program of Open University. I have decided to invest on my
individuality by earning additional academic degree. Further, I fall on
being a Collectivist when I settled at my own discretion to be a full time,
stay-at-home mother. Despite the fact that I believe I could have had a
promising career as I was a consistent dedicated student with honors in college,
however, I chose to be a full pledged mother to my kids for the reason
that my husband is an overseas Filipino worker since the time that we got
married until the present.  I chose family over money, which I have no regrets in doing so.
 

SOURCE: http://www.2ndmanunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Individualism.jpg

The point has been made now that variations of individualism and collectivism can be seen within any culture. Therefore, no culture is purely and entirely individualistic or collectivistic.


FURTHER READINGS:

http://cranepsych.edublogs.org/files/2009/07/individual_vs_collectivist.pdf

http://thearticulateceo.typepad.com/my-blog/2011/09/cultural-differences-individualism-versus-collectivism.html


CITATION:

Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Beyond individualism/collectivism: New cultural dimensions of values. In U.    Kim,       H. C. Triandis, C. Kagitcibasi, S.-C. Choi, & G. Yoon (Eds.), Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

BSU-OU's Culture That is Worth Emulating

In this era of fast-paced world of innovation, computer and technology, it is elating to learn that there are still institutions and government entities that give significance and value in the field of basic resource cultivation… farming.  Benguet State University (BSU) has done a tremendous contribution in steering for competitiveness in farming industry.  But first, let us learn about BSU’s humble beginnings.

SOURCE:  2.bp.blogspot.com/-vl6xe-ApLmA/VN84CpCMqDI/AAAAAAAABHM/FpYjow5Lngg/s1600/img_49002.jpg

  

THE BEGINNING - BSU CHRONICLE

The Mountain State Agricultural College (former name of BSU) is one of the leading agricultural institutions in Northern Luzon, particularly in the mountain provinces, where many of the leaders in the fields of agriculture, education, politics and industry are MSAC alumni.

Founded in 1916, it was originally known as La Trinidad Farm School. It is located in Trinidad Valley, the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines”, a scant six kilometers north of Baguio City. Initially, the school offered the elementary and secondary agriculture curriculum. In later years, a special secondary normal course for the upper twenty-five percent of the junior and senior classes was offered, and a one-year post-secondary farm mechanics course was introduced in 1948. The school had an original reservation of 1,710 hectares, but Proclamation No. 209 by late President Ramon Magsaysay reduced this to 609 hectares.

The school acquired the status of National Agricultural School in 1951 and opened a college department in 1954. The school was named Mountain National Agricultural School (MNAS). The special secondary normal school was abolished in favor for the baccalaureate degree program. In 1958, the school turned out its first batch of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education (BSAE) graduates. The Bachelor of Science in Home-making (BSAH) was opened to the girls next year. Having two baccalaureate degree programs, the school was renamed the Mountain Agricultural College in 1961.

On June 21, 1961, the college became a state chartered institution by virtue of R.A. 5923. It remained under the Bureau of Vocational Education until April 20, 1970, when the Board of Trustees under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Education designated then incumbent Superintendent Pedro A. Ventura as Officer-in-Charge. The Mountain State Agricultural College marked the first milestone as a state college on November 17, 1970 when President Ferdinand E. Marcos appointed Dr. Bruno M. Santos as its first president. The initial action of the College President was to establish a library which is the heart of the college. During this time, the library has been recognized as a vital organ of the institution, thus the heart of the academe. By virtue of the Presidential Decree No. 2010 dated January 12. 1986, the Mountain State Agricultural College (MSAC) was converted into Benguet State University (BSU facebook)

Vision

A premier state university in Southeast Asia

Mission

Develop people with a culture of excellence and social conscience who actively promote environment-friendly technologies for improving the quality of life.

LEGACY and ADVOCACY

BSU is an achiever for decades.  Not only in the field of farming, but furthermore in all aspects of academe and non-academic structure.

ACADEMICS ACHIEVEMENT

SPORTS and ROTC.  BSU was an over-all champion in the recenty concluded 2014 Cordillera Administrative Region Association of State Universities and Colleges Athletic Meet.  Event was held last December 3-6th.  The defending champion took home a total of 53 gold medals, 38 silver and 15 bronze medal to claim their fifth straight title in the annual regional sports meet held at the Payanan Sports Complex in Luna, Apayao.

More so,  BSU students likewise show competitiveness in poomsae (taekwando) by bagging a gold and bronze medal award through an elementary student of BSU.

It was expected that the reigning champ, BSU-ROTC Unit, has again emerged last year’s champion of the Regional Annual Administrative Tactical Inspection 2013-2014 with a score of 96.35 points, the highest out of 14 participating schools in CAR and Region I.

PUBLICATION.  The Benguet State University's official student publication, Mountain Collegian, was hailed as the Best School Paper during the 15th Regional Higher Education Press Conference held at the Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative January 24.

The 50-year old paper was awarded overall champion after it bagged top awards in the group contests, including best magazine, tabloid, newsletter and broadsheet.

For its support to campus journalism through the years, the School Press Advisers Movement (SPAM) has chosen the Benguet State University as recipient of the first-ever “Courtesy for Institutions Award”. The Mountain Collegian (MC), the official student publication of the Benguet State University, on the other hand, was adjudged the Best in Cultural Page (Mother Tongue-Based Language) and 2nd in Best Newsletter in the Group Contest.

BOARD PASSERS.  The BSU College of Nursing ranked 4th among the top ten performing schools nationwide and 1st in the Cordillera Administrative Region on the May 2014 Nurse Licensure Examination.    Further, Ms. Hanna Caasi Gale, a BSU graduate of the College of Teacher Education, is among those who topped the recent Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) conducted last August 2014. Ms. Gale landed on the 10th Place with an average score of 87.40%.    Prof. Josel M. Florentin, college secretary, more so shared that the recent board examination for College of Forestry places the BSU CF as the third top performing forestry school in the country with more than 50 examinees.

LANGUGE PROGRAMS.  There were 20 Songkonghoe University (SKHU) students who finished International Language Center (ILC)’s 10-month Special Program for English Language and Literature (SPELL).  With the Korean newly graduates stay in the university, they said that they grew up and they are very proud of themselves for finishing the ILC-SPELL.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT

RECYCLED MATERIALS.  Fifty-five lanterns that used about 90 percent non-biodegradable and recyclable materials were paraded around the school campus last Dec. 12, 2014 as part of the Yuletide celebration and to promote environmental protection and awareness.  BSU- National Service Training Program (NSTP) instructor Alken Sasa said, the activity supports the efforts of various government agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector in mitigating the effects of climate change.

CLIMATE CHANGE.  Benguet State University is focusing on climate change adaptive agriculture through its research and extension programs.  BSU President Ben Ladilad said they have established a Climate Smart Agriculture Center, which focuses on studies and research on climate change adaptation and mitigation.  Dr. Carlito Laurean, head of the Climate Smart Agriculture Center, said the project, which started three years ago, concentrates on researches and developing technologies that could help farmers adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.  In terms of advocacy, Ladilad said the school is in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Information Agency for climate change information, education, and communication campaign.

WASTE MANAGEMENT.  Benguet State University is also eyeing as the future waste management conference center in Benguet.

BALILI RIVER and AMBURAYAN RIVER .  In 2010, stakeholders led by BSU and EMB-DENR Cordillera and other multi-sectoral groups initiated activities to address environmental and social problems associated with the Balili River  and Amburayan River, in hope to revive this important water resources aside from helping it be designated as a Water Quality Management Area.  Activities to be implemented under the project include series of clean-up drive, tree planting, fire prevention and engineering works for slope protection.  After which, there will be a feedback system, continuous monitoring and evaluation.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

SCHOLARSHIP.  Benguet State University (BSU) has the highest number of scholars with 456,  followed by Ifugao State University (IFSU) with 206, Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology (ASIST) with 197, Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC) with 195, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) with 179, and Apayao State College (ASC) with 46.  Each student grantee receives a total of P60,000 scholarship grant per year broken down to P20,000 for tuition, P5,000 for textbooks and other learning materials, and P35,000 stipend allotted for board and lodging, transportation, clothing, health and medical needs, and other basic school needs.

STUDENTS AS PART OF LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMS.  Benguet State University-Buguias Campus students are focusing on skill building among alternative learning system students, barangay women’s association, and community residents to find innovative ways of recycling plastic materials. It also involves an information campaign to create awareness on how community members could creatively lessen their plastic wastes without burning them.  Meanwhile, students from Benguet State University – Main Campus decided to give their attention to livelihood projects. Indigent students of the university are given the opportunity to earn extra funds for their financial needs by establishing a partnership with Kabayan which is behind the hand-woven products sold within the Cordilleras. The plan is to provide a product outlet within the locality to address unnecessary capital outlay while at the same time prevent overpricing. The end-goal is to attract more buyers that will eventually bring about better return on investment.  At the same time, BSU is training high school student leaders on livelihood project management to enable them to implement income generating projects for their school. They are also being encouraged to utilize readily available raw materials in La Trinidad, Benguet in promoting micro-entrepreneurship.

AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION

AGRI-PINOY.  The Department of Agriculture is putting up an Agri-Pinoy Trading Center worth P600 million on a four hectare lot.  The site is located at the Benguet State University.  Benguet State University (BSU) president Ben Ladilad said the Agri–Pinoy Center is eyed to be co-managed by the state-run institution.  He said BSU can offer the expertise as well as the professionals to co–run the facility eyed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) at the Strawberry Field's area.  He furthers, that the intention for the facility is good and can benefit the entire province especially in the wake of the Asean Free Trade Agreement.  The university is part if the steering committee for the facility and can be an asset to the success of the center.  "We can guide [farmers] in the needed technology as well as the transport and packaging of the produce," Ladilad said.  Ideally, the steering committee is composed of the DA, BSU, and the Provincial Government of Benguet, La Trinidad local government and the Office of the Congressman.  Ladilad said the Agri-Pinoy Center can also be part of the extension program of the University which will benefit students and teaching personnel when they use the facility in their courses to give a hands on experience in the vegetable industry.  The Agri-Pinoy center is viewed to boost vegetable capabilities in marketing as well as delivery.  The center is expected to be completed in 12 to 18 months.

ORGANIC FARMING.  BSU was dubbed as pro-organic university in 2004 and is the first academic institution in the Philippines to acquire an organic certificate. This university has a vision to become a premier state university in South East Asia.  Unfortunately, only 30% of the farms in La Trinidad practice organic farming although they are slowly working towards being 100% organic.  Ladilad said the school is closely working with the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to turn at least four percent of over 130,000 hectares of plantations in the province to organic farms.  The Benguet State University (BSU) has started developing an organic agriculture program as it braces for the stiffer competition in the agricultural industry with the Asian Free Trade Agreement taking effect in 2016.  Though already incorporated within the school’s curriculum that started in 2010, BSU president Dr. Ben Ladilad said they want to do more especially with the benefits that can be derived from the program, not only by Benguet province but the whole nation as well.  The BSU’s organic agriculture program is focused more on research and development to alleviate the effects of climate change on the province's agriculture industry.  In 2009, the Cordillera Organic Agriculture Development Center (COARDC) was launched and became the 6th research institution of the University.  According to COARDC Director Jose Balaoing, the program started with 10 students in 2010 who all graduated in 2012, becoming the first batch of certified organic agriculturists of the province.  For the school year 2013-2014, there are already 41 students enrolled in the program.

CROSS-VARIETY OF STRAWBERRIES.  After establishing the project in 1999, BSU had developed seven strawberry varieties through cross-fertilization.  BSU-Pierre, named after a visiting foreign scientist, is a cross between Sweet Charlie and the Japanese variety, Toyonaka. The unnamed variety, tentatively called T3, is a cross between the Fern and Festival varieties.  The first variety the project had developed was called “Agsapa,” a cross between Selva and Toyonaka. It was named “Agsapa” for the Ilocano word, dawn, because it represented the dawning of locally developed strawberries.  Padua’s locally developed varieties are slightly resistant to strawberry mites and fruit rot. More importantly, pesticides are rarely used on these, he said.  This contribution, among others, garnered the Strawberry R&D program the 3rd place in the national level at the recently concluded 2010 search for the Best Higher Education Research Program by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).

TISSUE-CULTURE FOR IMPROVED SAYOTE PRODUCTION.  Sayote production in Benguet is seeing a brighter future if the technology on micropropagation is maximized.   Tissue-culture, a technology first used to help remedy the diseases in strawberries, is being popularized to benefit sayote growers in the province.   Milagros Dumaslan, a researcher at the Benguet State University, is looking forward to the full production of tissue-cultured sayote plants, which she had been working on to help provide farmers with healthier planting materials.   Dumaslan said tissue-culture is the most effective way of removing plant diseases that cannot be removed through the conventional method, which involves planting the matured fruits.   She said planting even the healthiest sayote fruit does not guarantee it will produce a virus-free plant. “Total eradication (of the source of diseases) is the solution,” she said.

ARABICA COFFEE.  Universities specializing in agriculture as Benguet State University, are researching better ways to grow and farm coffee plants. They push new found knowledge to local farmers.  Farmers are forming cooperatives and organizations such as the Philippine Coffee Alliance assist in helping farmers do business in the coffee industry.  From just a P3 million loan payable in three years, RMC Benguet Arabica Coffee Growers Cooperative is now running the most modern Arabica coffee mill in the country, thanks to cooperation between Rocky Mountain Café Inc. (RMCI), the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), and the Benguet State University (BSU).  The mill is located in the Benguet State University pilot farm in Barangay Longlong and is operated by RMC Benguet Arabica Coffee Growers Cooperative (RMCBACGC). BSU provides technical support throughout the coffee production process, from the farm all the way to packaging of the beans. Canada-based Rocky Mountain Café, as buyer of the coffee beans, provides marketing support to ensure sustainability of the co-op’s operations. “This partnership will help Cordillera farming communities to raise the quality of their Arabica beans through the use of efficient, modern, and eco-friendly wet coffee processing technology such as an ecological wet mill to soften the cherry pulps, ecological pulper to remove the pulp, and an ecological coffee dryer with no air pollution emissions,” says Carmeli Chaves, Director for Corporate Responsibility of Rocky Mountain Café

CONCLUSION:

BENGUET STATE UNIVERSITY – OPEN UNIVERSITY

The Benguet State University-Open University (BSU-OU) was established in 1997 through University Board Resolution No. 768 in fulfillment of Article XIV (Education) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and R. A. No. 7722 known as the Higher Education Act in 1994.  The BSU-OU offers Master’s Degree programs and non-degree or short courses that are not offered by the Graduate School in the University.  It also differs from the Graduate School by having an open and distance mode of learning. 

SOURCE:  http://jaywing.com/agency/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/The-Open-University.jpg

In an open and distance mode of learning, the students do not attend classes in classrooms regularly.  At BSU-OU students are given course modules and they meet their professors and classmates once a month.  Additional consultations with the professors are also done by any modes of communication, i.e. through internet, fax, telephone or text messaging.  With this scheme, students are therefore able to gain new knowledge and skills wherever they are whether at work, at home or even while on travel, and at their own pace and time.  (BSU Website)

It is admissible, that OU’s mission in providing advanced quality life-long education for all through open and distance learning interventions, has been beneficial for overseas student as myself.  I am currently in Papua New Guinea together with my family.  We’ve been living here for two years now.  It is a great pleasure and honor for a stay-at-home Mom like me, to further my studies and pursue my dreams of achieving and becoming someone else outside of the daily chores and responsibilities that a full time mother endures every single day.  BSU-OU indeed gave a platform for us that dreams and aspirations shall never cease once you become and opted to be a full time mother.  It is blissful that one can still perform all the tasks that go along with motherhood, co-occurring being a full-time online student overseas.  It is quite challenging at times for each facets require equal attention and commitment, hence both rewarding.  The flexibility of distance learning turns time juggling between family and study well manageable. 

Thus, with BSU-OU’s vision of propagating socially and professionally excellent human resource developer is nearly an arm reach by bridging the length between BSU-OU’s educators and overseas ambitious student like me through its distance learning programs.

BENGUET STATE UNIVERSITY AS AGRICULTURAL RESARCH HUB OF THE NORTH

Furthermore, allow me to commend the hardwork, strong undertaking, and timeless leadership of Benguet State University as a working and moving agricultural institution in this generation of dramatic technological growth.  Prior in doing this writing about the culture of BSU, I precociously accepted in my heart that youth in this age of computers and internet, no longer dream of becoming a farmer.  Farming is an arduous field, if not laborious to engage.  I mean, how hard can it be to grow a pound of rice if it costs only P50.00 to buy?  I’ve had exposure with people who have gone to the route of selling their farm lands to someone else, and move to urban cities to work and settle.  I am from Bulacan, where farming and rice production is one of the main sources of income of the locals.  However, it was disconcerting to know that farmers chose to sell their lands to developers and make it a place for dwelling like subdivisions or malls.  If only the farmers had the backing and support of the local government along with an academic institution as Benguet State University, perhaps many out of schools youths in Bulacan who are living in poverty, would rather prefer tilting lands than having a life leading to nowhere. 

SOURCE: http://mommywrites.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html

It was an eye-opener for me, that indeed, as a developing country where Agriculture employs 32% of Filipino workforce, that what this country needs, are thousands of Benguet State Universities that exhibits agricultural leadership, innovation and programs among others.  This university has been part of the steering committee along with the Department of Agriculture and the local government, in guiding the farmers their needed technology as well as the transport and packaging of various agricultural products.  It has become a major research and development organization in the Philippines.  Overtime the institute has grown rapidly made a number of achievements in the field of training, research, and extension that have been enabled it to play a leadership role in scientific and policy innovations.

Benguet State University likewise, is actively involving staff members and external stakeholders in capacity development processes.  It is in these participatory events where self-learning, critical thinking, team-building, and action planning are promoted.  Thus, led to greater changes in knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the stakeholders.

“Learning by doing,” is the culture of BSU that is fundamental to capacity development.  Instead of developing individual knowledge, skills, and attitudes, BSU developed an organizational culture, procedure, and system that channel the use of the institution’s resources towards relevant goals.  BSU thus, created an environment that is open to self-criticism, reflection, and improvement. 

In closing, it is dignifying to claim that I am a BSU student, even if I’m not in any way involve in agriculture nor farming.  For merely being a part of this institution, through my actions and through my words, shall live with me the mandate of BSU’s core values:

 E xcellence
V ibrancy
E quity
R esponsiveness
A ccountability
S ervice
T eamwork
I  ngenuity
N obility
G reatness

REFERENCES:

BSU Facebook Account
https://www.facebook.com/BenguetStateUniversity

BSU Website
www.bsu.edu.ph/

BSU News Archives that can also be found on their website


FURTHER READING:

http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html