Shifts Gears: Farming First, Politics Later
By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — In a bold break from the usual political circus, administration candidates in Agusan del Sur are flipping the script: no more grandstanding, no tired vote-chasing speeches. This time, it’s all about the ground—literally.
While reelectionist Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. faces off with a lone farmer from Bayugan City, most of the National Unity Party (NUP) slate—running unopposed and on their final terms—are steering away from politics as usual. They’re making one thing clear: this campaign is about legacy, not just leadership.
At the heart of this movement is a quietly revolutionary initiative: soil test-based fertilization, championed by 2nd District Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza.
Far from just another agricultural project, this is the beating heart of Agusan del Sur’s flagship program—Upland Sustainable Agriforestry Development (USAD)—and it’s already transforming the game.
Rep. Plaza dreams aloud in these gatherings: that one day, farmers will no longer introduce themselves as mere “land tillers”—but as proud, empowered professionals of the land.
“ I also dreamed that farmers here in Sta. Josefa can already harvest more than 100 to 120 bags per hectare, compared to what you only yield at 60 to 80 bags per hectare,” Plaza lectured the crowd of farmers at a rally in Sta. Josefa town.
He said based on the study the problem of the soils in the farmlands of this town are acidic and full of organic matter.
This isn’t about empty promises. It’s about proof.
Farmers who once barely scraped by now speak with pride at rallies-cum-info drives, sharing real success stories. Better soil. Bigger harvests. Actual change.
One such story comes from Ricoleta Añora, a rubber farmer from the mountain village of Magsaysay in Sibagat town.
After training under USAD on proper rubber-tapping techniques, her income soared. Her family bought a motorcycle and started raising goats. Once awarded USAD’s Best Farmer in 2018, she’s now a symbol of possibility.
In Rosario town, Randy Boates saw his rice yield shoot up by 40%—from just 50–60 bags per hectare to a whopping 87. “I paid off my loans. My kids’ school needs are covered,” he beams.
But perhaps the most stunning turnaround belongs to Fred Alvizo, a rice farmer in Barangay Maitum, Loreto.
He transformed his acidic, low-fertility peatland into a high-yield rice field producing 6.6 metric tons per hectare—more than double his previous harvest.
That translated into ₱120,000 income per hectare, up from just ₱60,000. Now, he’s added fish ponds and a piggery to his farm, and his kids no longer struggle for school allowance.
These aren’t isolated wins—they’re part of a science-backed revolution. Field trials conducted under the USAD program across Loreto, Trento, Bayugan City, and the provincial capitol in Patin-ay revealed palay yields soaring from 3.6 to 6–6.8 tons per hectare.
The man behind the science, Dr. Johnvie Goloran, a soil expert from Griffith University and a native son of Agusan del Sur, explained how correcting soil nutrient deficiencies through accessible local fertilizers supercharged plant growth. Farmers—once skeptical—now actively embrace the data-driven approach.
Rep. Plaza spotlighted these achievements during a recent budget hearing with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel:
“Less cost, higher yield, and better income for farmers,” he declared.
In Agusan del Sur, the campaign trail has taken a thrilling new direction—away from noise and towards nourishment. And the people? They’re not just watching—they’re harvesting the change.
