Resources For Philippine Rural Communities Corporation

A. MISSIONS TO THE AMAZON RIVER COMMUNITIES IN NAUTA, PERU- FEBRUARY, 2022 DURING OUR FIRST OUTREACH IN PERU IN MAY, 2021, OUR TEAM OBSERVED THAT THE COMMUNITIES LIVING ALONG THE MARANON RIVER ARE VERY LACKING IN DIVERSITY IN THEIR DIET. THEY ARE BLESSED WITH THE USUAL STARCHY FOODS SUCH AS PLANTAIN, YUCCA ROOT, POTATOES, AND WHATEVER FRUITS THEY FIND IN THE JUNGLE. THE VEGETABLES THEY PLANT ARE MAINLY THE FRUIT TYPES SUCH AS TOMATOES, CUCUMBER, AND PEPPER. IN OTHER WORDS, GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES ARE A BIG NEED TO INTRODUCE IN THESE COMMUNITIES.IN OUR NEXT VISIT IN OCTOBER 2021, WE CONDUCTED A TRAINING ON NUTRITION AND DIET DIVERSITY. WE INTRODUCED VARIOUS SEEDS OF GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES IN SAMPLE SIZES FOR THEM TO TRY. HENCE, WHEN WE CAME BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2022, WE VISITED THE FARM AREAS TO SEE HOW THEY ARE DOING ON THE PLANTING OF THESE VEGETABLES. IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT THE VEGETABLES HAVE THRIVED AND THEY ARE LEARNING TO PREPARE THESE VEGETABLES AS PART OF THEIR DIET.THE OTHER PART OF OUR TRAINING IN OCTOBER 2022 WAS IN CHICKEN PRODUCTION. THE COMMUNITIES WANT TO PRODUCE MORE CHICKENS SO THEY CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF EGG AND MEAT PROTEIN. YET, INCREASING PRODUCTION WAS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY LACK HOUSING FOR ANIMALS AND THEY LACK KNOW-HOW ON CHICKEN NUTRITION. OUR CHICKEN EXPERT WHO CAME WITH THE TEAM TAUGHT THE FARMERS NEEDED CONDITIONS SO THE CHICKENS WILL GROW FASTER AND HEALTHIER SO THEY CAN BRING THEM TO MARKET. ON THIS FEBRUARY 2022 VISIT, OUR TEAM SAW AN IMPROVEMENT IN THIS AREA OF CHICKEN RAISING. SOME FARMERS ARE NOW INTENTIONAL IN IMPROVING THE NUTRITION OF THEIR CHICKENS AND SOME HAVE IMPROVED HOUSING. OUR TEAM RECOGNIZED THE NEED OF A HEAVY-DUTY GRINDER FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GRIND CORN, AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS SO WE PURCHASED ONE FOR THE 9 DE OKTUBRE COMMUNITY.B. MISSIONS TO THE PHILIPPINES- JULY, 2022IN DECEMBER, 2022, ONCE AGAIN, SO MANY OF THE PHILIPPINE AREAS GOT HIT WITH A SUPER TYPHOON NAMED ODETTE. ENORMOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE INCLUDING AGRICULTURE; CONSEQUENTLY, FOOD SUPPLY WAS AFFECTED. MEANWHILE, THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD REOPEN THE PHILIPPINE BORDERS BY APRIL. SO IT WAS TIME FOR RPRC TO REVISIT ITS COMMUNITIES WHO WE HAVE NOT SEEN FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS. IN JULY, RPRC DISTRIBUTED RELIEF SEEDS TO OVER A THOUSAND FAMILIES IN NORTH PALAWAN AND VISITED RPRC SUPPORTED FARMERS AS WELL IN SOUTH PALAWAN, SARANGANI, AND AGUSAN. IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT MANY OF THE FARMERS ARE STILL GOING ON IN THE NATURAL FARMING TECHNOLOGY. AND SOME ARE EVEN STARTING TO SELL THEIR VERMICAST AND WORMS TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.ONE OF THE BIG EVENTS ON THIS TRIP IS THE SELECTION OF THE RPRC MODEL FARMERS. THESE FARMERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY RPRC IN THE PAST AND ARE FAITHFULLY CONTINUING; THEREFORE, THEY ARE GETTING MORE SUPPORT IN TERMS OF FURTHER TRAINING, TOOLS, AND SEEDS. A MODEL FARMERS RETREAT WAS HELD IN ETHNOS FARM IN PALAWAN.ONE BIG EVENT TOOK PLACE THAT RPRC CONSIDERS MONUMENTAL IN ITS HISTORY IS THAT IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, THE FIRST TRAINING TEAM COMPOSED OF ALL FILIPINOS DID A TRAINING AMONG THE TIBOLI TRIBAL PEOPLE IN UPO, MAITUM, SARANGANI. ABOUT 15-20 FARMERS CAME TO THAT TRAINING FOR THREE DAYS.C. MISSIONS TO CUBA- DECEMBER, 2022IN AUGUST OF 2021, A MEMBER OF AN INTERNATIONAL PRAYER MINISTRY ORGANIZATION CALLED ASK INTERNATIONAL REACHED OUT TO RPRC TO BRING UP THE DIRE NEEDS OF THE RURAL CUBAN FARMERS FOR FOOD, SEEDS, TOOLS, RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY, AND RESOURCES FOR ANIMAL CARE. ASK INTERNATIONAL HAS BEEN PRAYING FOR CUBA ALL THESE YEARS AND THIS PARTICULAR MEMBER HAD BEEN AN RPRC VOLUNTEER TO THE PHILIPPINES TWO TIMES. HENCE, SHE KNOWS THE RPRC AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM VERY WELL. AFTER A LOT OF FACT FINDING DONE OVER THE SITUATION OF THE RURAL FARMERS IN CUBA, A TEAM FINALLY DECIDED TO MAKE A TRIP IN DECEMBER OF 2022. THE TEAM TRAVELLED TO FOUR PROVINCES IN CUBA TALKING TO FARMERS AND VISITING THEIR FARMLANDS. INDEED, THERE IS SO MUCH NEEDS THAT RPRC CAN MEET CONSIDERING THAT THE RPRC PROGRAMS ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON RURAL AGRICULTURE AND THE RPRC NATURAL FARMING TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES ARE GEARED TOWARDS USING RESOURCES THAT ARE FOUND LOCALLY. HOWEVER, DUE TO SO MUCH LACK OF RESOURCES IN CUBA, A LOT MORE ASSESSMENT, DISCUSSIONS AMONG RPRC VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD, AND STRATEGIC PLANNING IS NEEDED.RPRC WILL START LOOKING INTO THE ABOVE PROCESS AFTER ITS OUTREACHES IN THE PHILIPPINES IN MARCH 2023.