The Politics of Ethno-agriculture in a Bugkalot Village

Cynthia Grace Tomas Valdez (Quirino State University)
Loreta Vivian Galima (Nueva Vizcaya State University)

The research focuses on farming practices and indigenous knowledge in agriculture, the sustainability of resources through sound farm practices and the politics surrounding the implementation of these practices, as well as the power relationship between and among the key players in the agricultural village. The locale of the study is a Bugkalot Village in Quirino, a province in Northern Luzon, the Philippines. Three popular agricultural practices in the area were studied closely, from the native viewpoint: swidden farming, integrated farming and permanent dry farming. Practices on land preparation, planting, crop management, and harvesting were analyzed according to the existing network of social and political relationships between farmers, leaders and elders. The documentation of events from land preparation to harvesting and post-harvest practices through non-participant and participant observation, focused group discussion and face-to-face interviews was completed before comparisons were made, between the indigenous and time-tested practices, against modernized and mechanized farming.

Powerpoint Presentation