Sharing the unsung heroes of Philippine agriculture are getting due recognition with the program TOFARM or the The Outstanding Farmers of the Philippines Search and Awards as they launched last year, November 2013, a contest that depicts or lionizes farmers, fisherfold and other nurturers of the soil.
The photographs and videos are on display at the Atrim of Resorts World Manila on March 29 and 30 after the awarding of the best photos and videos at 3pm on Sunday March 30 at the Passion Restaurant of Resorts World Manila.
Contest categories of the TOFARM Photo and Video Contest are: DSLR Photos, Non DSLR Photos and Videos taken with an HD Camera. The entries must depict farmers at work on the field, with their carabao, or just having fun. The photo and video contest may tackle all fields or a sectors of farming and agriculture and may depict farmers in the fishery, livestock and poultry raising sector as well. The contest was open to all photo and video enthusiasts nationwide as it is one of the intitiatives of TOFARM to promote the farming and agricultural sectore of the Philippines as widely as possible.
Prizes at stake are as follows:
DSLR Photos First Prize - PhP60,000. Secon Prize - PhP40,000. Third Prize - PhP30,000.
Non-DSLR Photos First Prize - PhP40,000. Secon Prize - PhP30,000. Third Prize - PhP20,000.
Video Entries (One minute long) First Prize - PhP60,000. Secon Prize - PhP40,000. Third Prize - PhP30,000.
TOFARM is a prestigious recognition program launched by the Philippine Jaycees (JCI Philippines) and Universal Harvester, Inc (UHI) in 2012. Now on its third consecutive year, TOFARM in 2014 is a partnership between aUHI and JCI Phiippines' Mindanao Chapters of Area 5. The broad and long-term goal of TOFARM is to celebrate the important role of the farming sector in the Philippines and to inspire young people to return to the land and make agriculture a flourishing means of livelihood.
TOFARM seeks to identify and pay trivute to outstanding farmers, fisherfold, farm communities, cooperatives, animal raisers, women farmers, LGU's organizations, scientists, the academe, as well as business entities in rural and urban areas. The nomination period of TOFARM 2014 begins this April.
Recently TOFARM 2014 also introduced BACKTOFARM, an agricultura rehabilitation project for farmers and farming organizations in provinces devastated by Typhoon Yolanda. The farming community in those provinces are provided with farming-specific aid ad resource such as technical assistance, seeds, and other other ways to reinvigorate their farms and assist in the implementation of sustainable farming methods.
