Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones on Wednesday raised concern over an anticipated shortage of future farmers that could put food security at risk.
At a media briefing at Great Eastern Hotel, Quezon City, the Department of Agrarian Reform chief said "mind you, the average age of our farmers is 57 years old."
"And most farmers want their children to finish college and leave farming so that would be a sorry state for our agricultural sector," he said.
"We want to reverse that kind of mentality. That is the reason why we are working hard and doing our best to improve the lives of our farmers," he added.
Even President Rodrigo Duterte described agriculture as the "weakest link" in the economy, Castriciones said.
"Why? Because our farmers are half-hearted. Isang kahig, isang tuka," he added.
To attract more young blood to go into agriculture, he said DAR and the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development have partnered to provide a shelter program for agrarian reform beneficiaries.
"Most of our farmers and farm-workers are poor, and do not own the house they live in. And even if they own it, most of their houses are dilapidated and need repair," he said in a statement.
The government wants to see a change and an improvement in the landscape of rural farming under the Duterte administration, he said.
"We would like our farmers to see their efforts so that as a whole family, they would be able to preserve their house and improve their lives," he told reporters as well as farmers who attended the activity.
On Wednesday, Castriciones and DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario inked a memorandum of agreement to provide low-cost housing program "that seeks to pursue a meaningful agrarian reform program by uplifting the lives and economic status of agrarian reform beneficiaries and their families."
The shelter program, which is dubbed BALAI (Buidling Adequate, Livable, Affordable and Inclusive), will be first implemented in seven pilot areas — Nueva Vizcaya's Bayombong, Nueva Ecija's San Leonardo, Batangas' Tuy, Camarines Nortes' Daet, Cebu's Argao and Davao City.
The program includes home improvement of existing houses, construction or purchase of a new house, re-financing of an exiting housing loan and choice of a subdivision lot through Pag-IBIG's Home Mutual Development Fund and Social Housing Finance Corp.
DAR has also tapped the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in the provision of more assistance to beneficiaries and their children, Castriciones said.
"We will make it sure that the land will be adjacent to one's farm lot," he vowed.
Undersecretary for Support Services Emily Padilla said the amortization payment would be based on cropping or harvest schedule of the farmers for 30 years.