The lowland coastal and non- coastal rice farmers in Bay, Laguna after typhoon Ondoy: their socioeconomic characteristics, off-farm and on-farm related problems, coping strategies

Date

4-2010

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Gloria Luz M. Nelson

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Abstract

This study describes the lowland coastal and lowland non-coastal rice farmers in Bay, Laguna based on socioeconomic and farm-related characteristics, on-farm and off-farm related problems encountered after the typhoon Ondoy, and on-farm and off-farm coping strategies employed. Survey and case study were the methods used to collect data necessary to answer the research question: Is there differences between lowland coastal and non-coastal farmers in socioeconomic characteristics, problems met, and coping strategies employed after typhoon Ondoy. The results of the survey revealed that lowland coastal and non-coastal farmers in Bay, Laguna were male, married, elementary graduates, and have small household size. The household size of non-coastal farmers was higher than coastal farmers. Other sources of income other than farming have also been found. More than ninety percent of them inherited small farms from their parents and had more than ten years of farming experience. The main provider of irrigation water for non-coastal farmers was NIA while for coastal farmers was Calo River in Bay. Sixty five percent of the farmers were members of farmer’s organization. Eighteen socioeconomic and farm-related characteristics were correlated using Pearson Chi-Square Test of Independence and Cramer's V. Farm size is associated with number of sacks harvested before typhoon Ondoy, Age is associated with years in farming, length of residence, affiliation, and length of inundation, length of residence is associated with length of farming experience, source of capital with income before typhoon Ondoy, educational attainment with number of sacks harvested before typhoon Ondoy and status of membership in farmer's organization were all found to be significantly related ( p=<.01 and p=<.05). Compared to the harvest from the previous cropping season, the harvests after typhoon Ondoy was much less- forty three percent of lowland non-coastal farmers while only thirty seven percent of lowland coastal farmers were able to harvest. Farmers faced several on-farm and off-farm problems after the typhoon. Flood and delayed cropping season were the problems they encountered. Other problems were on provision of basic necessities like food and water after typhoon Ondoy. Coastal farmers have experienced more on-farm and off-farm problems after typhoon Ondoy compared to non-coastal farmers. In order to overcome the problems created by the typhoon, farmers employed ex-ante and ex-post coping strategies. Some of the on-farm coping strategies of farmers were abandoning farms and seeking loans to finance the next cropping season. Off-farm coping strategies involved seeking medical assistance for health problems and elevating household properties. It was inferred from the survey and the narratives that farmers seldom employ ex-ante strategies which consequently led to more losses and damages after a disaster such as typhoon. It was also concluded from both the survey and the narratives that farmers loan from informal networks to meet consumptive needs and from formal networks to meet farm demands. The function of carabao has already been replaced by hand tractor. The capital used in the cropping seasons before and after typhoon Ondoy were loans from formal and informal networks such as bank, government institutions, friends, relatives, and dealers of rice and fertilizers. Farmers prefer formal networks because it provides bigger loans. The most significant finding of this study is that children of the farmers from both the survey and the narratives were no longer engaged in farming but are in the service sector. This finding is a threat to the ability of the country to produce agricultural crops, particularly rice.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Document Type

Thesis

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