By: Presentacion Hazel Alvarez
Much has been said about the resilience of Filipino farmers. They survive through sheer grit amid the daily drudgery of tilling the soil, procuring seeds, buying fertilizers, planting and harvesting, milling, and storing their yield—only for it to last a few months until the next season. They carry out this exhausting labor despite unpredictable weather patterns, exorbitant fertilizer costs, aging carabaos, coping with insect pressure, post-harvest crop degradation, and volatile market trends that force them to sell low. Caught in this cycle, many end up trapped in unpaid debt, compelling them to steer their children away from farming and toward education that promises a better life.
Witnessing this difficult reality among rural corn farmers on the Camotes Islands in Cebu, a missionary named AD was moved to step in as an “AgVocate”—a voice for those in agriculture. Though not a farmer by trade, he embraced the role following the incarnational example of Jesus Christ. Armed with faith, a proactive mindset, and a drive to educate others on food, fuel, and fiber, he set out to make a tangible difference.
Rooted in his Christian faith, Farmer AD demonstrated his love for God and his neighbor (fellow farmers/ kapwa magsasaka) by fully immersing himself in corn agriculture, the staple crop of Cebuano communities on the island. While he initially sought to learn from local farmers, his research quickly exposed critical gaps: soil degradation, inefficient land preparation, misuse of fertilizers, suboptimal seed selection, wide furrow spacing, and significant post-harvest wastage.
To address these challenges, Farmer AD introduced science-based techniques. The results were unprecedented: corn yields on the island surged from a modest 600 kilograms per hectare to an extraordinary 8,400 kilograms. Mill workers were astonished as sack after sack of yellow corn arrived to be ground into grits. To ensure this success was sustainable, Farmer AD studied how to complete the agricultural value chain, helping farmers transition from basic subsistence to profitable agripreneurship.
Beyond implementing good agricultural practices, Farmer AD actively networked with the Department of Agriculture in Cebu province and Region 7, the Philippine Maize Federation, private seed companies, and key industry stakeholders. His impact eventually reached beyond Philippine shores. Upon being invited to the Global Farmer Network, he connected with international peers and gained access to global agricultural innovations. He was later invited in June 2025 to speak at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN in Rome, Italy, as well as the APEC summit in Seattle, Washington in 2023. He was also awarded in December that same year as one of the Filipino Faces of Biotechnology. Currently, he is President of the Maunlad na Magsasakang Maka-Agham at Maka-Bayotek.
Today, local and international media have featured Farmer AD to discuss, among other agricultural concerns, his dual calling as a Bible college Theology graduate and an agricultural champion. When asked how he balances ministry and farming, AD simply credits God’s grace for enabling him to help lift farming families out of poverty. As an AgVocate, he remains anchored in Proverbs 31:8–9:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”( NIV )
