A LAWMAKER called for the establishment of farm schools in the country to ensure food security and enhance farmers’ skills.

Senator Cynthia Villar, during the 13th Begnas di Bauko on Thursday, March 14 in Bauko, Mountain Province, said in her Farm Tourism Act of 2016, one provision of the law is to establish one farm tourism cite in the country.

"Magtayo kayo ng farm school para turuan iyong ating mga kababayan, para gumaling sila rito. Kapag may farm school kayo, susuportahan kayo ng Tesda (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority). Ang maximum student in a class in a farm school is 25 at kung magtuturo kayo ng 25 students a month babayaran kayo ng Tesda ng P100, 000 a month," Villar said.

Addressing the iBaukos on Thursday, she encouraged the agricultural town and top vegetable producers in the Cordillera region to establish its farm school.

Villar said through the agricultural vocational school, this will ensure continuous farming and the farmers would apprise their gains and loss.

"Prediction of United Nations Food and Agricultural organization worldwide, that our population will grow from P7 billion to P9 billion in 2050 , if we do not increase our food production by 70 percent then there will be a food shortage in the world," she added stressing two-thirds of the country is dependent on agriculture.

Registered farm school accrediting institutions are Tesda and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) under Department of Agriculture (DA).

At least two farm schools were put up in Mountain Province according Tesda provincial director Eric Ueda.

Ueda said these include an organic coffee production and another located in Tadian in Mountain Province which happens to be a tourism farm school.

Establishment of farm schools in the Cordillera region is possible he added, however, this needs the synergy of the different departments.

In Mountain Province, Ueda added the goal is how to stir agriculture interest among the community.