Ireneo Cerilla, a farmer from Quezon, Philippines has found an innovative use of social media to help other farmers in his province and in the country.
He posted a photo of a “kulisap” (pest) called brontispa on his Facebook wall, with the following caption (translated from Filipino):
“This is the pest brontispa, which eats the coconut shoots while they are still white. Once the leaves fully develop, they are already brown and have no capacity for photosynthesis. The leaves then appear like mere sticks, and the coconut, known as the ‘tree of life,’ slowly dies.”
By sharing the photo and the information about the pest, he hopes other farmers will become more aware and take proactive measures to counter the pest.
Cerilla is also the president of PAKISAMA, a national federation of farmers in the Philippines, which is a member of AFA.
PAKISAMA trains its members on various sustainable agroecological pratices.
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