ON FEBRUARY 9, the upland barangay of Manghanoy in La Castellana, Negros Occidental celebrated its 3rd Karo Festival.
The fiesta in this farming community at the foot of Kanlaon Volcano was highlighted by a colorful parade of carabaos and karos (carts), decorated with an abundance of farm produce.
The carabaos themselves were painted in vibrant hues, adding more life to the celebration.
It may seem like a simple festivity, but it carries a noble and meaningful purpose.
Why?
Because the true “kernel” of the Karo Festival is a stark reminder to Negros youth—especially Generation Z and millennials—about the enduring importance of agriculture.
It may be a profound concept to grasp, but it is one that must be understood as early as now.
AGING NEGROS FARMERS
Let us put things into context.
Across the nation, many active farmers are now aged 56 and above.
The looming problem is serious.
Two pressing questions arise:
• Who will replace the aging farmers of Negros?
• What will happen to the province’s food security efforts?
These are crucial questions that demand urgent and decisive action to prevent an impending agricultural crisis.
La Castellana Vice Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan has long reflected on this concern.
She said the Karo Festival was conceived three years ago to honor upland farmers and to celebrate their two essential partners in food production—the carabao and the karo.
THE GIST
Mangilimutan was the “brain” behind the Karo Festival when she was still mayor of La Castellana.
At its core, the festival is driven by her fear that younger generations may eventually lose interest in farming altogether.
“Who will replace our farmers if none from the younger generations in their respective families will dare to inherit farming?” she asked.
Mangilimutan, who admitted she once experienced being a farmer herself, said it is high time to initiate creative and enticing strategies to draw the youth back to agriculture.
That is the true essence of the Karo Festival in Barangay Manghanoy: to highlight the vital role of Negros farmers and their trusted carabaos and carts in ensuring sustainable food security across Negros Island.
‘ENDANGERED SPECIES’
Let us be candid.
Many Negrense youth today prefer “quick jobs” over plowing fields, planting rice, or raising livestock.
This reality is not merely concerning—it is alarming.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), however, is not blind to this dilemma.
Engr. Albert Barrogo, director of the DA-Negros Island Region, acknowledged the looming agricultural crisis once aging farmers leave the fields.
For the DA, aging farmers are not just valuable—they are becoming “endangered species” in agriculture.
And when they disappear, a crisis will surely follow.
PREVAILING STIGMA
Amid rapid digitalization, many college-bound youth in Negros are reluctant to take agriculture or related courses.
There remains a prevailing stigma: agriculture is perceived as a “low-status” field. Some fear being judged as belonging to the lowest bracket of society if they enroll in such programs.
Instead, many choose courses in engineering, nursing, information technology, hotel and restaurant management, accounting, or maritime studies—fields they believe offer prestige and financial stability.
Current records at the Negros Occidental provincial capitol show that only 233 scholars are enrolled in agriculture or related courses—less than one percent of the province’s 2.68 million population, based on the 2024 Census.
Many young people gravitate toward “quick jobs” such as call center agents, virtual assistants, convenience store staff, or fast-food crew members.
With this trend, food security in Negros may inevitably be compromised.
This challenge is compounded by other agricultural concerns—the expansion of solar farms and subdivisions, and plummeting sugar prices that discourage young people from pursuing sugar farming.
Negros Occidental currently hosts about 659.5 megawatts (MW) of solar farms across various towns and cities. While renewable energy is essential, these developments are gradually consuming agricultural lands—posing a serious long-term threat to food security.
YOUNG FARMERS CHALLENGE
Recognizing this challenge, Barrogo said: “We need to move now to search for young Negros farmers who will continue producing food for Negrenses.”
Thus, the DA has begun repackaging and rebranding agriculture as a modern business venture.
One initiative is the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) program, which caters to aspiring farmers aged 18 to 30.
The program is designed to instill in Gen Z and millennials the understanding that agriculture can indeed be profitable.
Through YFC, the youth are trained not only as farmers but also as future entrepreneurs, business managers, and employers.
A similar modern approach is being adopted by the University of St. La Salle (USLS)–Bacolod.
For five decades, USLS has been among the institutions in the Negros Island Region offering an agribusiness course.
But amid the significant decline in agriculture students over the years, the university has intensified innovations in its agribusiness program to remain relevant.
Jaime II Cinon and Bea Emma Bachinela, faculty members of USLS-Bacolod’s School of Agribusiness, said they are guiding students to overcome the stigma that agriculture is the “lowest course” in the university.
To make the program more appealing, USLS-Bacolod introduced a profit-driven framework that integrates agriculture with business management.
Currently, the university has 90 students enrolled in agribusiness from first to fourth year—a notable 20% increase compared to the previous academic year.
‘DYING HOPE’
Still, Barrogo admitted that rebranding agriculture is not an easy task.
With no time to waste, the DA is maximizing efforts to convince more youth to engage in farming—before agriculture in Negros and across the country becomes a “dying hope.”
I agree with Engr. Barrogo.
And I admire Vice Mayor Mangilimutan even more.
Agriculture seems to have slipped outside the radar of today’s youth.
Many are disinterested in tilling and nurturing the soil.
Influenced by the digital age—Google, YouTube, Netflix, Facebook, X, and the rest—farming appears far removed from their aspirations.
That is the sobering reality.
Which is why Vice Mayor Mangilimutan’s forward-thinking initiative deserves recognition. It is a proactive response to a looming crisis—the shortage of farmers.
Yes, the Karo Festival may appear unsophisticated in this modern era.
But it symbolizes something deeper: valuing the people and animals that bring food to our tables.
The “kernel” of the Karo Festival carries a powerful mission—save agriculture today, and secure it for tomorrow amid relentless modernization./PN
