22/07/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐ | Agriculture Is More Than Just a Profession; It Is for Survival
Is this topic interesting and significant enough to be included in the conversation? If your answer is no, good for you. But if your answer is yes, better for you.
When you hear the word "agriculture," what exactly comes to your mind? Is it the food you consume, the fabrics you wear every single day, or the sight of farmers working in the fields all day? Or could it be the other way around, the muddy and most overlooked profession in this country?
With the passage of Republic Act No. 8435 (AFMA) in 1997, the Philippine agricultural profession was first formally regulated. The Board of Agriculture was established by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in 2000 through Resolution No. 2000-663.
The first written Licensure Examination for Agriculturists (LEA) was conducted in July 2003, establishing the classic three-day, six-subject testing format. Republic Act No. 12215, or the Philippine Agriculturist Act, signed on May 29, 2025, further formalized the profession.
The Agriculturists Licensure Examination (AgLE) covers six areas: Crop Science, Soil Science, Crop Protection, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics and Marketing, and Agricultural Extension and Communication.
Those who pass earn the title Registered Agriculturist (RAgr). Under the law, examinees must obtain a 75% general average with no rating below 50% in any subject.
Those who fail only one subject below 50% may retake only that subject. In the November 2025 board examination, 6,678 out of 9,742 examinees passed, resulting in a national passing rate of 68.55%, the highest recorded so far.
Without a doubt, the AgLE is considered one of the most difficult board examinations in the Philippines. Realistically, we are distracted by corruption, poverty, food insecurity, and inflation.
These realities are slowly causing Filipinos, especially the youth, to lose interest in making meaningful contributions to society.
Filipino culture encourages people to become doctors, engineers, architects, artists, and other professions perceived as prestigious. It is not an imagination; it is the reality happening today.
I am not saying that you should not pursue these professions but rather emphasize the status of the agriculture industry five to ten years from now. Imagine all of us working in firms, classrooms, and buildings, only arriving home with no food on the table.
Who would dare to go into the field and touch the soil or animal manure? Who would willingly cultivate the land for human consumption?
While we live, we also want to survive every single day. The point is to equally support and uplift agriculture, just as we do other professions. There should be no competition or comparison, only collaboration.
If agriculture thrives, the other sectors will also follow. Perhaps our government, agricultural agencies, and Local Government Units (LGUs) can do more than provide subsidies.
Farmers and fisherfolk need sustainable programs and livelihood opportunities that will genuinely improve their socio-economic status.
If you are students, graduating students, or aspiring Agriculturists, be proud of your program and degree. The knowledge you learned in the classroom will help provide solutions to real-life problems in the field.
If you are an advocate for sustainability, include agriculture in your advocacy and continue raising awareness. The youth will serve as the future successors of this sector.
The youth will serve as the expected successors of the future in this sector, which is now continuing to shape the institution, igniting their core purpose, and fueled by their commitment to help.
Letโs also continue educating the young ones as much as we can by planting seeds of awareness about the opportunities in this profession so that their passion will awaken and the true bounty could possibly be obtained.
After all, agriculture is more than just a profession; it is for survival.
Written by Neil Mike Mira
Layout by Janaica Macalatas
