Daven Tamayo

Fair income, access to land: Miss Earth PH Joy Barcoma pushes to dignify farming

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768466212670572105744_18360701587083998_6377247180029361028_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma has been championing Filipino farmers and sustainable agriculture. Barcoma/Facebook</div>Farmers have found an ally in Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma, who is using her platform to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/food-travel/2025/12/11/terra-madre-asia-pacific-2025-to-push-filipino-food-forward-we-need-to-empower-our-farmers-2032">recognize their efforts and push for better working conditions</a>. On Facebook, the beauty queen shared a post that called on the younger generation to join the agriculture sector, citing the country&#x27;s aging farming population.She <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Joymayanneee/posts/pfbid0d28D5CNXUtUoNJsMPJTfuC7hmBa3pjGZNY1Ho7K6oBcZ4K2YX1Bx8jc47Qe6Py73l">shared her own thoughts</a> in the caption, saying that the first step to making farming appealing to the youth is by making it a &quot;livable profession.&quot;&quot;We must first dignify farming and not romanticize it as sacrifice alone, but recognize it as skilled, essential, and nation-building work,&quot; Barcoma said. &quot;If we want young people to choose farming, then it should be a livable profession. One that offers fair income, security, access to land, technology, education, and dignity,&quot; she stressed. &quot;Because feeding the nation should never mean living in poverty.&quot;Many netizens agreed with Barcoma in the comments section of her post, with the beauty queen commended for starting a discussion about the plight of Filipino farmers.Joining the thread of responses made by her followers, she hoped for a future where &quot;being a farmer is also something that children aspire to be.&quot;&quot;Kahilera ng mga doktor, teacher, lawyer, at iba pang propesyon,&quot; she added.Barcoma, a host and government consultant from Bacoor, Cavite, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2025/11/5/czech-republic-wins-miss-earth-2025-ph-s-joy-barcoma-finishes-as-runner-up-2152">finished as a runner-up in last year&#x27;s Miss Earth pageant</a>. In her journey to the Miss Earth crown, she championed Filipino farmers and sustainable agriculture, among others.One of her pageant looks was inspired by the passage of the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/6/floor-price-set-for-palay-in-bid-to-aid-farmers-1629">Sagip Saka Act</a>, which aims to strengthen the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJoymayanneee%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0au9wUEBPyUs6cLZVBbgngrEj36n567UTDzdRZgNS7Kji7MZfp2xCs3bBzfaYF17Yl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="709" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Since last year, Barcoma has been widely praised for breaking out of the typical beauty queen mold. She did not only bravely speak up about social and political issues, but also made sure to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/9/22/-panagutin-lahat-ng-kurakot-miss-ph-earth-joy-barcoma-nag-speech-sa-anti-corruption-rally-1835">show up in rallies and other community efforts</a>.

"If we want young people to choose farming, then it should be a livable profession."

"If we want young people to choose farming, then it should be a livable profession."