Communication system of the Bukidnons: a case study [Philippines].

This study sought to characterize the Bukidnon farming community's communication system. A total of 172 corn farmers in Kalasungay, Bukidnon were studied in terms of their socio-economic and cultural characteristics; perceived communication functions; communication media availability, use and preference; the agriculture-related messages they talked about; and their communication structure. Through personal interviews, participant observation and records and document analysis, the study found the following: 1. The Bukidnon farming community is predominantly inhabited by farmers who are literate and owner-cultivators of 1-3 hectares of land but who still stick to ancestor-handed traditional farming methods out-of respect for their ancestors; for lack of capital; and for lack of knowledge and skills in modern farming for which they get low yield and income. 2. The Bukidnon farming community is in the process of transition from the traditional to modern modes of communication. Communication performs multiple functions indicating farmers' active involvement while mass media exposure is high. 3. Communication media availability, use and preference is generally high among Bukidnon farmers who are evidently involved in information-seeking, message feedbacking and communication initiation. Their high use and preference for community-based interpersonal media and the mass media specifically radio, and their infrequent but encouraging employment of the folk media for entertainment and message feedbacking indicate that communication is, indeed, alive among these people. 4. Five agriculture-related messages are talked about among farmers. They are agricultural policies, farming needs and problems, food consumption problems, farming information and agricultural programs and activities which were rated "timely" but "irrelevant" to their agricultural development for what they termed as their "agricultural development lag". 5. In terms of communication structure, the Bukidnon farming community is put together by relational proximity and has multiple opinion leaders.