My Family History in Farming - And How I will Change it with The Power of Computer Science
I grew up in a small farming community in the Philippines, surrounded by rice fields that stretched out farther than I could see. Agriculture was the center of our lives. It was our source of food, income, and identity. My grandparents spent their entire lives working the fields. My parents did the same. From a very young age, I learned how to plant rice, pull weeds, and help with the harvest. It was the only life we knew. For many years, we believed that hard work in the fields would keep our family stable. But slowly, everything began to change, and agriculture became the reason our family fell apart. The first big blow came when unpredictable weather started ruining our crops. For generations, our planting schedule followed a clear pattern, but now the rains came late or too early. Sometimes the fields would flood, and other times they would dry up completely. I remember one year when we planted everything with hope. We borrowed money to buy seeds and fertilizer. Then a typhoo...
