Archive for August 2020
strawberry fields forever
Posted on: August 18, 2020
Strawberry fields forever
The Barangay Agriculture and Fisheries Committee (BAFC) Ordinance is on its third and final Reading scheduled for August 10, 2020.
The city has already lined up some projects for these BAFC to participate in. First will be six green houses for strawberries, one to be a model farm in the City Vet and Agriculture Office and the five to be given to the following pilot barangays; Loakan Apugan, Minesview, Middle Rock Quarry, Lower Dagsian, Bakakeng Norte/Sur. There will still be 19 greenhouses to be implemented next year. This is also in line with the ordinance to pioneer 5 BAFC.
My interest in strawberry fields was re kindled with a visit of Brenda Solang Sudaypan and Sol Langay to the office showing me some big strawberries. I was giving my divided attention as I was late for an activity at the city hall grounds. But I could see their determination that I hear them out. So, I sat down and they related to me that there are strawberries in Santo Tomas. At that time, I thought all the strawberry fields are now in Benguet. But it is not so, because when we were kids, there were strawberry fields in North Sanitary Camp, across the river from our home.
So that afternoon, out of the bag of Brenda came out the King Strawberries and I thought she was joking. It was the biggest and reddest strawberries I saw for a long time. Anyway, they told me of an association that is involved in agriculture and so I asked what can I do for them, we did not have a clear idea of how we can work together. So, I suggested that one day we will do a farmer’s market. And told them to inform the barangay of what can be done, we tried to schedule them for other activities.
Then they sent me an invitation for the induction of their new set of officers, that was the time that we finally made a farm visit and also their induction in the presence of the Highly Urbanized Cities Agriculture and Fisheries Council. (HUCAFC) the Barangay Officials and Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan. After the induction and snacks, we went for strawberry picking and farm visit before we finally walked around and talked on some ideas towards a plan. That time we were talking about farmer’s market and an Agri Tourism for the Bilis, Santo Tomas.
We envisioned an Agri Tourism project composed of a parking lot, a registration kiosk, a view point, a snack bar, strawberry picking, vegetable store, a souvenir shop and a photo booth. The idea was to have a walking path that goes around and also up to the view point. That sharing did not have a second chance to be discussed as the pandemic ensued. It was to be a community project and not privately run.
The farmer’s market was also discussed with the members of the barangay council specially Kag Ike Picpikan and the PB Cawaing. It was good because the barangay had their first farmer’s market during their anniversary this year. It still has to be seen how they can make it more responsive to the needs of the farmers and the general public.
Going back to the strawberry fields, the city has now realigned the mushroom project to the strawberry project by providing 6 greenhouses this year and another 19 units by next year. This will encourage the production of strawberries in the urban and rural barangays of the city. This will revive a product that has a big market in the city of Baguio.
John’s Pond made during lockdown
Posted on: August 9, 2020
published by Sun star Sangal di kultura july 18,2020
JOHN’S POND GETS A FACELIFT DURING COMMUNITY QUARANTINE
People did a lot of wonderful things as the most uncertain situation persists during the threats of pandemic. Yet the dreamers continue to pursue dreams of creativity and purpose.
When the ”stay at home and isolation” became a by word, it was made into a reality by John D. Allan, isolating himself and wife in the retirement home beside the sea of Santo Tomas, La Union along Lingayen Gulf of the Western Philippine Seas. Most times would be spent in La Union while wife works at home and every two weeks will go up to Baguio. He continued to fulfill some dreams of “dig a hole here, cover it up and dig another hole.” In the small property enclosed with a fence of hallow blocks and interlink wires sits a bungalow house, a pond, fruit trees and a third of the property as a garden. The garden is actually a small farm field where camote, peanuts and sometimes rice were planted depending on the season.
During the community quarantine period, the property has made some development made on the right time in summer and as the rains come.
But the major improvement was the cementing of the perimeter of the pond which was finished just as soon as the rains come and the fingerlings were bought from BFAR and released in the pond.
Pandemic time was a time to bring to reality the dream of a nicer fish con duck pond. So together with a local worker and contacting a local sand and gravel supplier, they finally got the materials and worked on the pond while the water was still at a low ebbed, as it was still summer. The pond was manually dredged deeper, water was siphoned by a pump and the perimeter was cemented. The perimeter measures 60x80x7 feet deep. John would wake up early morning before the sun was up and with a shovel manually dredge the pond and put the sand on the edge of the pond as buffer.
While waiting for the rains to come and fill the pond, John made raised beds and planted some vegetables in one side of the pond. On the other side he planted bananas, tomatoes and papaya. As soon as these were planted the ducks came and started tearing them apart, thus it was another job to put individual fencing around the plants.
This is also the mating time and hatching of the ducks. In 100 quarantine days from 30 ducks, there were now more than a 100 ducks, with the first hatching at 26 ducklings followed by 42 another 24 ducklings. A dividing temporary fence has to be made surrounding the house so that the ducks are not able to invade the new gardens around the house. The rains came and the peanuts were uprooted from the field to give way to shallow pond of for the young ducklings. During QC there were three hatching, and when they first batch reached a free reign, the next came and they were caged. In the morning, they were fed in their cage and when they get released, out they go straight to the flooded field. At dawn, the older ducks are found in the pond frolicking and showing off strutting from one edge to edge of the pond.
Now, more than a hundred days of Community Quarantine time, the pond is completely enclosed, at least 2500 fingerlings of Carpa and Tilapia released. Early morning and afternoon sights are fun watching the ducks frolicking. The various plants are alive as the bananas, papayas and tomatoes joining the other plants lined up along the pond. It has become the center of activity during isolation and work at home mode. Now that the pond is done, John will start digging another hole and covering it after.
10% capacity in church
Posted on: August 9, 2020
published in Sunstar -Opinion- SANGAL DI KULTURA June 2020
10% capacity to celebrate the Faith of our Fathers.
Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious Word!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
The ECQ and GCQ have isolated people to those they were used to be with – their families and relatives, co-workers, friends and batch mates and list can go on. To some it is a new experience especially if gatherings and parties are frequent. The new experience of zoom, chat and other methods of meetings and schooling have in some ways lessened the isolation.
But faith that has been kept by our forefathers has something to do with how things are being done to meet the spiritual needs of our people. That despite all odds the faith of our fathers never wavered and we sing, we will be true till death.
Moreover, the faithful have found the isolation a time to reflect on its implication. Many immediately shifted to live streaming services. Church leaders and members encourage the congregation to join during the live streaming as if it were the regular service. Some leaders even sent out guidelines like be in your Sunday best, sing with the choir, read with the readers and other guidelines for participatory service. My husband and I have been joining these services with renewed expectations and thankfulness for continued services.
Yet during these times, the realization that the church is not the building but the people became more pronounced. The church leaders are continually reminding the church members to go back to and do basis Christian duties on their own. They are encouraged to personally do their reading of the Bible, daily devotion, prayer times and Bible studies be conducted in the confines of the home, by the faithful. Family members are encouraged to conduct the prayer meetings by assigning members of the family to do so. That way the church continues in its work. Evangelistic work continues in the confines of homes and in the internet.
Personally, this isolation has given me more reason to do my Christian duty. I used to wake up at 5:00 am but now I have to wake up at 4:30 am to read the bible and to share at least one bible verse that is meaningful. I would usually read a whole book before I choose a Bible verse which is relevant in these special abnormal times. Then to fulfill my evangelistic duty, I learned how to do a presentation and convert it into a photo so I can share it in my face book timeline, page and sometimes in some groups. In that way, I am not the only one encouraged but I see some friends, family and others respond to the posting.
Now that we are on MGCQ and the clamor for 50% of the church capacity and not 10 people is a crowd has been met with some discussion among the leaders and the members of the congregation.
Our city mayor Benjie Magalong has met with the religious leaders and agreed on some guidelines on how to conduct the mass, the congregational service and other church services. It was agreed with a start of 10% capacity of the church or worship area and gradually increasing as the community scenario and developments is closely watched.
So everyone is excited to go to the services this Sunday. But this is restrictive as they do not allow senior citizen and the young to join the services. But then the argument is that Sunday is senior citizen day/ grandparents day so why not allow them to go join the service. All is going to a better time and surely the world will become better. Let the faith of our fathers of ages past, be the faith we have in these trying times. May the Good LORD keep us safe and faithful in these trying times!
Faith of our fathers, we will strive
to win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
We all shall then be truly free.
Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life. (Fredrick William Faber)
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Siak met ah – volunteers
It is undeniable that the ECQ and GCQ have brought the bad and the good in most people. Siak met ah- means “how about my relief pack?” “Where is my SAP?” and it can equally say “me too I want to donate,” “I want to render volunteer service” “I want to be counted as a front liner.” It is the best of us.
During these times the market has drawn a lot of attention because of the scheduled market day, the social distancing that resulted in long queue lines, the rat catching challenge, the periodical sanitation, the Sunday lockdown, the market to home deliveries, the satellite markets, the unsolicited proposals to rehabilitate the market and more. The attention brought about by the executive led by Mayor Benjie Magalong and our commitment as a representative of the City Council.
The market to home that started as an experiment a week after we were placed in ECQ with the first delivery on the 25th after two days or making arrangement with the Hanger vendors and the homeowners and setting up of a group chat for them. What started as an experiment has become a new normal even after the rolling stores were started in the first week of April 2020. It has continued into GCQ after the city planning body included it as activities included in the guidelines. And hopefully it will pass in the city council as an ordinance. It is now on its second reading scheduled for publication.
In the market to home we also saw “siak met ah” volunteers who made came out to make the group char actively informing others of prices, delivery schedules and other market concerns of the barangay. We started with group chat coordinators Faye Manzon and Joy Dalmacio Labosnog. I did the first week, but trained them to join me by the second week and after the third week we already included the trusted vendors in the group chat so they can freely communicate with the homeowners.
As we go to the GCQ we already have Kagawad Precy Esteban, coordinating Dontogan Market day after giving guidance on the first Saturday. Also Kagawad Thelma Balwayan who now coordinates the St Joseph Village market day. Ben Andaya coordinates the market day of Salud Mitra in the MOE facility of Edmund Bautista. Carmela Gavino, a BSBT instructor coordinates the San Carlos purok 23 to 27 mobile market. Siak met ah Sheila Pundo Piayas finally took over the Camdas, Happy Homes, East Qurino hill route, Joy now manages the Camp 7, Camp 8, Puliwes and San Vicente route. Faith Balbawang Sabala of Gabriella Silang, Dr Benilda Narcelles of Purok 3 Irisan and many more who have kept the market to home going during the quarantine days.
Soledad Benwaren has become the coordinator of the Brookside Market that sells items every day. The Brookside group is an example of a self help group borne out of the market to home initiative. After a week of waiting for the market, the homeowners took it upon themselves to seek for their needs, calling “siak met ah” market vendors, kabarangay sellers and family members who are farmers to deliver to Brookside the needs of the homeowners. This continue to grow in terms of items as well as homeowners in the area,
Siak met ah, was also seen in the market vendor volunteers trying to make a new normal, trusting that we can make it happen. Trusting that the homeowner customers will get their orders and that the goods they bring will be taken. Trusting that they will be not losing business by going to the market to home. It is indeed a ‘siak met ah” and not be complacent and just sit back and wait. It is the initiative and leadership that we need in these abnormal times. It is participatory and result oriented participation of people in responding to their needs and at the same time thinking of how they can help others. Siak met ah!
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