The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
Hello, my beloved readers! My apologies for the long hibernation here on WordPress. I had a lot of things going on lately. But I promised myself I can never miss a post here on my blog. So, for my comeback article, I’ve decided to share a photo essay instead.
Hubby and I weren’t able to celebrate our wedding anniversary nor went out on a summer vacation as a couple last year because we had a lot of constraints. This year, we were given the opportunity to have a summer getaway and I told my husband this will be our advance wedding anniversary, too. lol Do take note though that we were married on August 17. 😀
While I enjoy traveling, the practical me would still want to save money for other (more important) things. It’s a good thing hubby also shares the same sentiments with me. Since we saved up for this vacation, I told my husband that it has to be a collective experience and we’re not just going to have a summer vacation for the sake of Instagram-worthy photos. Because we can do that at any time of the year.
I had no idea where I will find an event that’s going to give us a collective summer experience but maybe God heard my prayers because I stumbled upon the LAYA Arts and Music Festival. This was our first ever music beach festival that we attended so I must say that the experience was indeed one for the books in our travel adventures as a couple. Do continue reading and find out why. 😉
LAYA Arts and Music Festival (May 31-June 2, 2019)
Day 1
We left Manila at 6:30 am and arrived in Zambales at 11:00 am exactly under the midday sun, which was perfect for taking photos of the event place. The art booths were also set up but hubby and I decided to take a nap by the beach first and stroll around. I haven’t slept the night before but I guess the excitement just got me going. 😉
Came nighttime, there was a short drizzle before the night one concert started. But it didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying the music performed by the awesome lineup of talented artists such as Ben and Ben.
For our accommodation, we availed the “Glamping” package at Crystal Beach Resort. The resort’s glamping feature exceeded my expectations. It’s very comfortable set up with a light bulb, a fan, two comfy mattresses, toiletries, blankets, pillows, a locker, a socket, a wet clothes rack, and your own set of benches and a table.
Our tent was also pitched facing the beachfront so it was such an adorable sight for us either at daytime or during nighttime. The resort has quite a number of bathrooms, showers, wash areas, and comfort rooms in every corner of the campsite. Though there were a lot of guests during the event, there’s no need to wait in line and they keep the wash areas clean always.
We had buffet breakfasts as part of our event package and if you’re going to buy food from the resort’s restaurant, their serving is good for sharing at an affordable price. But if you prefer a cheaper alternative, the Bamboo Food Strip located just outside the resort offers your regular Pinoy favorites such as ihaw-ihaw, snacks, and lutong bahay.
The resort doesn’t allow any single-use plastic inside the site so this means you will have to surrender all the chips and bottled water or soft drinks you brought with you at the entrance.
This is part of the resort’s effort to keep the beach clean and plastic-free, which is why I totally love Crystal Beach Resort. I believe this is one advocacy that all resorts can adopt to better protect our environment.
This is actually more effective, I think, than doing a beach cleanup every now and then to lessen the plastic waste. As they say, “prevention is better than cure.”
Day 2
For the second day, the activities were jam-packed with a long lineup of fun things to do and hubby and I felt we just had so little time to try them all. What we’re able to try out though are the Drum Circle workshop hosted by Anima Tierra and the Tie-Dye workshop facilitated by Yana Ofrasio.
They are such talented and amazing artists. Brian and I were very excited about how our chosen designs in the tie-dye workshop will turn out. To our surprise, the outcome of my chosen design kind of looked like a Cross (orange and purple). It does look like a Cross, right? 😀
Aside from the Drum Circle and Tie-Dye Workshops, the following are the other daytime activities:
– Flow Arts Session – Sound Bath Session – Yoga Session – LAYA Talks on mental health, gender equality, etc.
– Mask-making Workshop
– Watercolor Workshop – Dream Catcher Workshop
For the night two concert, something amazing happened and that I will share in the next article about miracles. Oh, and before that, we had the Sunset Bonfire Jam and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. 😉
Day 3
This was our free time and we can do anything we wish while waiting for our check-out time at 2:00 pm. We just spent it basking under God’s beautiful creations – sea, sun, and nature.
***
We would like to thank Travel Factor for arranging everything for us and making sure we enjoyed the LAYA event from Day 1 until Day 3 as well as the freebies! ❤
Always enjoying God’s creations may it be the sea or the mountains,
P.S.
Hubby and I availed the round-trip bus transfers from Manila to Zambales and vice versa just to get the summer vibe with fellow campers and festival goers. It was fun but we’ll bring the car next time for a change. 😀
P.S. (2)
Thank God for a hubby who just waits for me patiently all the time. ❤ Indeed, he has a master’s degree in waiting. hahaha Nah, that is why I love my man to pieces. I just assured him that ladies are really like that. It’s part of every husband or boyfriend’s duties to wait for their ladies in anything – long shopping, long time taking a bath, long time dressing up, etc. He posted in his FB Stories the photo below with a written text. 😀
Oftentimes, the first thing that comes into our minds when we think of GNP is related to economics – Gross National Product. At Mount Purro Nature Reserve, it refers to “God, Nature, and People.”
My college buddies and I have been planning for a get-together/quick getaway after not seeing each other for 2 years. We did make it a habit to meet at least once a year. But tight schedules and commitments made it impossible for us to organize a get-together for the last 2 years.
For this year, one of my college buddies, Ja, suggested going on a day tour hike at Mount Purro Nature Reserve as we can only allow a day’s worth of catching up and unwinding from the daily stresses in our lives. So we made a reservation in advance and readied ourselves for the getaway.
Mount Purro Nature Reserve is just an hour ride away from Metro Manila. It’s the perfect spot for anyone who wishes to unwind without going through the hassle of long travels. When we arrived, there were already guests checked in the night before and there were also other groups waiting for the day tour.
After presenting our vouchers, a guide rounded us up and showed us a video for a brief orientation and background of the place wherein the owner discussed how MPNR came to be. Our other college friend, Mench, is an Economics graduate and I’m sure the GNP concept struck a chord in her (right, Mench? 😀 ). I’m also guessing that the owner of the place, Sir Toto Malvar, who is a former corporate employee, may have also worked in a similar industry before deciding to pursue the project. I need to research more on this though. But for more of MPNR’s mission, you may check out their website at https://www.mountpurronaturereserve.com/our-story.
After the orientation, we prepared for the hike and the guide asked us to get our own stick/wooden staff, which we will use later on when we descend from the mountain. I, being the remote worker that I am and a homebody, honestly did not prepare for the hike. I was expecting a normal hike with trails that aren’t too steep. But lo and behold, when I saw the mountain, I had no choice but to face one of the most challenging hikes in my entire human history. 😀
The hike was the first activity in the day tour’s itinerary – a 1-hour trail going up to the Malvar’s Peak and another hour coming down. Some hikers took advantage of a tree-planting session, which is part of a different day tour package at MPNR. But there are also some of us in the group who wanted to back out and head towards the camp. With the guide’s encouragement though, we all made it to the top. Hooray! I guess we all deserved a nice pat at the back and of course, kudos to our ever patient guide. 😊👍
After the climb that sure made all our limbs shaky and our tummies hungry, we witnessed the traditional cooking of the locals from the Dumagat tribe. They used bamboo poles cut into several parts to make improvised pots before roasting them over the fire. I must say that eating bamboo-cooked rice and sour pork stew is, by far, one of my most memorable experiences when it comes to interacting with the locals of a particular community. The first one was during my immersion back in 2013, which was a part of the requirements in one of my college Anthropology classes. As a souvenir from this recent experience and because I also love to cook, I bought one ladle made from a molave tree and handcrafted by the Dumagats.
After the hike, a line-up of Filipino dishes that are truly Pinoy welcomed us for our buffet lunch. It’s just the perfect meal for someone who’ve used up all the energy from the hike and the perfect way to enjoy a native Filipino cuisine at their nipa-hut-inspired restaurant. Their buffet lunch starts at 12:00pm until 2:00pm, half of which we spent catching up with the happenings in our lives. At around 3:00pm, we decided to swim at Mount Purro’s swimming pool to cool ourselves down from the summer heat.
The experience, I must say, is one for the books compared to all my other travel adventures. It’s because MPNR was able to integrate all three successfully: God, nature, and people – by raising awareness on how to sustain nature, by helping the community through livelihood opportunities, and by honoring God through the first two.
Sir Toto Malvar actually made it to my list of mentors and influential people. That is, when it comes to the family project that my siblings and I have felt in our hearts to pursue in God’s perfect time. My other mentor is Sir Dodong Cacanando. What these two mentors have in common is their desire to honor God by being good stewards of His greatest gift – nature. And by doing so, help others (most especially the local community) benefit from the endeavor.
Transformational leadership is a theory of leadership where a leader works with teams to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executing the change in tandem with committed members of a group;[1] it is an integral part of the Full Range Leadership Model. Transformational leadership serves to enhance the motivation, morale, and job performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms; these include connecting the follower’s sense of identity and self to a project and to the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers in order to inspire them and to raise their interest in the project; challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers, allowing the leader to align followers with tasks that enhance their performance.
To cap off the experience and end this article, I can say that indeed, building a business on faith is more like building your business on a solid foundation. Putting God at the center of our endeavors just makes everything we do worthwhile and helps us better appreciate the people who matter to us most – family, friends, and the community. 🙂
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
A hiker with God as the guide,
P.S. Thanks to sis Mench for some of the photos! ❤
Before I begin the actual article, I’d like to share an update to those of you who have been following my blog posts lately. And let me begin by saying, thank you to all those who prayed for my checkup – the doctor’s initial assessment turned out negative. BUT, she suggested I still undergo the 2D and 3D mammography tomorrow. We will get my other test results tomorrow, too, but it will be assessed by my doctor on Saturday. The battle is not over yet, not yet.
But life must go on – I am still breathing and I am still walking. So, let’s keep the ball rolling. 😉
What Do Experts Have to Say About the Rice Tarrification Law?
For today’s article, I will be sharing about the Rice Tarrification Law recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte. Since a majority of our family’s agribusiness revolves around rice farming, I had to do a lot of research on what this law entails and what are the different opinions of industry experts on the matter.
Here are some of the articles I was able to dig up:
The Rice Tarrification Law basically proposes a better alternative to consumers by lowering the market price of rice through minimal import restrictions, and importers pay a 40 percent tariff only. Tariffs collected will be distributed to farmers as incentives and financial assistance which the government will provide through programs irrigation, new grains, fertilizers, etc.
This law also aims to eliminate rice traders and middlemen since the tariffs will go directly to the rice industry, experts said. But along with the elimination of rice traders in the agri system sprouts two new challenges – rice cartels and rice smuggling.
The latter poses a new threat since there will be those who will try to evade paying the tariffs imposed by the Bureau of Customs. The challenge to the government is this – will there be other security agencies who can monitor the imported rice that comes in? For one, we don’t have enough border patrols.
The emergence of rice cartels would also mean an even stronger market group to compete with. The challenge here is this – will small-time local rice farmers, who cannot pay enough for the tariffs, get the chance to buy imported rice or still have a chance to sell their produce locally and earn a decent profit?
Yet another challenge is this – with the unresolved cases and ongoing graft and corruption in the country, what is the assurance that the farmers will receive their due share of the tariff proceeds?
When I called my Dad and Mom last Saturday to check up on them and talk about this matter, as expected, the conversation lasted for 2 hours. 😀 That’s one thing about our family, it is like a debate team. We love to discuss, analyze, and assess matters with little oppositions and contradictions here and there but can honestly escalate to an actual debate later on. lol Just kidding. 😀
My parents advised us to let this year pass since this will be the adjustment period, so to speak, for registrations and all. Next year will be the time to assess whether this new law will indeed benefit the local farmers or not. I suggested to my parents that if this means producing rice for personal consumption only, maybe it is about time we explore other crop ventures – the initial proposal of my siblings and I for the new family project.
The Toll of Climate Change on Rice Industries
Local rice farmers are facing yet another challenge brought about by the extreme heat wave. Dad told me we are experiencing El Nino this summer – severe drought. The last time this happened was back in 2008. My Mom said time will come when intervals between seasons of El Nino will be shorter with the ever-worsening climate change and heat wave.
Extreme drought for farmers means lacking sufficient ricefield irrigation which will then result in lower crop yields a.k.a. less or no profit at all. According to Dad, farmers right now are in dire need of sufficient water supply since rivers are almost dried up. He shared how two farmers started to drill on their ricefields hoping to tap into a good water source such as a spring, but to no avail.
Every drilling activity costs 15k. This means that if you attempted to drill twice, you shelled out 30k already. It’s a big waste of money unless you were able to find a water source asap so you won’t have to spend more. If you’re unable to get the water supply that you need for your crops, they will all dry up with huge losses on your end than gains.
An Outpour of Blessings
God, in all these circumstances, was good to my Dad. Maybe it’s because I pray about the farm every night? 😀 Nah, I won’t take the credit because I know it is all God and God alone.
Dad shared how he “luckily” drilled through a major source with overflowing water and not just a trickle. It was more than enough to irrigate all his ricefields. I told Dad it was indeed a wonderful blessing and maybe he can share the water supply to nearby ricefields and ask the owners to pay for it since the water will be coming from our land.
I know they will take the offer than to let their crops completely dry out and earn nothing. Dad will be able to help other farmers irrigate their crops and save on drilling costs and he can also recover the amount he spent for drilling and pumping for water – a win-win situation.
By the way, the average pumping cost for ricefield irrigation is 150php per hour. So I asked Dad how long does it take to completely fill up one ricefield, he said it’s overnight and sometimes it takes days depending on the size of the ricefield. Indeed, there really is more to farming than planting the crops, letting them grow, and harvesting them without doing anything. Yes, it is nowhere close to gardening. I was totally wrong. 😀
What better alternatives do rice farmers have?
I browsed the internet for better options not just for our business but for other local rice farmers, too. I found online groups and websites where they share information and discuss different agricultural practices that are on par with the drastic climate changes – how farmers can adapt to these changes.
These organizations are the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (UNIFAD), and Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD). You may check them out through their social media channels if you’re also in the agribusiness industry.
One topic that requires urgent attention now is about how climate change can affect biodiversity and how biodiversity, in turn, affects food production. I realized that my Dad and other rice farmers were just worried about water supply. And yet what I’ve found out was something more catastrophic than that given the alarming depletion rate of earth’s natural resources. This is where the imbalance comes in, which, in turn, can affect how we produce our food.
One scary thought, or rather, challenging question I had after my research is this – will our children or the future generation still have enough decent food to consume in the next decades or centuries, perhaps? I am promoting two advocacies now in agribusiness and they are sustainable agriculture and local food movement. These two encapsulate the mission of the new family project that my siblings and I are working on.
In our own little ways, what can we do to support these advocacies?
I’ll have to discuss this in the next article because this post’s too long already. 😀 But here’s one to motivate us to do something and this is also one of my core beliefs when it comes to creativity: “Where there are seasons of drought, there is ingenuity.” The geniuses of our time and the times before made a lot of discoveries and inventions out of a lack of something.
How to Be Good Stewards of God-Given Resources
But let us not forget that God owns everything that we have and we are only stewards of what He has entrusted us. He will be the one to provide us everything that we need so we can continue the work that He has tasked us to do.
I am praying for summer rain in Bicol and all other rice-producing regions. Rain during the summer season is a miracle. But I have a God who makes things possible and I believe in miracles because I have faith. So, I say, it will happen. 😉
And yes, I pray for a healthy body, too. Because there are a lot of things that I still need to do and my body’s the vessel to move around. But then again, not my will but His will and not my plans but His plans always. ❤
“The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains. The world, and those who dwell in it.” – Psalm 24:1
P.S.
Is there any pill cuter and girlier than this? The bright pink got stuck in my head it helps me remember when I should take them. 😉
I’m also squeezing this article in real quick because I still have other articles to do at work until the end of this week. I just want to get this off my head – like lice. Off with your head! Errr, off with the lice! I mean, off with the thoughts. 😀
Just a couple more days and summer will officially start. Who’s ready? 😀
This is the season, next to Christmas, that people in any part of the world are excited about. Who wouldn’t?
Summer is beach.
The vast seas with its crystal clear blue-green waters and gentle splash of waves; the bright sun and the soft tickle of sand on your toes; the seafood fiesta…ah yes, I can just go on and on.
My childhood memories were filled with unforgettable summer moments with my family. It would start with the birthday celebration of my Dad, beach getaways (our province is home to virgin beaches), and the usual busy farm work.
Back in college, one of our sem breaks was scheduled during the summer. I’ll never forget how our Mom would ask us when will be our last day in school. She will then ask us to come home and help with the farm work since it’s harvest time, we need more farm workers than usual, and we’re in-charge of their lunch and snack – more helping hands to do household chores. Being the youngest, I was tasked as the dishwasher. Hmm, why is it that the youngest in the family always wash the dishes? Can anyone tell me whose law was it and where did it first start? I’d like to rally against and abolish it. Seriously – with a smile. 😃
But anyway, I loved the training. It became a part of the memorable experiences I’ve had back when I was a kid. Piles of dishes can give you that extreme frustration but a lasting fulfillment when done – an accomplishment. It kind of made me proud to see them shiny, clean plates stacked up high in our dish rack. Oh and let’s not forget the huge pots and pans. Yes, that’s quite an achievement for a kid. 😀
Summer is always there.
Now, things have changed. There are some summer days when I wish to visit our home because “home is just where the heart is.” But my brother told me just a few days back that circumstances will always pull us far from our comfort zones. Yes, it’s always a part of adulting. But always, we will always go back to where we came from.
And yes, we always move forward wherever life takes us because that is just how things go. It’s been years since I last visited our hometown during the summer. Circumstances will not allow me at this point but I am just glad our family business project there is finally rolling. I am still praying though for God’s guidance, protection, and sustenance to be upon our parents and other siblings who will help monitor the developments.
But one thing I am forever grateful for is that I have sunkissed-filled memories that are worth reminiscing over and over again. I may have a “pile of dishes” to do now, but I’ll finish them somehow.
Did I just hear someone say “grit”? 😀
Forever Grateful for Sun-kissed Memories
And when I’m done, I know the fulfillment is everything after the endurance, patience, perseverance, and discipline. Summer will always be there, anyway.
Well, unless something will blot out the sun and we’ll have a solar eclipse for all eternity. It is impossible but maybe we should ask Science if there are chances of it happening in the near or far future. 😀
Again, for now, let me just reminisce the memories of the not-so-distant past about flying kites in open fields, climbing trees to gather the fruits of summer, attending town fiestas, swimming in hot and cold springs…all during summer.
Last but not least, I pray that my future kids will get to enjoy these moments, too. They are, by far, one of the best memories any parent can give their child. 🙂
“It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter.” – Psalm 74:17
Praising God for summers,
P.S.
If you plan to visit our province, check out some of these cool places. These are not sponsored posts, by the way. Happy summer, everyone! 🙂
Yes, how can we not love God? When in the desert, He showed you an oasis. When in the wilderness, He gave you a clear path to tread on. When in battle, He gave you an armor.
Such is the case with me. And I can only thank God we have a God who walks with us in every given season. 🙂
So was it because I am more favored than others? Was it because I have great faith? Or I prayed more fervently and consistently this time? Or all of the above?
I can’t really say but all I know is that it’s more about aligning our free will to God’s will that makes things around us seem like they’re conspiring with one another. It couldn’t be luck or coincidence but it can well be a matter of fate and faith.
God Rewards Our Acts of Faith No Matter How Big Or Small | Keeping the Faith
Day after day, He reveals more of Himself to each and every one of us in different ways – our personal walk with the Lord. As I do my quiet time and read the Bible when I wake up, I see God in a whole lot of different ways. Yes, I never fail in reading the Bible and in writing down the verses even if I am not using the usual planner anymore. I’ve been using this particular planner for 6 years now but it’s out of stock since December and I believe God has a good reason for it. Through these devotions, we can discover that right they are when they said that our human minds can never fathom the glory and the greatness of God.
For instance, my siblings and I were placed on a standstill with the developments for the family project. And yet, instead of losing hope and letting go of the vision that we had, we held on to the fact that God’s in control and it’s His timeline that we’re following, not ours.
True enough, I got to understand why. As much as we would like to think that we’re ready in other aspects of the project, we still lack a lot of things and God’s the only one who knows what we need and provides them in preparation for what we will do. What is our current need? The most obvious that I can state is education on the matter-at-hand – business development, marketing, agribusiness, etc.
While experience is the best teacher, head knowledge and knowledge acquisition are all but essential. This need is now slowly being filled in one at a time for every area. Such as the opportunity I stumbled upon on the website of Ateneo De Manila University Graduate School of Business.
Well, back in my college days, it’s common to hear the term “university/college rivalry.” And my alma mater (UP Diliman) and Ateneo are on top of the list. But being a born-again Christian gave me a different perspective when viewing this university culture – no maroons, no blues, no greens, no yellows, and all other colors can hinder the body of Christ from worshiping God altogether. So, I am looking forward to being a part of the “Blue Eagles,” soon. That is, if God wills it. 😉
I’d like to share what I found on their website because it’s exactly what my siblings and I need in this particular season for the family project. The title of the seminar is “Family Factor and Succession Planning in Family Businesses From Setting Up to Stepping Up: A Family Business Management Series.” It’s part of a series of seminars on entrepreneurship that deals primarily on managing family businesses and being successful in doing so.
If you and your family are running a business, you might like to attend this one, too.
My only question was, “Lord, how come I only got to encounter this opportunity now?” 🙂
But after semi-thinking/semi-blurting that question, a lot of answers came pouring in which made me regret I asked it in the first place. For one, my current situation doesn’t allow me to take on this opportunity, not yet. But God already showed me a vision, a goal. He led me to a path which will then lead me towards achieving that goal. So, this explains why developments on the property are put on hold – by God. God delayed it in the form of extensive paperwork, unavailability of equipment, weather, and health conditions.
I also just finished reading the first of three books written by Sir Dodong Cacanando, the speaker of the first agribusiness seminar that my brother and I attended last year. When I finished reading it, I can tell that God sent the right mentor for this project.
I highly recommend this book to would-be and agribiz entrepreneurs.
After his seminar, I actually asked my brother if he would like us to approach Sir Dodong and ask about some things. But he and I both hesitated. 😀 Ah yes, Lord, that’s also what I’m praying for now – please give us the courage to build connections with people who will play an integral role in our project. Because I know we will be needing lots of people for the project to push through because this will also be for the benefit of a lot of people.
Speaking of opportunity, I’ve also had this one prayer that”s included in my faith goals since last year. I’ve been constantly praying about it for months but God always says “no.” I have hints why but instead of seeking for it confidently and patiently, I admit I came to the point that I started losing hope. But, thankfully, the faith is still there. Even if it’s smaller than a mustard seed, like a sesame seed perhaps? 😀
But it’s a sincere faith and I just thank the Lord for honoring that small sesame-seed-like faith of mine that He already gave signs without me noticing them until now. An example is this building that caught me and my brother’s attention while driving around. Who would’ve thought I will be staring at it while in the middle of a crossroad and it ended with a good result? This was shown to us last December and yet the fulfillment took place this January.
With every new season, I always lift everything up to God and ask Him for leading and guidance. Though I am not fully a ‘signs and wonders’ type of person, it became a habit of mine to request from God that if this is His will, then may all things be smooth-sailing. But if it’s not, then may He do everything in His power to lead me out of it.
I am in the middle of a conflict. I am in the middle of a desert. I am in the middle of the wilderness. But God showed the oasis, showed the path, and equipped me with the right armor.
Which way to go, Dad? 😀
The prayer and fasting in the church at the beginning of this year, my new spiritual family, and last but not the least, my own family helped me seal my faith and hope in God even if my circumstances proved otherwise. I cannot say that it might be because it’s already God’s perfect time for the start of the fulfillment of His promises or it can also be a result of my sincere faith or maybe both.
But I firmly believe it is both. 🙂
There goes the clear path.
Here’s my encouragement to all of you my beloved sisters and brothers reading this – some, most, or none of your prayers may be answered and your faith may start to dwindle to the size of a font 12 period but believe me, KEEP THE FAITH. Do not turn your back from God, but pursue Him even more. Even if you’re placed in the middle of a desert, a wilderness, a war zone, keep the Lord’s promises close to your heart:
“Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:19
“Sing to the Lord, for He has done wonderful things. Make known His praise around the world.” – Isaiah 12:5
God never fails and He is always with us. Trust His leading, not the circumstance, not the process, and not your situation. I am sharing this to pay it forward because some people also took the time to encourage me when I was at my weakest. ❤
Always in awe of His endless love,
P.S.
Again, I am not a ‘signs and wonders’ person but during the Super Blood Wolf Moon, I read an article that some Christians described it as a phenomenon where something big will happen afterward. I am neither superstitious so I took it with a grain of salt but the next day, something big indeed happened. If you will ask me what it is, I’d like to keep it between me and God. And this post is too long already. 😉
How the agribusiness industry fared throughout the years can be attributed from the bargaining that takes place between the farmer and the trader even before the products leave the farm gate. My family and I have been in the agribusiness, palay production in particular, for decades already. But it was only just recently that I ran a thorough analysis of the business processes involved in farming from the particulars in expenses to the actual farm tasks done.
I asked Dad to give us a rundown of all the marketing processes involved but he told us we’ll learn along the way. I guess this is his way of saying that we conduct due diligence as far as agribusiness is concerned. 😉
From the data I gathered on Dad’s documents, what caught my attention is the market price of palay listed in one of the receipts (16.50php/kg). I asked Dad who dictates the market price and how did it arrive at that figure. He only smiled and said, “The traders dictate the market price.” My follow-up question was, “Based on what?” He answered, “Based on the market trends.”
So, this is just like stock trading on a certain level. But here, if you’re a trader, you have the market power to set the price you desire. Depending on how you conduct your dealings as a businessman, this can either be a good thing or a bad thing as far as fair agricultural trade is concerned. Are traders really fair in dictating the market price for a particular agri product in the region? Does it follow regional market rates or the national market rates?
I haven’t taken any business education courses but I really would love to and if God wills it, I plan to take up a short course on Market Research. For the meantime, I’ve been doing my homework on farmers and middlemen and how the theory of bargaining works in the farming industry. These are the questions I came up with:
Are farmers actually getting the profit they should earn from the entire production?
Can a digital economy change the agricultural landscape in the coming years and provide better marketing opportunities both for the farmers and traders?
Will agricultural innovations and agritech industries promote a brighter future for the farming sector i.e. lower transportation costs, high-yield production, etc.?
How can a government-mandated price ceiling affect the overall trading setup between the middlemen and farmers?
Can contract farming and direct selling be viable marketing alternatives?
How can we prevent the exercise of “monopsony” in marketing rice/palay?
If you’re in the agribusiness industry and are interested to venture in palay/rice production or any crop production, these articles can provide some insights on the current market setup of farming and agriculture in the country:
I’ll be sharing more information as I go along with my market research/business analytics during my free time. Please bear with me if I’ll confuse you a bit with some of my questions since I am also on “tabula rasa” mode when it comes to business developments and the likes. 😀
But if you have any insights to share, please don’t hesitate to drop me a message. I’d love to hear your feedback/suggestion. Thanks in advance and for reading this article. ❤
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
While watching the church service today, this image of a beautiful sunset over a cityscape that I took a few days ago from our condo came into my mind. When we’re awestruck with nature, it automatically brings us back to the Creator – God.
Sunset and heatwave over skyscrapers.
But it also struck me that as inhabitants of this world, we also have an obligation to take good care of it. As the sun sets down, I wondered how long will nature remain to be this when the threats of climate change such as the heatwave are looming over all mankind? How long before man takes care of nature and be content to say that enough is enough?
CNN already released a report about the projection of enviromentalists and experts that 2030 is the saturation point. It made me think if we are making this world a better place for the next generations or making it worse. I’m not anxious on my end though but I am waiting on God. All I can I do, in my own little way, is just raise awareness as a nature advocate by taking photos such as these:
When night begins to fall.
Caught my attention from my room.
The cityscape under the stars and the moon.
How about you, my friend? What’s a sunset to you? ☺
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One who is over all things.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11
A nature lover who chases sunsets and watches nightfalls,
P.S. I am praying the land developers of the condominium where we live will incorporate bigger gardens (I’ll hang out there every day) within the estate.
I believe that is what God wants us to do – strike the right balance between preserving what is God-made and adding what is man-made. ☺
With all honesty, there is nothing much to prepare when it comes to a low-cost date as the term speaks for itself. 😀 But, I am just writing this article to share the budget-friendly wedding anniversary date that hubby and I had last August 17.
This is the part where my husband and I were able to pull off a less than 500php anniversary date. Pretty cheap, right? But it’s yet another memorable experience for the record. 🙂
My husband and I are pretty tight on finances lately because we’re brewing something for the family project. And our motto ever since is this, “live below our means” which was also how my parents raised me and my siblings.
I told my husband that we need not shell out so much to celebrate our anniversary because there are so many opportunities where we can still celebrate it meaningfully and have a good time.
The Plan
A month before our wedding anniversary date my husband asked me what are our plans for the celebration. I told him we have no plans. lol I told him we will ask God for leading where and how He wants us to celebrate the anniversary. So I never planned anything.
Then 2 days before our anniversary, I remembered I came across this rainforest in Pasig near our new place. I was able to check out the place and I thought it’s the perfect spot for our celebration – a breather, more nature tripping, and a way to explore our new neighborhood.
I then proposed the idea to hubby dear and he agreed. But, the day before we went there, I already gave him a heads up that we will be going there a la backpacking. So any mishaps along the way, we will take it as part of the experience.
This is opposite to the getaways that hubby is used to with all the comfort and convenience. I explained that we will be commuting via public transportation and we’ll have to prepare ourselves for any unpleasant and unforeseen challenges along the way.
I guess this is part of being a low-maintenance woman. I love raw experiences. These raw experiences are those unexpected events that made the entire journey as memorable. Not because it is fun but because you learned something along the way.
The Nature Tripping
Back to our nature tripping adventure, it began to drizzle when we went out of the house. We walked to the main road, had a quick lunch at a fast food restaurant, and asked directions on how to get to the rainforest park. We got different suggestions and decided to follow one. We boarded a jeepney, paid 8 pesos for the fare, but here’s where the challenge started – the driver misunderstood the destination where we will get off.
It was only then that we realized our mistake for calling the rainforest park as Pasig Park. lol The Pasig park is actually the one in front of the municipal hall. Thinking we’re totally lost, I told hubby dear we will just get off at a nearby wet market we passed by earlier. There will be lots of public transport terminals there since it’s a public market. It will be easier for us to ask directions going to the rainforest.
At this point, hubby dear is already close to losing his patience and feels like backing out already. lol He told me we are wasting so much precious time being lost and all and the drizzle is starting to become heavy rains already.
Ah yes, these are the moments why I love these “backpacking” experiences. It will test your character’s endurance when situations posit themselves as pretty tough. So I patiently told him that he can go back home if he wants to but I will continue on with the journey.
The Journey in A Marriage
Then I continued explaining that we must take it just like the trials in our marriage. It is not only the good things that happened that made our entire experience as a married couple worthwhile, meaningful and fulfilling but also the bad experiences. What is more important is how we deal with these trials and came out successfully in dealing with all of them.
Isn’t it amazing that I got to share that wisdom exactly during our wedding anniversary? God’s timing is always perfect – never early, never late. 😉
The Trek Must Go On
I was able to convince hubby dear that our plans for that day will push through no matter what. I asked people around how to get to the rainforest. One security guard gave me the directions and asked me to be vigilant. He thought that maybe I was going alone because hubby was walking far behind me. The guard probably wondered why this beautiful lady (according to my imagination) is going to a rainforest alone. lol 😀
Hubby dear was able to catch up with me and I told him the instructions that the guard gave me. We followed the instructions and got to the tricycle terminal going into the rainforest. That was my first tricycle ride experience wherein they placed a small bench inside making the normal 2-seater interior as a 4-seater. I never thought it’s possible but there it was. That’s another new experience to add to my list.
We got there in about 30 minutes. When we arrived, the rain heavily poured. So my husband’s spirits were also close to being absolutely dampened. lol We waited for the rain to stop and after 5 minutes, it did. Unfortunately, only some of the facilities were open to the public because the others were rented out for birthday celebrations.
We only got to try 3 park attractions but we sure did have fun. We are definitely going back for the other recreation activities that we weren’t able to try. We ended the day with our favorite street foods i.e. “isaw” (grilled chicken intestines), pork barbecue, potato wedges, hotdog on a stick, and a dragonfruit shake. This was my favorite part, by the way. 😉
It’s my first time to try a dragonfruit shake, too. I like it but love, hmm, not really. 😀 It has a peculiar grassy taste but I’m pretty sure it’s very healthy. But after the long walks, you’ll appreciate it enough as refreshingly good.
Here’s our list of expenses for that day (2 pax):
Jeepney fare to Pasig palengke – 16.00php (8.00 each)
Tricycle fare to Pasig rainforest – 20.00php (10.00 each)
Rainforest Park Fees – 100.00 php (50.00 each for 3 main attractions – Maze, Flower Fields, Zoo)
Snacks – 100-200.00php
Tricycle fare back to Pasig palengke – 20.00php
Jeepney fare back to our place – 16.00php
TOTAL: Php 372.00
God’s Plans Are Always Better
By the time we reached home, we were both exhausted and yet undeniably happy. I told hubby it’s a good thing he never backed out from our low-cost date and getaway. He could’ve missed yet another experience to add on to our ever-growing list of couples’ learning experience, adventure, and fun. So, he’s the one who said now that we’re definitely going back. lol 😉
Ah yes, being low-maintenance doesn’t mean your experience will be less. Also, being a low-maintenance woman doesn’t mean I have low standards. In fact, the opposite is true. I have high standards as a woman because my standards are God’s standards.
And in every relationship and marriage, what are God’s standards? These are loyalty, faithfulness, respect, honor, and love as described in 1 Corinthians 13. I made all of these known to my husband even when we’re just dating and I guess they’re among the reasons why we are where we are now as a husband and a wife despite some setbacks.
And of course, the goodness of the Lord just never fails. It never does. And it will remain the same as always and forever. To Him be the glory always. ❤
“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” – Proverbs 19:14
A low-maintenance woman with high Godly standards,
P.S.
By the way, R.A.V.E. stands for Rainforest Adventure Experience. I also didn’t include photos from this experience because I still need to resize them one by one so they won’t take up much of my WordPress storage space (free domain problems. lol) 😀
With all the skyscrapers being built all around us, we can also expect a higher demand in commodities within the metro. When there is a high demand but limited supply, we can then expect an increase in the prices of goods.
What we can ask ourselves at this point is why is it that there is a limited supply? When I go to the provinces, I see a lot of idle lands that are not being utilized. If we are going to utilize them for crop production, this will then increase the number of supply and there’s a possibility the prices of the commodities and goods will also decrease once they reach the city where the demand is high.
This is easier said than done though because there are a lot of factors that are preventing farmers from utilizing agricultural lands on a wider scale. These factors are what my siblings and I are currently addressing in our endeavor now.
Photo courtesy: Unsplash
Agribusiness Venture
My family’s engaged in palay and copra production for how many decades already, and yet there are a lot of things that we still don’t know about agriculture and farming.
So I searched through the web what I can learn about agribusiness and farming. I was able to dig out a lot of online resources, and I’m actually enrolled in these online courses now. One of them is DA’s e-learning portal and this is how it looks like:
This is what currently preoccupies me most of the time and probably the reason why God was firm in telling me I can’t have a full-time job at the moment. For a more comprehensive free online course, you can check this one out:
My family and I are currently in this season of gathering all the necessary information we need to make sure the project will push through. Our long-term goal is for the project to be sustainable enough and can be passed on from generation to generation.
It is the project’s mission to promote sustainable agriculture and support the local food movement. The following are the definitions lifted from Wikipedia:
Sustainable Agriculture
“Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways based on an understanding of ecosystem services, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment.
It has been defined as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will last over the long term”, for example to satisfy human food and fiber needs, to enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends, to make the most efficient use of non-renewable and on-farm resources and integrate natural biological cycles and controls, to sustain the economic viability of farm operations, and to enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.[4]
Key Principles
There are several key principles associated with sustainability in agriculture[5]:
The incorporation of biological and ecological processes into agricultural and food production practices. For example, these processes could include nutrient cycling, soil regeneration, and nitrogen fixation.
Using decreased amounts of non-renewable and unsustainable inputs, particularly the ones that are environmentally harmful.
Using the expertise of farmers to both productively work the land as well as to promote the self-reliance and self-sufficiency of farmers.
Solving agricultural and natural resource problems through the cooperation and collaboration of people with different skills. The problems tackled include pest management and irrigation.”
Local Food Movement
“Local food (local food movement or locavore) is a movement of people who prefer to eat foods which are grown or farmed relatively close to the places of sale and preparation.
Local food movements aim to connect food producers and food consumers in the same geographic region, in order to develop more self-reliant and resilient food networks; improve local economies; or to affect the health, environment, community, or society of a particular place.[1] The term has also been extended to include not only the geographic location of supplier and consumer but can also be “defined in terms of social and supply chain characteristics.”[2] For example, local food initiatives often promote sustainable and organic farming practices, although these are not explicitly related to the geographic proximity of producer and consumer.
Local food represents an alternative to the global food model, a model which often sees food traveling long distances before it reaches the consumer. A local food network involves relationships between food producers, distributors, retailers, and consumers in a particular place, where they work together to increase food security and ensure economic, ecological and social sustainability of a community.[3]”
Aside from conducting our own research, the season demands we also look for mentors. As they say, if you are looking for mentors, seek for thought leaders who have been in the industry for a long time. And thank God for giving us the right ones at exactly the right time.
My brother, sister-in-law, and I are attending a “Farm For Profit” seminar by Semilya sa Kinabuhi founder, Sir Dodong Cacanando, tomorrow. Then next Saturday, I am attending an online seminar entitled “Money Machines: How To Create Passive And Active Income At The Same Time” by Bro. Bo Sanchez.
Ah yes, all I can say is that God has been so faithful to us during this season. He has prepared everything we needed at this point and I know He’ll be with us all the way. 🙂
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8
I believe, too, that this is not just a plan that He reserved for me and my family alone. This might be the start of collective efforts among the body of Christ (every one of us) in addressing some of the social issues that we’re currently facing such as the recent price increase in commodities.
In this regard, I would like to encourage everyone reading this to consider venturing into the agribusiness sector. And I hope that you will also be able to get a lot of ideas and insights from the opportunities and what I have learned, which I will be sharing in my future blog posts (including our future failures, if there will be any). 🙂
Always Learning
What is constant in every season is that God always provides us with new opportunities to learn all about this new endeavor. When I graduated from college back in 2008, I was able to get a job as a communications assistant for the deaf and mute. Through this job, I learned all about the struggles that persons with disabilities (PWDs) face every day.
It was such an eye opener for me. So when I resigned in 2010, I had a new goal – learn more about how I can help alleviate the challenges of PWDs and hopefully put up my own foundation in the future for special children who can’t afford expensive therapies.
I took a master’s degree in Special Education that focuses on catering to the needs of children with disabilities. This season introduced me to the field of teaching but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish my master’s degree because God brought me to a new season yet again in 2015 – married life.
Before I quit my graduate studies, I used the teaching units I got from the classes I took to get my professional license. I do love teaching but after contemplating whether it is the career for me or not, I felt it in my heart to pursue my first love instead, which is writing.
I found an opportunity in the digital marketing industry. It was in 2017 when my writing career started. Everything was new to me, but I was eager to learn because I love what I am doing.
After a year, I have decided to let it go because God brought me to yet another season – focus on the family project which is the agribusiness.
God’s Plans
We really can’t see what God’s plans are and only God can tell. I have assumptions, but I can’t claim that these are God’s plans as well. What are my assumptions?
God gifted me with a talent in writing. From grade school until college, it was all a preparation. So, why take SpEd? It will satisfy some of the objectives of the family project which will include putting up a social enterprise that will teach young entrepreneurs and a foundation to help those in need (special children, orphans, etc.). The main objective of our project is for other people to benefit more.
As a licensed teacher, I can teach young students and it might not be in the area of my expertise which is English. But, it can be in the field of agriculture, farming, and entrepreneurship applying everything I will learn on our farm.
Why digital marketing? That is the trajectory of the future of businesses. Marketing using the traditional way can benefit a lot alongside digital marketing. The latter can boost the growth and development of a company not just in finance but in terms of creating partnerships and remaining competitive in the global market.
Writing plays a huge role when establishing the company’s online presence in the digital world. Businesses have to be at par with the rapidly evolving digital technology and storytelling is just one of the ways.
My brother’s comment before when it comes to my writing is this – you have such a flair for the dramatic. I told him that well, I was created to be a poet. 😉
My writing appeals to the emotions. This appeal is the reason why I love persuasive writing. I persuade my readers to know the Truth. But if they can’t find out what the Truth is after reading my posts, then I believe I haven’t persuaded them enough. 😀
Going back to God’s will and plans over my family’s endeavor, hubby and I were having thoughts to transfer homes back in 2017. We already have plans to start investing in our own home even if it is a small one. I shared it with my brother who then suggested we stay at my sister’s condo instead. He said that we can save more this way and get a house later on that is located in a place that we love.
We agreed that we will pay the association dues since my sister waived the rental fee (thank you so muchos, Ate Ayn!). At the same time, we will look out after the place for her since she and her husband live in Norway.
God’s Favors
I am extremely grateful for all of these because they were all favors from the Lord. Yes, my brother is right that this new season of us living in yet another new home will help us save a little. But we can do it even if I don’t have a full-time job. This means I can concentrate on learning all that I need to learn for our farm projects.
My other siblings don’t have the time to learn them all so it is my task to fill them in with all the info I can gather from my research. My other sister in the province will be my partner in applying what we have learned from the e-courses when I go back home. And yet our other siblings’ careers are important, too, in helping fund the project’s expenses.
My other sister and I have the time to learn so much but we don’t have well-paying careers and our other siblings have high-paying careers but they don’t have enough time. Combined together is now a perfect team to make the project work. I bet God is really the best project manager ever He knows the best persons to delegate certain tasks with. 😀
But then again, 5 heads are better than 1 or 2. So yes, I need all of my siblings’ wisdom in this endeavor. And I am glad I have their full support and cooperation. (Love you, my dear sibs!)
Put God First
With all the info overload I gathered from my research, I am estimating that it’ll take about more than a year to study all the business concepts when it comes to agriculture and farming. I am always seeking for God’s wisdom though on what to do with all the collated info.
As we all know, learning how to do something is actually very different from doing exactly what you learned a.k.a. theories vs. application. I realized we have a lot to learn in this endeavor and if we want our projects to be sustainable, we need to be equipped with the right business and farming concepts and be able to apply them well.
If you are to ask me why should we pursue this endeavor, it is because of this: how we build the world today is how we set the course of the future. That is, I don’t want the future generations to eat very pricey vegetables due to the high demand and low supply. Even if I don’t have kids, I still have high hopes that what we do now will impact the world later on for the better. That is, with God’s guidance as our “chiefest” CEO. 😉
To end this article, here’s a very inspiring message (the best commencement speech for me) from none other than one of the Academy Award-winning and most acclaimed actors, Denzel Washington:
P.S.
Please don’t blame me if ever you ventured into agribusiness and failed. 😀 Endeavors like this require consulting with God first and foremost because we all have our own God-given purposes.
Writing this postscript actually made me realize that pursuing the things that we don’t have can become only that – an endless pursuit. But if we pursue an endeavor by making good use of what God has already given us, we might actually find our purpose in and through them. 🙂
*Update as of 9/15/2018: “Farm for Profit” seminar was cancelled due to typhoon Ompong.
The Journeyman's Moments 