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.
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 – 100.00php (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: around 200php-300php
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.
Disclaimer: This is about the history and it’s a long read but still worth reading. 😉
Oyango is read as /oh-YAh-ngo/. It is where my grandparents spent most of their lives. You only need to travel for 10 minutes from our place to get to the farm. This is the community where my grandparents have built a legacy with their children, with us, and with the neighbors.
The Legacy Behind Oyango Ridge
My grandpa was popularly known as a selfless giver. He shared most of what he could harvest from wild fruit-bearing trees with his friends and neighbors and sold some of the high-value crops. My parents do the same now with whatever we can harvest in our garden. I also intend to do the same.
How Did It Start?
This piece of land was owned by my great-grandfather, Julian Bertumen. He was my Mom’s granddad. It was passed on to my grandparents, then to our parents. We’ve known this place as a special farm back when we were kids.
I can still remember how our grandpa would recount stories during the Japanese occupation and why there were Japanese tunnels inside. I was around 6 years old at that time and I can only recall snippets of the entire experience.
Who is Beato Gerolao?
CIRCA 1980s in Oyango: (Front L-R): Mom, Grandma, our late Grandpa, Mom’s sister | (Back L-R): Mom’s youngest brother, our late Grandpa’s brother, Mom’s 3rd brother, and his late wife
My grandpa was a good storyteller. This is probably because he loved reading history books. I believe this is why as kids, we developed this attachment towards the place. It’s always a happy moment for us every time my Mom will say, “Okay, tomorrow we are going to the farm.”
To us, it speaks of so many great stories that we can only retell to the younger generations. And yet, I know, no one can share those stories like how our grandpa did. But one thing is for sure: that’s the legacy he passed on to us.
Our love for the farm was rekindled when our 94-year-old grandma reminded us about it during our Christmas vacation last December 2017. She told us that the property that our late grandpa acquired and utilized through his own efforts is all for us, the younger generations.
World War II
I admire my grandparents in so many ways. My grandma is a housewife, and my grandpa was a true-blue farmer. But they were able to send all 4 of their kids to school with the help of some relatives, and yet were also able to acquire other land possessions in other parts of the town during their time. They are now the properties that my parents, my aunts, uncles, and cousins are utilizing.
It was during the generation of my grandparents when World War II broke out. My grandparents didn’t have any formal education back then and they were a part of history where struggles were everywhere. I can imagine how harsh life must have been back then – all the post-war trauma and the economic, social, and political instability. But I believe those events forged something deeper in the early generations – resiliency.
Oyango Ridge History
The land is surrounded by mountain ridges. That’s why the Japanese chose it as their perfect hideout, thus, the tunnels. Some of these tunnels are short, and some were carved deep into the mountains, having entry and exit points at each side of the mountain. There were some that our grandpa said were used to hide an aircraft. There’s also one part of the farm where there’s a crater for another aircraft hideout. He assured us that there’s no need to worry if there might still be bombs dug deep in any part of the land. But honestly, we really can’t be too sure if it is free from land mines.
After World War II ended, scavengers scourged the land for scraps of metal to sell. Some were gold diggers (literally) who were looking for hidden treasures a la “Yamashita Treasure.” The Japanese were in a hurry to leave the country when they lost the war, so some were hoping they might have left anything valuable during the commotion.
Some asked permission to search our property. Since it’s already private property, my grandpa declined and warned them that they would be trespassing if they pushed through. Besides, my grandpa said it’s impossible they’ll find a treasure there because the land was basically used as a military artillery and as an air raid shelter.
It’s a wide but secluded place where they can perfectly and secretly hide any bulky military equipment, such as an aircraft, in case of an air surveillance or an air raid. Even before my great-grandpa bought the farm, and some gold diggers were successful enough to scour the place, they found no treasure.
The barracks of the Japanese are actually located miles away from the farm situated inside the grounds of my grade school alma mater. That is why our place is popularly called “Barracks”, if you plan to go there, and not by the street name itself.
There is one historic landmark inside the school grounds, which is also another air raid shelter or Japanese shelter made from stone and concrete. But nobody knows where it leads to since eroded soil blocked some parts of the tunnel already. Treasure hunters also tried their luck on this tunnel, but to no avail.
Also, to be able to dig on a piece of property, one must secure a treasure hunting permit from the National Museum of the Philippines. Otherwise, it will be considered an illegal activity. What bothered us really is the idea that there could still be land mines on the property since our grandpa said it’s used as a military artillery range.
You must be wondering why the Japanese chose our town during their brief occupation. If you’re going to look at the map, it is a strategic location for military operations. We are a coastal area so there are several options when it comes to escape routes – by land, by sea, and by air. Near the Oyango Ridge, there is now an auxiliary airport but I believe this was built after the war already. However, it never became operational.
Bulan Auxiliary Airport
Objectives: Mission and Vision
Why utilize the property? My siblings and I have already discussed the project’s mission and vision:
MISSION: “Greenery Towards Greater Sustainability”
VISION:
We are a privately-held company and a not-for-profit organization. Our goals include the promotion of sustainable agriculture through organic farming and supporting the local food movement. With this advocacy, we hope to provide more livelihood opportunities locally and increase agricultural appreciation.
As a social enterprise, we are targeting the inclusion of a training camp for the students and the young generation who will venture into the agribusiness industry. We are also looking into expanding our agribusiness projects to agritourism. This will enable us to promote local tourism by building a recreation and leisure community through the farm resort, vacation home, campsite, hospice, and retreat center for holistic wellness.
It is a not-for-profit organization because a majority of the profits will be used to fund the project’s operations. We are targeting the project to be self-sustaining. Self-sustaining means the initial invested capital will remain intact, and the ROI generated will be entirely used to fund the operations of the project. The higher the ROI, the more opportunities to expand the project’s objectives – the campsite, the retreat area, training facilities for young entrepreneurs/interns, etc.
So if we are to picture it in a graph, it can’t be a succession of extreme highs and lows similar to stock investments, which are volatile by nature. It cannot be a flat line, because a flat line means your business is dead. 😀
Instead, there has to be a steady increase in the ROI or, at the very least, consistently earn. The challenge now lies in how we can make this happen – insert marketing strategies. This is the point where I find it daunting and a bit overwhelming. But I have observed lately that when business start-ups are too focused on generating money asap and how much they will profit, it sometimes derails the company’s mission, objectives, and its values along the way. I believe it is best to leave the “money” part to God. Besides, He is the sole provider. I know He will supply according to our needs.
Creating a business model is far more complicated and way more intricate than we imagined, even after studying all the theories. How to keep the business running is where some businesses get stuck, and I am praying God will give us the grace and wisdom so it won’t happen to us. Because this is not for us, but helping others have better lives. And also, I would like God to be the center of it, a.k.a. our “chiefest” CEO. 😉
Sources of Livelihood
There are limited livelihood options in our town because it is a “sleepy” town. I call it that way because it has a small population, and the town’s revenues only come from small-scale businesses. There is only an influx in the population(revenues, too) during the holidays, i.e., Christmas vacation, Holy Week, town fiesta, etc., where relatives from abroad or from the city visit the town. During this season, businesses are flourishing. But when vacationers leave, the businesses go back to catering to the town’s small clientele.
This is the sad part: there is a lack of business opportunities, which also means a scarcity when it comes to livelihood options or jobs. Fishing and farming are the town’s primary sources of livelihood. However, due to climate change, there are now fewer and fewer catches every year, making it even harder for a regular fisherman to earn a living and feed his family. When it comes to palay production, it is also seasonal. Climate change also had drastic effects on the farming calendar.
In one of my freelance jobs, I encountered this documentary by Kara David entitled “Paraisong Salat.” Some families in our town experience the same struggles. My Mom had so many of these stories of former students back when she was a grade school teacher. They were the ones who were consistently absent in class because, at the tender age of 10 years old, they were already helping their dads fish at night. Some fell asleep during class hours because they hadn’t slept all night. Some weren’t responding well during class interactions because they hadn’t had breakfast yet – their dads came home without a catch.
More Opportunities, A Better Community
Imagine the expanse of the opportunities we can provide to these families. When we utilize the farm on a wider scale, we will need lots of farm workers and more people to help us manage the farm. We also plan to help small-time farmers by selling seedlings to them and educating them on how to grow selected crops properly and maximize their yield.
The farm will be running on a regular basis, which means they will have regular jobs, and they need not worry about getting a consistent income to feed and raise their families. Children won’t have to help their parents earn a living, but instead, focus on school. They will go to school well-fed, well-slept, and well-clothed. And that foundation I’ve been dreaming of putting up someday, I can see it happening here.
There is one bit of a challenge that I am looking into, though. When we utilize the property on a wider scale, we will need bigger farming equipment. This will trim down our production expenses. But it can also mean fewer farm workers because the farming equipment will do most of their tasks. And yet, looking at it again, it isn’t much of a big problem. We can always delegate other farm tasks to them since there’s a need to up the manpower to make the property fully operational.
To be honest, I have never regarded this piece of property as our own because I believe it belongs to God and will always belong to God. He only entrusted this land to us because it is attached to His plans that involve us. I believe, too, that this land will fulfill a greater purpose later on, where many will benefit.
It’s just like the Garden of Eden. It was never Adam and Eve’s in the first place. They were only placed there by God to cultivate it. The same goes for each and every one of us here. We are all tenants, even if the title of a property bears our name. For this organization, I have felt that this verse will speak its purpose:
“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” – Genesis 2:15
I can only pray that I’ll live long enough to witness that promise being fulfilled in this land. 😀
Close encounters are not just limited to unidentified flying objects but unseen objects, too. Have you heard about miracles? How about divine intervention? Does the word “premonition” sound familiar? If we are to look closely at all three questions, they all have one common denominator –a powerful force behind them. For all we know, the unseen object may not be a matter of “what” but “who.” Read along and find out through some of the close encounters I’ve had as a Christian.
9 Close Encounters with God in Our Daily Lives
1. The Slip
Have you ever been in an accident or close to getting into one? I may not be in a serious accident but I experienced slipping my foot while walking on a very steep trail. The trail traverses along the cliff of a mountain and I estimated the deep fall to be about a hundred feet.
How did I escape that fall? It was our local tour guide who instantly grabbed my hand exactly at the moment when I slipped. I was barely holding on to a patch of tall grass to keep me from falling.
What are the chances of her not being able to catch me on time? Most likely it’s 100%. She’s in front of me and she could’ve failed to notice I made the wrong jump and slipped. Every time I remember that moment, I always wonder how that saving moment could be so timely. And yet, all I can think of was a divine intervention.
2. On Top
Being in an elevated spot always reveals the skyline. The skyline is always the best demarcation between the heaven and the earth. It also reveals everything about what is God-made and what is man-made. If you want to have a close encounter with God, try communing with nature.
You’ll get to see God’s wonderful creations in their purest forms. May it be a seascape, a landscape, the mountains, a river, lake, the forest, or even just in your own garden, you can have a close encounter with God.
Have you ever wondered why rainforests are bursting with all forms of life from plant life to animal life? And yet, no one takes care of them. How about in your garden? Did it make you wonder why a seed ever grows to become a plant? Do take a look at some of the stunning photos I took of my nature escapades below. Yes, they are all for real.
3. In Sickness
Serious illnesses most often take lives. If not, they cripple. How many of us have prayed for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for people we know who are battling with an illness? There are countless instances wherein these prayers were answered in the form of recovery.
But there are also those moments wherein these prayers were unanswered and grief took over because of loss. It’s hard to cope with the idea of losing someone you’ve known all your life and yet miraculously, God heals us too despite all the memories.
4. Through Poverty
I can never forget that moment when I only have about 50 bucks in my wallet and I allowed God to take control of the rest. Have you been in this predicament, too? It can be very challenging most especially since money runs this world.
But, it’s good to know that there is someone else greater who runs not just this world but all of the heavens and the earth. It’s all a matter of trusting Him who can provide you with eternal life, what more, your basic needs. I survived that week because God provided for all my needs.
How?
He can provide you through a lot of channels such as a decent amount of cash you stashed away somewhere and stumbled upon it out of the blue. Yes, at just the right time. Or, there’s this random person at work or through your family who gave you money because they just felt it.
Again, at just the right time. Another is a free meal courtesy of reward points you never knew you had until you checked through your phone and you’re entitled to it. Surprises? Yes, they truly are.
5. A Prophecy
This is a gift. Science can explain it as ESP (extra-sensory perception), the world can define it as premonition, and faith describes it as a prophecy. Though we do not have a mind like God’s, He definitely shared some of His wisdom to us. Is it a wild guess?
Certainly not. In our family, we don’t need text messages to inform one another about doing an errand or letting one another know what one thinks. In most cases, the receiver already got it even before the sender informed that person. How did this happen?
6. With An Advocacy
Having the heart to serve without expecting anything in return exemplifies a Christ-like heart. It is almost as similar to having goosebumps as what people say when you encounter a beggar on the street and you felt as if there’s something about him/her. “What if God was one of us?” as Joan Osborne sings in her song.
“Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.” – Proverbs 28:27
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27
7. My Loved One
A personal relationship with God is more like your relationship with a loved one. You know all his crazy antics, you’ve seen the good and the bad traits, you’ve shared the best and the worst times, and your relationship is intimate. When situations arise between you and your beloved, you either see your loved one exemplifying how God would’ve acted or it could be you acting just like God. May it be that you or your loved one behaved through Spirit-filled actions?
8. As I Labor
Ever had that moment when you’re sure you will be fired from your career and yet what happened was the opposite? Or that moment when you’re seeing no progress at work but along came new opportunities just when you’re about to give up.
These moments surpass our human understanding because it is only God who sees the toil of man, who rewards the man for his labor, and who sees the hearts, minds, and intentions of every human being.
9. Altar Call
This is definitely not the least but the best way of having close encounters with God. Have you had that moment wherein you’re feeling too sure of yourself that this is what you’ve been wanting to do for the rest of your life? That is definitely God’s calling. When God set it in your heart what His mission is for you, you know there is nothing that can hinder you from doing it. This is how passion came alive.
After listing all these items down, these moments are unexplainable and yet something is at work behind them all – the Spirit. If your soul is in tune with the Spirit, the more aware you will be when these close encounters take place. The personal relationship you have with God is what binds you to the Spirit.
There is no such thing as “coincidence” in the Christian faith nor a word such as “luck.” There are, instead, forces of both good and evil that are at work in every single moment of our lives here on Earth. Thus, it takes a discerning heart, mind, and soul to hear the voice of God and it is only possible when we allow the Spirit to work within ourselves.
Have you had close encounters with God in your life? How can you be in tune with the Spirit always? Do let us know what you think in the comments box below and let’s grow spiritually together. ❤
Never worry about anything because here is a little something.
So there went my futile attempt to be a poet. 😀
Seriously though, holidays meant a lot of things but it is synonymous to this word as well – rush. Everything is in a rush. How do we avoid this so-called “rush” ? The answer is this – prepare and shop early.
Buying Christmas presents in advance and scratching them off your long list is such a life saver. I usually do this often during the holidays.
But first, who are our recipients of these awesome gifts? On top of the list is our families of course, followed by relatives, friends and coworkers or bless someone randomly.
Then again, another dilemma is this question – “What will I buy for each of them?”
Honestly, thinking about choosing the right holiday gift ideas can be cumbersome and overwhelming. But allow me to make choosing a lot easier for the lady recipient: How about a tote bag?
Very simple, eh? BUT this isn’t your ordinary tote bag. These are custom-made from photographs of anything and everything by yours truly. I love to share so I am sharing these for you to have for keeps. No art is ever called art without the artist’s individuality showcased in it, as they say. These printed tote bags carry each in itself a particular story – a memory so to speak. So, I am sharing to you a bit of my life’s journey in each item. Do bring me along in your journeys too – wherever they may be and whatever it may be. 😉
This one tote bag for example illustrates a photo during our first summer vacation as a couple in Zambales, Philippines. If you were enamored by the pristine waters and pure, white sand, you can actually plan a trip and head on over there to see the beauty for real. You don’t just have a photo as memorabilia, but also a bag which will remind you always of the beauty of the place for as long as you often use it.
Another in the memory lane is this precious red rose (which I preserved for sentimental reasons) symbolizing an everlasting love – the first I received when hubby and I were still dating. Thought about editing it to make it look more rustic and not look like your typical red rose because it’s a special one for a special you.
These are also some of the bags featured in this recently created collection which is a variety of different kinds of themes and concepts from black and whites to macros and landscapes:
If you want to browse for more tote bag designs, you can check out more of the collection in this website:
Oh, and if bags aren’t that alluring, the other collection I am starting might capture your interest like these awesome sleeveless tops:
Happy shopping and wishing you all a VERY advance happy holidays! 😉
P.S.
I’d like to thank VIDA for this one great and wonderful opportunity and most of all to God for bringing in people to share what they can share and help the community. This is also in support of the Literacy Programs that VIDA offers to their makers to learn to read, write and do basic Math skills.
Stay tuned for more upcoming designs, my dear readers. Let’s continue sharing our God-given blessings and bless others too! ❤
I have long been an advocate of protecting Mother Earth. I grew up surrounded by nature in its luscious state. Nope, please don’t get me wrong. I am no Tarzan nor Jane. *wink*
I just happen to grow up in a humble home (our ancestral home in the province) with a garden containing all sorts of flora and fauna courtesy of Mom and her best helper, Dad. Yup, he is the one in charge of the upkeep of the lawn with the lawn mower – it’s a guy thing. 😀
That is their quality time together as husband and wife on a weekend – tending the garden. The children are the ones in charge of picking the flowers for their own agenda and end up being scolded by Mom. lol
Okay so I am pro nature. Does that make me an anti urbanization? I have my own praises when it comes to industrialization. It is, I believe, in God’s plan that man will benefit from his own toil and hard labor resulting in a convenient life. Imagine Fred Flintstone and the difficulties of Stone Age and the primitive days. I am grateful I am not living in a cave and have to deal with bats and snakes or any squishy, wiggling, crawling, flying, spurting creature every night when I sleep.
But are we maintaining the balance? I was wondering what would Fred Flintstone say if he is with us and sees all the modernity around. I think the time has come for our industrial engineers, landscape architects and land developers to consider creating a change in this rapid momentum of skyscrapers being built everywhere especially in the city.
I see it as an idol, a temple. Not of God’s but of something else. It destroys what God has originally built. I no longer see God in those buildings, nothing God-made was retained.
I believe it is man’s obligation to maintain and preserve what God has built. We have been given free will which gave us opportunity to gain knowledge. Knowledge gave way to innovations. Innovations made life easier. BUT too much of it will destroy the very core of life in this world – Earth. Unless of course those innovations are nature-friendly.
If not, there really is indeed a possibility Earth will be nothing more but a rubble in the future and we’ll be living in spaceships. Ever watched the movie Transcendence? It’s basically the same.
I love Science. I enjoyed watching Sci-fi movies. My Mom was my grade school Science teacher and I was usually the one representing our school in Science quiz bees and competitions. I had that thirst for worldly knowledge back then and I grew up being inquisitive of everything around me.
I started asking the “why” questions which later on I found out that Science has no answers for all of them. Too many unanswered questions brought me to questioning the reason even for my very own existence.
Good thing there was faith – I was saved from the disillusioned self. Now everything has meaning, everything has an answer, everything has a purpose. That made me understand not just my part but how each living and non-living thing created by God are interrelated.
This now brings us to innovations. Are they really supposed to be part of the picture?
I have been sharing on Instagram those that are all natural or which pertain to nature. I saw the beauty of them that transcends beyond the skyscrapers and high-rise buildings that speak nothing else but of man’s creations.
This made me ask again. Is man trying to outwit, outplay and outlast God?
If we are to compete with God in the Survivor game show, there’s no doubt we’d be eliminated first. Can God create buildings? Of course, He can. So why didn’t He create skyscrapers and a whole lot of them for His creations to live in alongside Earth when He created everything?
Too much is detrimental. It speaks of greed – hunger for power and to acquire more than what is necessary.
I have no control over the industrialization age. But I can help the younger generation appreciate what could be the last remnants of God’s creation at its best and original state – nature. I am hoping the younger and future industrialists, architects and engineers will take it to themselves to preserve what is left of God’s creation.
If they wouldn’t make the change then there’s nothing left for our great grandchildren and the children after them to marvel at when it comes to showing them how God created the world. Garden of Eden for them will just be a far-fetched concept or worse, a myth.
And yes, they will be missing out so much. *sigh*
And yes too, this is the first time I am ending my article with a sigh. BUT with a smile – still hopeful. ☺
P.S.
My Dad, by the way, is a retired civil engineer. He builds bridges and dams and facilitates in the irrigation of rice fields with the National Irrigation Administration. He did these not to destroy nature but to help in nourishing it so nature in return can help the farmers make good use of the resources.
If only man would learn to settle with contentment.
*sighs again*
*smiles again*
“A psalm of David. The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.” – Psalm 24:1
I’ve just repotted 13 aloe vera pups and in just a month, found this:
Repotted aloe vera pup and the newest pup.
Whew! They are propagating really fast on their own. Indeed:
“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” – 1 Corinthians 3:7
Just like in faith. I intend to keep the number of aloes in my garden to only 13. So for any new pup that would sprout from any of them, I’d most probably give away to families and friends or anyone who loves aloes. It’s going to be raining aloes in the house! 😀
Aloes are so easy to tend so no need to fret if you want to plant one and are a busy bee like me. It also offers numerous benefits for skin and hair care to digestive health, etc. They are from the family of succulents and need to be watered only once a week in a cactus or well-draining soil. They need full sun too so our tropical country makes it a good host for them. No need for fertilizers too as they do well without them.
Gardening, for me, is a perfect way to relieve stress, spend idle time and recreation on a low budget plus you’d get to experience the joy of seeing them grow taller, bigger and thicker thru time. When it’s time to harvest too, you’ll reap the fruits of your labor (along with God’s help).
It makes me appreciate nature even more especially when you’re living in the city where everything else is man-made. I believe it is time we strike the balance of keeping things natural starting from our very own homes. It is one way of living life not of this world but reliving nature at its best before man and technology overtook it and ruled this world. Think Garden of Eden.
God would prefer it that way – appreciating His creations and taking extra good care of them. ❤
P.S.
I got influenced by my Mom who is such a great gardener and her garden overflows with awesome flora and fauna (check my Instagram account for my photos of them and also this article: MAY The Flowers Be With You).
Her name, by the way, is Eden. Coincidence? Nah, God’s amazing ways definitely.
Now for me, I intend to grow a forest. Without the snakes. If that is just possible. 😉
If I will be allowed to be proud of something, that I will reserve for the beautiful beaches that my hometown offers. I grew up in the province and as a kid, summertime with family means scouting local beaches and nature hopping from rivers, falls to springs and mountains.
It is through this that I got to appreciate nature at its best in its original beauty. Yes, that kind of beauty that is not tampered by man or any modernization. I have somehow developed this kind of appreciation when it comes to what is beautiful and having gone to commercialized beaches such as Boracay, I must say that I wasn’t fascinated that much at all compared to the ecstatic feeling I get every time my eyes lay upon the sight of paradise in its original state – how God created them and not how man created them.
It was this appreciation that taught me to love nature and care for it as if its part of me. I actually wanted to promote in our province, in light of this, an advocacy to tourists and locals alike how to enjoy nature’s bounty and yet at the same time, preserve its natural beauty. Commercialization of beaches as tourist spots means a flock of tourists which is also equivalent to more use of resources as well as more litter. The latter is what becomes far too common in all commercialized beaches.
I do not mean to be selfish and enjoy the luscious and diverse beauty that nature can offer just by myself, and yet it saddens me to know the fact that not all tourists have the same kind of appreciation and concern as I do. Seeing a single trash along the seashore is enough to make me furious and the first thing that goes into my head is this – how irresponsible the person who threw this trash is. Now this is something I should not do, for it is not right – judging and thinking negatively about any person. It is similar to committing a crime in God’s standards.
Instead of that accusing thought though, I might as well divert my thoughts how I could partner with the local government units in preserving local beaches which include but is not limited to informing the public (tourists and locals) about a policy that will implement stricter discipline when it comes to taking good care of nature. And I mean STRICTER DISCIPLINE.
I told my husband that this summer, instead of going to commercialized and expensive hotels and resorts (being the practical me), I suggested we visit my family in the province, celebrate Mother’s Day there and scout for local beaches which is what my family would usually do during summertime. So we went to this beach which is a 30-minute drive from home and we usually spend our family outing there during the summer and once during Christmas. What we saw next was the ultimate paradise deal.
Mt. Bulusan in the background, the province’s active volcano.
Combination of patches of seaweeds and sand.
This beach is an inlet with a rich and diverse marine ecosystem and at the end of the reef is the Pacific Ocean. Pretty deep this ocean. So if you are not a swimmer like me, better stay a little closer to the shore. My husband is adventurous and yet when we both saw the different sea creatures we found in the reefs, we were fascinated and yet a little scared at the same time. He started joking that there might be a great white shark which somehow got inside the shallow reefs as there were plenty of other sea creatures to feed on.
Something pink underneath.
There’s the edible seaweed.
My foot was here.
Funny hubby with his signature wacky pose.
That’s me introducing the rock.
Well, I told him it is a possibility and yet it should not stop us from exploring what else that inlet could offer. Besides, my family and I have been there a couple of times already and we never encountered or heard any incident on shark attacks or a jellyfish sting even. Although we did see this jellyfish-like sea creature which we could not identify whether it’s an eel, a variety of a jellyfish, or a sea snake. It looked harmless though as local kids were poking and covering it with sand. We tried to uncover it after they left but we couldn’t find a solid object to remove the sand away. Besides, it is still heaving so we know it is still alive.
Local children covering the slimy sea creature with sand.
Low tides are a great opportunity for me to explore what is on the ocean floor. Being a lover of Science (probably because my Mom used to be a Science teacher), I love exploring everything most especially when it comes to nature. I even thought that maybe I would’ve ended better if I pursued a degree in Biology. But that is not God’s plans for me. Or maybe it is, I just don’t know. Yet. *smiles*
For me, the sea is such a vast expanse of space for exploration. It’s very ironic though because I do not know how to swim. Now you must be wondering how did that ever happen. Well, I am wondering about that too. *wink* But I never let anything get in the way when it comes to pursuing things that I am interested about.
So going back to our seafloor exploration, we found a live snail, a small one. And hubby and I enjoyed observing how it attempted to raise “himself” up back to its crawling position. I didn’t know that a snail has a tiny claw/hook of some sort and it is fascinating to know that that hook was strong enough to lift itself up despite the heavy shell. We wanted to take a video of it but, unfortunately, we left our cameras already because decided to swim and explore and we didn’t bring any waterproof camera case with us.
Oh and I can’t forget this edible seaweed. We eat them raw and just dip it in lime juice. It is a perfect side dish for barbecues or grilled fish. We call it as “lato.” We saw local fishermen harvesting them during low tide somewhere before the reef ends and big waves from the Pacific Ocean hit the side of the reef or the wall of the continental shelf.
The Pacific Ocean and the continental shelf.
Our harvest.
Harvesting a big one.
We got to the beach about lunch time and after 2 hours, the tides begun to rise. Hubby and I waited as each small patch of dried seaweed start to be submerged in water again. We did swim nearby when the water level became high enough but because it was late in the afternoon approaching night time, we decided to leave and let nature have her rest too – it was feeding time for the sea creatures. Yep, we don’t want to be part of their food chain so out we went and just took photos around.
High tide is finally here.
White sand it is.
Indeed, they are right when they say that in order to keep things balanced with nature, you have to know your limits. Hubby usually is the adventurous type and is always on the go. But this time, it made me smile when I saw him learn to have this respect and love for nature out of awe and fascination. This was the same kind of awe and fascination that I first had when I was a kid which made me love and care for nature because I have learned to understand our relationship with it. We felt guilty though when we showed some locals the seaweeds that we were able to harvest and they said it was the right one but they usually pluck the stems out but leave the roots so it could reproduce. *insert sad face here*
But it made me smile still. It means that they already know their limits as to the proper use of nature’s resources and how to take good care of her and this will be very essential in informing tourists like me about the limitations/boundaries between man and nature. 🙂
(This is an excerpt from this post I wrote back in November 2013 during Typhoon Yolanda. I thought this particular content deserves to have its own separate article with a different title this time.)
Wherever God would take me, whatever God would give me, I will bring with me two identities: first, I am a Christian, and second, I am a Bicolana.
I can never be prouder of anything I have and whoever I have become other than those two I have mentioned above.
Why a Christian? I am nothing and nobody without my God, first and foremost. My identity is in Him, and I believe I need not say more as it is what it already is. 🙂
Why a Bicolana then? Ahh, this is most likely where I’ll be explaining more.
I grew up in the province. I spent more than half of my life there. As of writing, that is. There’s no other place that I could ever call ‘home’ except Bulan. Yes, that is my hometown, a small town in the province of Sorsogon somewhere in the southernmost part of Luzon.
Sorsogon consists mostly of coastal areas surrounded by beaches of all sand colors from white, pink, to black – you name it, we have it. Rich in natural resources, fishing and farming have been the sources of livelihood with almost all the Bulanons (that’s how we generally call ourselves).
Fishing
If there is one value that being a Bicolana has taught me, it would be this – knowing your roots. In other words, learn to look back from your humble beginnings. Bulan is the one thing that has taught me how it is to be humble and to be grateful. Humility bespeaks when the heart is in awe of the mediocre. I know you are going to agree with me right there.
I came from a family of farmers. My parents, my grandparents, and the parents before them all came from humble beginnings. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. Gratitude is what I could offer to my ancestors for the sacrifices and hard work that they have invested in providing the best for their families.
I came from a generation wherein I didn’t have to go to the fields and do the farming myself, and go home with sweaty clothes covered in mud just to pay for all of my expenses and supply my needs. An experience I never had to go through, and yet something that I would want to go through.
CIRCA 1980s: My mom, aunts, uncles, and my grandparents.
They say that for someone to appreciate the value of something less than its market value and more of its sentimental value, you have to work hard for it and have it like how it is usually done and achieved. You have to sweat it out, so to speak.
I was listening to the podcast of Pastor Christian Flores regarding Victory’s new series entitled “It’s Not About The Money” two Sundays ago, and he mentioned the story of a farmer and how this farmer had invested his earnings in acquiring an even bigger barn where he could store more, which actually resulted in his own destruction.
That made me think about our farm, our farmers, and what we really get from it. For starters, our farmhouse did not change, though many years and decades have passed. We are earning just enough, and we are still living frugal lives, though we have acquired some possessions through time – still, I think it is not about the money. Money, for us, is something that has to do with survival, but never to accumulate great wealth and live grandiose, rich lives.
I might be speaking out of righteousness here, but if you will personally ask me, that is how I think it should be. I do not wish to dwell on this matter then and will just leave all the explaining to our Pastors as they lead us on with the series – a reason for you to stay tuned for our upcoming podcasts or better yet visit a nearby Victory church: http://victory.org.ph/. (Sorry for the shameless plugging, but I felt you would understand it better if the explaining would come from our church leaders).
victoryqc.org
This is the season of harvesting, and when I went home during the holidays last November 1 and 2, I chanced upon the last harvest in our farm. I have skin asthma, and as much as I should be staying away from hay, I know it would not stop me from going along with my Dad. I suffered the consequences later on – my cough got worse, and itchy rashes came out that lasted for about a week, leaving black spots on my skin, which then stayed on for about how many months.
The last time I was with my Dad during harvesting was when I was around 6 or 7 years old. I could still remember how our parents would ask us (not really me, as I was way too young, but my sisters and brother) to help in drying the “palay” we had harvested so they could be sold to the millers for a good price before they then sell it to the market.
Yes, how could I really forget all the scurrying here and there, to and fro, when dark clouds come, and heavy rains start to pour. It only means sweeping the grains, piling and covering them up as FAST as you can to prevent them from getting wet, thus lowering the chances of getting a low price as “palay” buyers measure the moisture content of the rice grains. The drier the grain is, the higher its market value.
Threshing of palay.
My Dad is not a farmer per se. He is a civil engineer who juggled two occupations at the same time – that of a farmer and a superintendent at the National Irrigation Administration in the Bicol region (officially at San Ramon, OIC in Masbate and Sorsogon City). He is now 74 years old, retired from his engineering career, and yet a continuing farmer. I have always admired my Dad, who, at his age, still manages to do what he would always do at the farm despite his arthritis, gout attacks, hypertension, cataract, and other illnesses of the aged. Although we don’t dry the harvested rice grains anymore to lessen the stress level of all the scurrying and hurrying, tending the farm is still a lot of busy work to do.
I went to the farm with my Dad not to harvest the grains myself and have them threshed out but witness how it is usually done. I have to get into the particulars as to how to do this and that. Well, I might consider farming as my job someday. Yes, “Tin” the farm girl. *wink* I think I heard my Kuya’s sarcastic chuckle back there again. Haha Yeah, right. And yes, I wanted to observe how our farmers do it – our trusted and loyal workers. I admired them more than I have admired an office employee (no offense to office-based workers). But hard labor is no easy job. Exposed in the heat of the sun, bending over for hours either planting rice seedlings or harvesting them, soaked in mud or inhaling the itchy hay dust when threshing are, for me, among the most challenging tasks.
I closely looked at all of them. I saw Tio Digoy and Tio Kadog – they are the oldest among all of them. They have been working for my Dad since I was a kid. Now, their sons are working for us as well. I have learned to love them for all that they have put up for me and my family. I am praying that through us, their sons, daughters and grandchildren will one day have a better future because of their parents and grandparents’ hard work. Though that means we might lose workers in our farms, it would also be equivalent to giving everyone the chance to have better lives than what they have now.
I am praying too that someday there will no longer be a need for manual labor and everything will be run by machines operated in a clean office from planting to harvesting rice. That goes as well for harvesting coconuts and converting them into copra. The team of Tio Digoy also does them for us. Skilled, they really are. My family and I will always be grateful to them. We will always be grateful to Him for any blessing that He has bestowed as well as for His guidance and protection not just to me and my family but to our skilled workers and their families as well.
Nope, that’s not it because this is what I usually do:
“Tin, The Farm Girl”
Quite the opposite, right? Well, aside from washing the dishes, cleaning the house, feeding the pets, etc. and having a little vacation time actually. We have no helpers or house maids back home and here in Manila, by the way. As it is written in the bible:
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” – Matthew 10:45
Let’s all live a life of servitude, shall we my dear brothers and sisters? 🙂
The Journeyman's Moments 