SAN CARLOS CITY– Senior Police Officer 4 Virgilio Cardinoza is not only an outstanding policeman both in this city and in the province, but a gentleman farmer, an outstanding farmer!

Cardinoza was cited the “Most Outstanding Farmer of the Year” here during the Farmers’ Day of the city fiesta celebration last week.

Cardinoza, a two-time outstanding policeman here in the 90s, said he alternates his time as a policeman and as a farmer.

“When our duty was for 24 hours, my next 24 hours were spent in the farm,” he told local newsmen.

The 48-year old cop who started his police career in 1986 said he worked hard to earn more for his family.

In 1994, he used to till only half a hectare, but his farm area today has expanded to10 hectares. He eventually became a seed grower where he earns more than his salary as a policeman.

Cardinoza went into farming after seeing that farmlands in Barangay San Juan were idle during the second cropping season.

Initially, he borrowed farm equipment and rented a warehouse, but today he now owns both.

He said farming has allowed him to provide for the good education of his children.

His eldest is a cadet at the Philippine Military Academy, the second is a scholar in University of the Philippines in Baguio City while his youngest is in high school at the Virgen Milagrosa University here.

He currently rents the lot for his seed growing business with the help of four other farm workers and hires more during harvest time.

Today, he practically supplies all the certified seeds in this agricultural city.

He said he plans to apply for early retirement in two years to be a full-time farmer and hopes to till 15 hectares by then. #

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