Saved by PhilRice – JICA project

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

After losing their savings in more than a decade as overseas workers in Hongkong, husband and wife Eduardo and Agnes Asuncion of Currimao, Ilocos Norte have found  the farm as their escape from the memory of scams that almost ruined their lives.

Eduardo worked as dishwasher, sheet metal worker, buildings and grounds maintenance worker, and farm hand in a swine farm for 11 years. Agnes was a domestic helper for 22 years.  Indeed, they tried to save as much as they could while they were in Hong Kong. 

They got three pension plans, CAP educational plans for their two children, and an investment plan with Multitel for which they paid P200,000. CAP stands for College Assurance Plans.

All together the total investment from their earnings was P636,270, but all of that money evaporated in thin air, so to speak, as they never recovered it. 

On top of this scam, Eddie and Agnes were not able to finish the construction of their house, for which they already spent P700,000.  All the more, the present condition of their house, which is probably one-third short of the plan, makes them remember what they call a bad dream.

It’s good fortune, however, that they were able to buy adjacent farms with a total area of more than a hectare, including what is now their residential lot, when they were still in Hong Kong. 

The farm now serves as their continuing source of income and happiness, thanks to their participation in PhilRice and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) projects. More than this, it’s their refuge whenever they are reminded of their miseries.

Eddie was in one portion of his farm when we interviewed him with Agnes.  He was clearing an additional area, as trees, bushes and other unwanted plants have already occupied a large portion of the farm. 

Referring to a calendar on which she recorded the harvest last year, Agnes, who is now 42 years old, said three vegetable crops were planted in about 500 sq m last year in this area. They sold almost P2,000 from their harvest broken down as follows: Casino eggplant, P695; Diamante tomato, P445; and Bonito ampalaya (which is used for cooking pinakbet), P840.

Although their rice crop last year in the rainfed portion of their farm was a miserable failure last year, he changed the crop this year with eggplant, tomato, ampalaya and lady finger pepper for cooking sinigang.  They said it may turn out better, as the price of vegetables during the rainy season is high since most of the other farmers plant rice. 

In many instances, they said, their participation in PhilRice-JICA projects has saved them from a continuing anguish of thinking about their losses from the scam.  Thus, Eddie said he would rather prefer to be in the farm, which is probably a little over a kilometer away from their house, than stay at home.  He added that keeping himself busy in the farm makes him forget about the miseries that have been brought about by the scam.

For Agnes, the farm has become her savior.  In many instances when she is alone at home, she is always reminded of the money that went with the wind, making her cry to the high heavens.  This is especially true when she cannot give an adequate allowance to her daughter when she goes to school and she cannot borrow money from relatives who used to borrow from her when she was still working in Hong Kong.  Thus, even if it is already high noon she would go to the farm to join her husband for lunch. 

“In here, all that Eddie and I would think about are the bright prospects that our crops could bring, thanks to the project,” Agnes said with teary eyes.  With a tone of pride, Eddie said his farming practices changed much when he joined the palayamanan project.  However, the project was about to be terminated when he became a participating farmer.  He said the knowledge he learned from palayamanan was further enhanced by his participation in the TCP 3.

Comparing the past with his present practices, Eddie said much has already changed.  In the past, he did not even know the proper method of fertilization, and weed control was never practiced. 

“They taught us a lot of technologies that we could use to improve our lives,” Eddie said. 

Agnes added, “If this vegetable production technology was not taught to us, we would not have enough for our food and other needs.”  Besides helping her husband in the farm, she is also a dressmaker but the income is not much.

Overall, the PhilRice-JICA project has saved Eddie and Agnes from the anguish of a continuing memory on the scams that ruined their lives.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/)

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