Bantay son finds success in Mindanao

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

AN SVD PRIEST once told this writer, “Go South, young man. There are lots of opportunities over there.” True enough, there are lots of opportunities in the south, particularly in Mindanao.

One of those who realized a truism in the advice of that priest is a son of Bantay, Ilocos Sur – Dr. Faustino P. Obrero, a retired scientist of Del Monte Philippines Inc. at Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and a retired president of the Mt. Kitanglad Agricultural Development Corp. in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, which is engaged in the export of fresh pineapple. Indeed, it was in Mindanao where he attained professional and economic growth.

His colleagues know that he finished the Master of Science (MS) in plant pathology at the University of Hawaii (UH). But many of them don’t know that he went to Hawaii in search of the proverbial pot of gold just like his father who went there as sugar plantation worker after the Second World War. In fact, he went to Hawaii right after he submitted the manuscript of his undergraduate thesis at the UP College of Agriculture in 1962.

Unlike most Ilocanos, however, he refused to accept a menial job, like that of a waiter in a small restaurant who had to stay after everybody has already left to make it ready for the following day. He told himself that he is a graduate of the University of the Philippines and the job was not fitted to a college graduate.

He did not report for work after he was given an orientation. But he did not know that he would be blacklisted from a good job after that. So he made up his mind to pursue the MS degree to the consternation of his father, as he was afraid he would not be able to support him financially.

To support himself, the young Tino did part-time work in research projects at UH, including the researches of his Filipino classmates like Dr. Kitch Laigo, who comes from La Union. Later, he worked in hotels and maintained the lawns of rich Chinese in exchange for free room. Then he got financial assistance from Del Monte Philippines (Philippine Packing Corp) with a contract to work in that company after graduation. It was as if his future was already insured.

The rest is a story that greatly differs from a lot of those who went to Hawaii. After finishing the MS degree, Tino returned to the Philippines to fulfill his contract with Del Monte where he worked as a plant pathologist, particularly on the diseases of pineapple, tomato, papaya, and mango.

It was at Del Monte where his expertise as a plant pathologist was honed and recognized by his colleagues nationally and internationally. He returned to UP Los Banos in 1979 to pursue the Doctor of Philosophy and finished it after two years, as the research for his dissertation was already ongoing.

During his last three years in Del Monte in the early 1990s, Dr. Obrero was tasked to manage the company’s cultural management operations in its 1,600 hectares of pineapple. Throughout his stay in that company, he also provided technical services to other Del Monte operations in Costa Rica and Kenya.

He retired from Del Monte in 1993, but only to get a new tire, so to speak. Soon after that, he became the research manager of the Bukidnon Resources Co., a small player in tomato paste processing that he helped establish with another son of the Ilocos, Dr. Johnny C. Acosta.

Later, he helped establish the Mt. Kitanglad Agricultural Development Corp., which produces fresh pineapple for export. Under his stewardship as its operations manager and later president, the firm grew to become a threat to the big players, Del Monte and Dole Philippines, as its exports to Japan and other foreign markets have been steadily increasing. He retired from the corporation early this year.

As operations manager, he saw to it that low-chemical pineapple is produced using a new technology based on environmental conservation. To the astonishment of foreign visitors, 30 percent of the firm’s arable area is devoted to environmental conservation.

All throughout its plantations, MKADC has established catch basins to sustain and enhance the integrity of the environment. These trap rain water before it goes to the rivers, thereby collecting sediments and preventing the pollution of rivers. Methods of fertilization and pest control are used to reduce chemical pollution, making the environment favorable to birds and beneficial insects.

Under his stewardship, the firm received in 2004 the most coveted environment conservation certification from the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit international conservation organization, to the envy of the big players.

Despite his hectic schedule at MKADC, Dr. Obrero still found time for his pet eco-tourism project, The Obrero’s Place, which now keeps him busy after retirement. The Obrero’s Place is an agro-ecotourism park, a gallery of ornamental gardens with swimming pools, and meandering brooks bounded with a miniforest. Its world-class lodging houses and function halls beckon those who wish to commune with nature and liberate themselves from the hustle in urban centers. His mansion serves as the centerpiece of the park.

Among its attractions are gardens of anthurium, Philippine fruit trees, flowering perennials, tropical plants and palms, a hillside or wall garden that displays bromeliads and exotic ferns, and a gazebo on a riverbank fronting a cliff with hanging vine roots of a Balete tree. Busbusilak and carimbuaya from the Ilocos have even become part of the park.

Dr. Obrero has already developed bromeliads with colorful fruits and peduncles that can be used for flower arrangements. Among the bromeliad hybrids he has developed are Anonas comosus var. Tino Obrero, Anonas comosus var. Lydia Obrero (his wife), and Anonas comosus var. morada.

“These hybrids produce delicious fruits that can be ripened and eaten after enjoying them for four months as ornamental houseplants,” Dr. Obrero said.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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