THE Aguilar family lives in Barangay Balogo, Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay. They have six hectares of land but didn’t have the capital and the practical know-how in farming.
But for Luster and Enriqueta Aguilar, all they need was diligence and hard work, though the 1990’s then was difficult times and the couple knew that they need to live and nurture their children.
“We started with something very small,” Luster recalls. He said he wanted to try farming vegetables and so with the help of his wife and kids, they planted their backyard with eggplants from two sachets of eggplant seeds.
The two packets of eggplant and ampalaya seeds were given by the Department of Agriculture (DA) GMA-High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) of the Programang Gulayan para sa Masa (PGMA).
The assorted vegetable seeds were distributed then in the region under the PGMA vegetable enhancement program and the HVCC regular program where the Aguilar family became recipients.
The government’s aggressive implementation of PGMA is to reduce hunger incidence in the country. With vegetable as one of the priority commodities included in PGMA, a total of 1,297 hectares all over the country have been vegetated to date.
The DA said that this program was also able to generate a total of 6,485 jobs.
Back to the Aguilar family, their eggplants grew in 400 hills and after a month of their first harvest, they earned P1,000. Happy with the outcome, they purchased more seeds and planted it in one-fourth hectare of their land.
The kept planting until their one-fourth hectare grew into three hectares. Aside from eggplant, they planted ampalaya, string beans and okra.
“Vegetables are not only wholesome and nourishing but it can also become ready food anytime, we even share it to our neighbors. Most of all it gives us a livelihood especially that we didn’t finish our studies,” the couple said.
The family’s effort paid off along with the imparted expertise by LGU technicians of Imelda. Soon enough, the Aguilar couple tried rice farming by using decomposed rice hulls and chicken dung as organic fertilizer which are readily available in the locality.
Now with enough capital, Luster and Enriqueta decided to buy a farm tractor, sprayer, weighing scale and other farm facilities for their farm. They also acquired three piglets for fattening. Recently, they earned P15,000 for the fully grown hogs.
The couple likewise was able to pay for the tuition fees of their children. Eldest son, Dodong, now assists in the family farming venture. He said he will take the agriculture course in college.
Dodong’s younger sister is now a high school sophomore while his two other brothers and youngest sister are presently doing well in elementary school.
During weekends, the Aguilar family travel to Buug and sell their harvested vegetables at the Bagsakan Center. From their first profit of P1,000, they now gross a monthly earnings of P20,000.
Today, Luster recalls his blessings and attributes these to his family’s dedication to hard work. Indeed, the two packs of vegetable seeds have grown a long way for them.
REPORT BY MARK B. U. LARIDE-DA9-PC
But for Luster and Enriqueta Aguilar, all they need was diligence and hard work, though the 1990’s then was difficult times and the couple knew that they need to live and nurture their children.
“We started with something very small,” Luster recalls. He said he wanted to try farming vegetables and so with the help of his wife and kids, they planted their backyard with eggplants from two sachets of eggplant seeds.
The two packets of eggplant and ampalaya seeds were given by the Department of Agriculture (DA) GMA-High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) of the Programang Gulayan para sa Masa (PGMA).
The assorted vegetable seeds were distributed then in the region under the PGMA vegetable enhancement program and the HVCC regular program where the Aguilar family became recipients.
The government’s aggressive implementation of PGMA is to reduce hunger incidence in the country. With vegetable as one of the priority commodities included in PGMA, a total of 1,297 hectares all over the country have been vegetated to date.
The DA said that this program was also able to generate a total of 6,485 jobs.
Back to the Aguilar family, their eggplants grew in 400 hills and after a month of their first harvest, they earned P1,000. Happy with the outcome, they purchased more seeds and planted it in one-fourth hectare of their land.
The kept planting until their one-fourth hectare grew into three hectares. Aside from eggplant, they planted ampalaya, string beans and okra.
“Vegetables are not only wholesome and nourishing but it can also become ready food anytime, we even share it to our neighbors. Most of all it gives us a livelihood especially that we didn’t finish our studies,” the couple said.
The family’s effort paid off along with the imparted expertise by LGU technicians of Imelda. Soon enough, the Aguilar couple tried rice farming by using decomposed rice hulls and chicken dung as organic fertilizer which are readily available in the locality.
Now with enough capital, Luster and Enriqueta decided to buy a farm tractor, sprayer, weighing scale and other farm facilities for their farm. They also acquired three piglets for fattening. Recently, they earned P15,000 for the fully grown hogs.
The couple likewise was able to pay for the tuition fees of their children. Eldest son, Dodong, now assists in the family farming venture. He said he will take the agriculture course in college.
Dodong’s younger sister is now a high school sophomore while his two other brothers and youngest sister are presently doing well in elementary school.
During weekends, the Aguilar family travel to Buug and sell their harvested vegetables at the Bagsakan Center. From their first profit of P1,000, they now gross a monthly earnings of P20,000.
Today, Luster recalls his blessings and attributes these to his family’s dedication to hard work. Indeed, the two packs of vegetable seeds have grown a long way for them.
REPORT BY MARK B. U. LARIDE-DA9-PC