Along the rocky terrain of
Mindanao’s eastern coast, in the town of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, is a lush
10-hectare community farm that has been cited as one of the model farms by
various government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Despite the unpredictable weather, which includes month-long monsoon rains and
even longer dry spells, the farm has yielded fruits and vegetables beyond what
the land and its surrounding areas has ever seen.
This verdant bounty and pockets
of rain forests belies the fact that most of Hinatuan lies on limestone
bedrock. The constant salty winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean, alongside the
lack of access to fresh water has contributed to the less than ideal
environment for agricultural cultivation and has restricted most farming activities
to coconut and corn production. The lack of water source also discounts the
possibility of livestock-raising.
“In 2012, we decided to farm
better with the assistance from various stakeholders. We made sure that every
help we received would be maximized,” said Arsolino Cabilin, chairman of the
Tagasaka Coconut Farmers Association (TACOFA).
Dina Bayarcal shows off her
soybeans in her portion of the 10-hectare TACOFA demo farm. With water easily
accessible with the ram pump, Bayarcal and her group are rotating crops, from
soybeans to cantaloupe to corn.
In that same year, TACOFA became
a recipient of the Coca-Cola Agos Program in partnership with Alternative
Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI). Through this project, the
community was able to effectively shift to a more sustainable farming system –
organic farming.
The Coca-Cola Agos Program
installed a modified version of a simple technology called ram pump that allows
lowland water to be brought to elevated areas without the need for electricity.
Making barren landscapes lush with
the Coca-Cola Agos Program
“The unpredictable weather made
it difficult for us to veer away from planting only coconuts and corn. There
were times when it would suddenly have three weeks of no rain, sometimes it
would stretch for two and a half months. Vegetables could not hold it out that
long without rain,” said Dina Bayarcal, a TACOFA member and former treasurer.
“We would fetch water from the river and manually bring it to the farm and
water the plants. That’s the only thing we would do the whole day during a dry
spell,” Bayarcal added.
With the availability of water
through the ram pumps, TACOFA was able to diversify its crops that now include
cantaloupes, watermelons, soybeans, corn, coconuts, and other vegetables that
are grown throughout the year. The association is even putting up a coco fiber
rope and coir (coconut fiber) production facility.
Today, TACOFA membership has
grown to over 100 farmer members tilling and developing the 10-hectare land,
tapping its water source from the Coca-Cola Agos Program. The organization even
plans on leasing some of the neighboring farms in order for them to expand
their production.
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Arsocena Cabiling, farmer and
mother, holds up harvested corn in their fields in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
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“With a secure source of water,
through the Coca-Cola Agos ram pumps, we were able to think of ways on how to
better improve the way we farm. Access to water opened us to an endless
possibility of options on what we can plant and raise,” said Cabilin. “We are
also looking at ways on how we can further add value to our products.”
This year, the association has
completed its coco coir production facility that would enable them to produce
ropes, fiber mats, and coir logs – natural and biodegradable ways of preventing
soil erosion, and contour farming. Tagasaka’s coconut nurseries have even
boosted its contribution to the Department of Agriculture’s continuing effort
to rehabilitate the ageing coconut industry, with seedling mortality rates now
reduced from 55 to 20 percent.
Coca-Cola Agos Program: A gift to
the next generation
TACOFA serves as the association
for managing the Coca-Cola Agos Program after the ram pumps were turned over to
the community. As the recipient organization and on behalf of the whole
community, they are responsible for the maintenance and assurance that the ram
pumps will continue to serve its purpose. Prior to the turn-over, TACOFA
underwent workshops and orientations conducted by AIDFI on how to maintain and
manage the ram pump as well as their natural environment. Two members of the
organization also underwent hands-on mechanical training and have been
certified by AIDFI to maintain the ram pumps for the community.
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Colorful murals are painted on
the exterior walls of the water reservoir of Coca-Cola Agos Program.
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The organization serves as the unifying
body for all household and farm recipients of the Coca-Cola Agos Program. They
work hand-in-hand in taking care of the gift of water brought about by the
installation of ram pumps for their community. They envision the project to
serve the water needs of now and preserved for the next generations of TACOFA
members.
“The Coca-Cola Agos ram pump is a
gift to us, and it will be our gift to the next generation. Today, we will show
the people the many ways one can farm; we will show those who have given much
to us that we are grateful for their gift,” said Cabilin. “And we will show the
next generation that with hard work, perseverance, and unceasing faith, things
can and will be better.”
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