.
“Wake me up again and I will butcher you with my comb (which happens to be the only thing I could grab in my sleep-induced mind).”
Naturally, knowing how murderous I can be when woken up at a time I do not wish, my younger siblings picked up all the pillows I did not use and made them their shields. I still laugh thinking at that day I was woken up early. But this is not the story you should know.
The day was meant for hard work. A few days earlier, I was commissioned to photograph all the farmers from the Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve who we helped improve their farm produce through the Integrated Farming System technology. The concept behind this is simple: they cut the trees and clear large areas of their field because they need livelihood. Through this technology, they do not need to clear more areas of the watershed because they can fully maximize the potential of their farmlands, however small it is. And by harvesting more income-generating crops, less people will cut down trees for additional income. The best part of it all is that the technology utilizes an environment-friendly approach, you have forest and fruit trees as your borders, so, in your own little way, you are contributing to the watershed.
When I say I had to take all individual farmers, I meant every. Individual. Farmer. Wherever their farms may be located (slope-wise, altitude-wise, and length-of-trail-wise). I was apprehensive at my own skills in defying gravity and staying in one place, but I have Sir Leo with me, our technical officer, so it was all good in the end.
Throughout the day, I had to utilize balancing acts, crawl on steep slopes to get better angles of shots and face my fear of heights. Nothing of these things mattered though whenever we meet each farmer who gave me a lot of new discoveries! Like how this barangay, in particular, grow cassava as its major crop since the sloping and weather is perfect for it.
“Wake me up again and I will butcher you with my comb (which happens to be the only thing I could grab in my sleep-induced mind).”
Naturally, knowing how murderous I can be when woken up at a time I do not wish, my younger siblings picked up all the pillows I did not use and made them their shields. I still laugh thinking at that day I was woken up early. But this is not the story you should know.
The day was meant for hard work. A few days earlier, I was commissioned to photograph all the farmers from the Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve who we helped improve their farm produce through the Integrated Farming System technology. The concept behind this is simple: they cut the trees and clear large areas of their field because they need livelihood. Through this technology, they do not need to clear more areas of the watershed because they can fully maximize the potential of their farmlands, however small it is. And by harvesting more income-generating crops, less people will cut down trees for additional income. The best part of it all is that the technology utilizes an environment-friendly approach, you have forest and fruit trees as your borders, so, in your own little way, you are contributing to the watershed.
When I say I had to take all individual farmers, I meant every. Individual. Farmer. Wherever their farms may be located (slope-wise, altitude-wise, and length-of-trail-wise). I was apprehensive at my own skills in defying gravity and staying in one place, but I have Sir Leo with me, our technical officer, so it was all good in the end.
Throughout the day, I had to utilize balancing acts, crawl on steep slopes to get better angles of shots and face my fear of heights. Nothing of these things mattered though whenever we meet each farmer who gave me a lot of new discoveries! Like how this barangay, in particular, grow cassava as its major crop since the sloping and weather is perfect for it.
At the last destination, we reached the peak of one of Buhisan’s mountains which already gave us a wonderful view of the Buhisan Dam and the city landscape. I couldn’t resist; I asked Sir Leo to take a photo of me with the farmer who actually lived there. He was the one who told me how hard it had been, years ago, to just get water for their homes before the dam was ever built. And yet, they never saw it as a challenge because they’ve always lived that way for years. Such are the survival and adaptive instincts of men. Such is their optimism, and I feel so enthralled to be able to just experience this all, lucky to have a job that allows me to help in my own way. I still have a long way to go.
I learned a lot throughout this adventure:- There is a shrub locally called as sangig (last photo on the set), which locals use as a special herb for chicken-based dishes. It is used like ginger—and it smells really good, too.
- Almost 80% of the farms here grow cassava, which I call the plant with the strongest sense of balance.
- Years ago, these locals used to create contours on their farmlands by using riffraff-hard boulders to ensure no siltation/soil-erosion takes place.
- Mountain slopes and edges, are, after all, walk-able, intimidating may they look.
- I can do this for dayyyyyyysssss. =D
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