Backpacking Buhisan 2A: Toong

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The second day of my backpacking trip had the most challenging route I’ve ever taken so far.

Whatever notion I had in my mind that since I had experienced some mountain treks for years I would be totally ready for this certain day, ALL OF IT was wiped out the moment I saw what I was really up to. Also, Buhisan may be part of the entire Central Cebu Protected Landscape but it is totally different from the Mananga Watershed—which I frequent. Buhisan’s mountain ranges are mostly rocky AND slope-y, and if you are not careful, you’d easily slip down and hurt yourself. But with the officers and members of the Toong Volunteer Farmers Association with us, I had enough mental leeway to experience the day meaningfully.

Toong is one of the smaller barangays located within the Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve. And since most of its land area is particularly mountainous, most of these locals have to contend to living and establishing farms on slopy areas. It’s amazing how these locals are so used to running on these trails with their big baskets (locally called a bakat) on their backs, relying on nothing but their leg power to ensure their safe and balanced tread back to the barangay proper where they would transport their produce to the marketplace.  And it equally makes you glad that the IFS technology is really intended for these farmlands since its format prevents soil erosion and siltation to the dam.

Compared to Dulhogan, it took us an entire day to monitor and document seven farms—that speaks how far the farms are from each other (we actually crossed more than two mountains). It gave me a complete immersive experience since I had time to rest on some of the houses of our farmers, prepare food and eat with them during lunch (that chicken left a great aftertaste for days) and just listen to their life stories.

See entire gallery on my Posterous




On this particular trip, most of the farmers we’ve encountered are females, and once it amazed me how they could juggle tending the farm that far from their nucleus home and take care of their families. Taking shots were easier today since I finally had a hang on what the team specifically wanted for this project. Thanks for that insightful direction, Sir Leo P! Now I felt like starting my own IFS farm too!

Some children joined us in our adventure, and this was where I met Ronald (the boy you saw with a bakat in the photo set). Throughout the day he sort of became my best friend—guiding me to the easier paths and making sure the path ahead of me was safe before I lurch in. He also sort of became my enemy because he had that carefree and teasing way of showing off how he could easily run—run!—on very hilly slopes—the kind that the next step you need to take is staring at your nose—while I had to huff and puff my way through it. Ah, the glamour of youth.

We finally had time to rest when we reached the highest peak. To give you some gauge at how high we were, a tower of a telecommunications company can already be reached by us in a few meters. Looking down at all the trees and slopes I could my feast my eyes on, I couldn’t believe I actually made it. And I couldn’t believe I have to get that far because some of our farmers had to go that far to manage their farms. The fact that there is an ongoing project that will help them assuage their challenges relieves me a lot.

And now, for my own list of eurekas:

1. The locally called grass escoba has a very unique feature (last photo on the set). When its flowers are closed, it’s high tide. When they bloom, it’s low tide. 
2. For the IFS technology, the A-Frame is used to determine just how far the contours should be in your slope-y landscape.
3. In this place, and if you’re female, your legal marrying age is 14-15. That means I’m already a spinster in Toong’s terms (the female farmers laughingly shared).
4. For our members to get their wildlings, they have to visit these forests for days.
5. There is a reason the madre-de-cacao (Gliricidia sepium) is planted on these hedgerows. There’ll be a separate blog for this.

I couldn’t believe how glowing I felt—my face might’ve even glowed—when, hiking back on the motorcycle behind Sir Leo, Manang Cleofe, one of TVFA’s officers, thanked me for really joining them in the trip ‘til the end and really visited their homes and farms, ate with them, and just talked with them. I felt immediately humbled; I was not just doing this because it’s my job, but because this is what I love to do. Not all people had a chance to do this, and I felt particularly responsible because it is in my ability to share this to the world and let other people see what they can’t personally experience. Hopefully, someone will check this and decide to help them in any way. Wouldn’t that be great?

The next day after this will be another exciting trail as we continue to document the rest of the farms of Toong. Also, we will visit one of Toong’s hidden natural treasures, so stay tuned!

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