Local farm sites: Agriculture for food security and sustainability amid pandemic

Candijay-born politician-turned organic farmer Robert Olaer, with wife Brenda from the Yu political clan of Calape, owners of Iyaah Eco-Farm in a pose with Audio-Bohol president Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao-Gabin from the City Government of Tagbilaran.

The members of the Association of United Development Information Officers (Audio) in Bohol had been looking forward to July 29 and 30, 2020 as another exciting learning opportunity. Dubbed "Blogging Forum", the activity included lectures and expository tours to farm tourism sites being assisted by the Agricultural Training Institute Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) for Central Visayas headed by Dr. Carolyn May O. Daquio based in Barangay Cabawan, Tagbilaran City, Bohol. 

Recently, Bohol Governor Arthur C. Yap emphasized the importance of agriculture to Boholanos incorporating agriculture in the tourism industry. 

Farm tourism is the business of attracting visitors to go to farm areas, generally for educational purposes, while encouraging economic activities that can provide both the farm and community income. 

However, due to the CoVid-19 strict health and safety standard protocols, the AUDIO-Bohol group composed of information officers from the local government units and national line agencies in the province led by City Government of Tagbilaran's Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao - Gabin as president, were divided into two groups for July 29 and 30, but with the same itinerary. 

The Audio members with Robert and Brenda Olaer, ATI-RTC 7's Doris Isabel Racho, and PIA-Bohol's Rey Anthony Chiu and Elvira Bongosia at Iyaah Eco-Farm.

ATI-RTC 7's Doris Isabel Racho facilitated the activity which started with the opening program sharing the ATI TRC-7 agricultural development thrust, as well as its staunch commitment to the “Bayanihan to Heal Act”, while teaching new trends in communication such as blogging and vlogging and showcasing different farm technologies. 

After the lecture of Bohol Bloggers' Collective former president and content writer Jhuriz Dugaduga about blogging who taught the group on how to make interesting posts that attract engagements using the social media, Jomer Balag, the owner of Jolit's Eco-Garden in Cambacay, Batuan town, took the Audio members for a brief tour of the area and explained the fruit fermentation process using molasses to provide the necessary nutrients to his plants in the farm. 

The visitors were also served all-natural passion fruit juice. Nestled in the interior part of the province, the place is, indeed, a haven of locally produced vegetables and ornamentals that are a sure delight to every "plantliner".

The most-awaited part of the visitors was the chance to choose and buy the ornamentals that made the ATI coaster look like a crowded "lasang" (forest) on the way back to Tagbilaran.

Jomer Balag of Jolit's Eco-Garden explains the fermentation process using molasses.

IYAAH Eco-Farm, coined from the word “kinaiyahan” (nature), an acronym meaning “Inigsoonay'ng Yano Alang sa Agrikulturang Hamugaway”, is situated on a 10,500 square meter-property less than 5 kilometers away from the center of Tagbilaran City.

 It is classified as an integrated diversified farm that has been registered as one of ATI-RTC 7’s learning sites.

The owner, former Candijay Sangguniang Bayan member Robert Olaer, supported by his wife Brenda, shared their passion for the conservation of nature and its sustainability which aligns with their strong advocacy to have a “Happy Living, Healthy Lifestyle, and Holistic Life”.

 According to Olaer who is the Tagbilaran City Agriculture and Fishery Council (CAFC) chair,  Kapunongan sa mga Bol-anong Organikong Mag-uuma (KBOOM) vice-president, and Central Visayas Farm Tourism Association (CeViFTA) vice-president, they are basically teaching “harmonious living by eating locally-produced organic foods, while constantly communicating with nature. After all, nature does it all.”

Capping the educational part of the one-day activity was the lecture on vlogging by noted Panglaoanon graphic artist Rowell Clenuar, founder of Travel 29, the marketing agency that popularized the Alicia Panoramic Park, who challenged the Audio members to harness their creativity. 

On behalf of group, Audio-Bohol president Gabin expressed profound gratitude to the ATI-RTC-7 for sponsoring the blogging forum geared towards teaching a more interesting platform of sharing knowledge while expressing oneself, refining communication skills, expanding professional networks, making a difference to the general public,  and learning how to appreciate and be engaged in the promotion of agriculture  towards food  security and sustainability, especially  in this time of pandemic.

PIA-Bohol’s Rey Anthony Chiu and Elvira Bongosia also provided coordination.

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Sweet memories

Someone forwarded this article he culled from the Internet. I think this is worth sharing. 

As a kid,  Regardless of the weather, our dinner time was at 7:00PM and bed time was 9:00PM.

Eating out at a #restaurant was a huge deal, and usually to celebrate a special occasion.

There was no such thing as fast food on every other day, and having a bottle of soft drinks or a large ice-cream from the local shop was a real treat. Boy oh boy! Pass your final exams and then you may get a new pair of shoes or set of clothes! 

You took your school clothes off as soon as you got home and put on your ‘home’ clothes. There was no taking or picking you up in the car, you either boarded the school bus or rode on public transport!  Or simply walked back. You got home did your chores and your homework after dinner. 

We didn’t have #cabletv #wifi or #Netflix, we had only a few channels to watch and not available 24/7.

We played shatong, tumbang preso, Hide & Seek, marbles, jack stones, and any other game we could come up with.....  At home, we stuck to chess, scrabbles, ludo, snakes and ladders. 

Staying shut in the house was a PUNISHMENT and the only thing we knew about "bored" was --- "You better find something to do before I find it for you!"

We played music via records, magnetic tapes or listened to the radio. 

We went to the local shop for groceries and candy used to be a few cents or at the most one cent.

We ate what Mom made for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even snacks were homemade. Bottled water was unheard of. We drank tap water. At home it was boiled and cooled . While playing outside straight from the tap.

We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING.  We played until dark... sunset was our alarm.

We hung around with real friends not virtual. We rode our bicycles or walked to meet our friends at their houses. Friends houses were extension to our home.

If someone had a fight, that's what it was and we were friends again a week later, if not SOONER.

We watched our MOUTHS around our elders because ALL of our aunts, uncles, grandpas, grandmas, AND our parents' best friends were all extensions of our PARENTS and you didn't want them telling your parents if you misbehaved! Or they would give you something to cry about.

We respected the Police, Firemen, Ambulance workers, Teachers, Doctors and Nurses. 

We never answered back..... ever!! 

We got detention at school for not doing homework, being late to class or being naughty. Our teachers spanked us when we deserved, and our parents did not complain about it.

Those were the good days. So many kids today will never know how it feels to be a kid the way we used to be 😁.  I loved my childhood and all the friends I hung around with. Good Times 🤓😘

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