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πΉπ‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘π‘’π‘‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘ π‘’. . .

It was the year 2000; twin typhoons had just left half of the Philippines in disarray. Houses blown away, trees uprooted, and hopes taken as another storm rushes toward Luzon. All over, there was nothing but devastation as Florence Mendoza, with her husband, Ferdinand Mendoza, looked around their mango farmβ€”or what’s left of it. Their livelihood, their source of income, just gone.

The dark clouds still loom over the Mendoza couple when the hit of debt and misfortune came to Ferdinand’s head, causing his illnesses to flare. Again and again, they were hit with harsh rain and rough winds, problem after problem, one loss after the other in their mango orchard. To get up every morning was a chore, and to keep fighting felt like an upward battle. . . one Florence and Ferdinand fought against all odds.

𝐼𝑛 π‘ π‘–π‘π‘˜π‘›π‘’π‘ π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 β„Žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘‘β„Ž. . .

Starting from the bottom once again, Florence resold fruits and vegetables in the market to get by while Ferdinand, ailed with diabetes, high blood pressure, and enlargement of the heart, still stayed by her side, and she, with him. Together, determined to rise back up again, the routine trudged day by day. One day, Ferdinand noticed something: that all the fruit seeds were simply rotting away in the markets, going to waste. With an idea in mind, Ferdinand asked for those unwanted seeds he later planted in a nursery. From those seeds sprouted what would be the couple’s first ray of sunshine after the storms.

Ferdinand found his healing through his ever-striving wife and the plants they grew from the ground-up. Serving as his exercise and therapy just as much as his livelihood, Ferdinand played an active role in nurturing their seedlings. Florencia, aided by the Department of Agriculture, planted ten seedlings of lanzones in their 1.6-hectare land. Every day, they tended to their trees, making sure that everything was natural and healthy. This time around, they were determined to brave the storms. To further encourage himself from the breakdowns and the past hindrances, Ferdinand had bravely said, β€œDapat dito na ako yayaman.” Compost beneath the land, the past behind, endless possibilities ahead, and them together, side by side, they took on the challenges of the world.

It took them two years to feel the sunshine that warmly shone over their lands. Eventually, plants grew, flowers bloomed, and fruits bore. Rambutan, guyabano, and lanzones, Florence saw more blossoms and profits under their new organic blueprint. This included buying cow manure from fellow farmers and relatives, helping others as they grow for their organic farm. With the support of the Department of Agriculture, especially in giving compost apart from the one their farm already produces, they were able to grow abundant harvests, as if the clouds of their past hardships had simply been blown away.

πΉπ‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Ÿ. . .

Storms still came, but through organic farming, they were able to keep going. Miles different from their past livelihood of spraying fertilizers on their mango orchard, Florence attested that even their two years of organic farming yielded better results than their seven years of mango farming due to everything being natural and healthier. They sold their harvests through the Kadiwa stall in a local mall paid for by the Department of Agriculture. It was not long before they were challenged by the PGS, or Participatory Guarantee System, a system in which small farmers or fisherfolk are certified in engaging in organic agriculture.

β€œKaya ko kaya?” Florencia asked herself when faced with the opportunity. But after all they’ve been through, why on earth would they stop now? In a whirlwind tale, Florencia’s Farm was unexpectedly visited by Dr. Marvin Quilates, the Agricultural Center Chief II of DA-RFO1, giving her no time for preparation at all as she was not even there, only her husband. But this only goes to show that there was no need for manipulation, and they had nothing to hide when the Department of Agriculture ascertained the farm’s purely organic ways. This paved the way for a certification from the PGS that Florencia’s Farm is indeed organic.

The accreditation not only served as a testament to their organic way of farming but also as a mark that this couple was willing to share their success with other farmers. Members that practice organic farming share experiences amongst each other. The goal is to not only reach the people of the City of San Fernando but also in other municipalities. β€œKung paano ko ginawa, mga natutunan ko sa PGS, ituturo ko rin sa kanila,” affirmed Florence Mendoza, willing to pass on the rays of sunshine that saved them from their storms.

πΉπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘€π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘. . .

While content with the blessings from their organic farm, Florence and Ferdinand Mendoza still have big dreams for their farm. Aside from rambutan, calamansi lanzones, and guyabano, they also started planting avocado, little by little, growing toward their goal of having every fruit-bearing tree available, and if chances sprinkle some rays of light on it, they are also planning to add pili-nuts.

The organic farm was their rise from adversity; while the trees grew and fruits bore, they found recovery and healing in the healthy ways of organic farming. Thankful for the DA-RFO1, the City of San Fernando, PGS, and ATI, Florence and Ferdinand Mendoza swear by organic farming with the line, β€œLalaban pa rin tayo, dito lang tayo sa organic.” Holding hands and determined, they vow to face the world standing on organic ground, side-by-side, in storms and in sunshine.