Time For Getting On The Ground

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Cong. Procy Alcala will be the new Secretary of Department of Agriculture.

Early this morning, Tere texts that she and Dante are on the way to Manila to do initial support work for Secretary Alcala. Rare time that we can all get together, she calls to ask if time permits, will Zac Sarian and I have time for coffee after work?

The strong rain late afternoon didn't deter us from meeting up. Over dimsum and pots of tea, we shared laughter and just assuring ourselves who the real people are.

Its been sometime now since we all met. As usual, started with Zac and my itchy soles....wanting to get out of Metro and visit farms. For Doc Rey and I it is learning. For Zac, more often than not, in search for stories to tell. We went to Quezon and met the Earthkeepers (search tags Earthkeepers). In one trip to Davao, Tere led us to meet Dante and Tibaw...she said "they are True Blue Farmers".

Rest is history and it started a real respect of one another....not just because of the experience in natural farming...but more of natural people.

I didn't want to miss this...over long conversation, taking photos. I was able to capture the core group of Secretary Alcala.

Dante and Tere were the major movers and researchers for the Likasaka book on natural farming.

They credit the push and spreading of their work, to a lot of support from Zac Sarian of Bulletin.

I am thankful for the opportunity of being with them on a relaxing note. We were not work, we were their break from it all...it was for us all to get grounded. Tomorrow, it is time to get the feet on the ground to do the work.

Earthkeepers #2

After that hearty meal we had at Earthkeepers on our first visit there, we jumped up on the prospect of seeing Tere and Armand again....oh yes, also their buffet.

I got tickled when their daughter saw us entering and she called her mom, Tere, and said "Andito na sila Sunshine" :)

Cong. Alcala arrived and an instant consultative meeting came about as all sectors were represented.

Had to visit the Sunshines in their new home. They sure were glad they were sent there.

Can't wait to work more with Quezon.

Pueblo Por La Playa

Spending the night in Quezon was not really on our agenda. We always brought an overnight tote, for the unexpecteds.

When the question of going to Pagbilao came up for dinner and a possible meeting...it didn't really fit into our tummies. We were food full already, stories up high, new natural farming techniques up in our sleeves. Besides, I always exhaust ALL reasons to go home to my bathroom :)

Well, maybe dinner..then we can go home. We met Congressman Alcala at the bagsakan center and he had to go to a graduation but would follow for dinner.

So off we drove to the unknown place in Pagbilao, Quezon called Pueble Por La Playa.

As we were approaching and parked our car....


Dinner was served, but maybe we were too full and tired...our tastebuds were also sleepy. By 8pm we thought our dinner date won't show up. By that time though, we were determined to relax and enjoy :)

By 6:30am, and Congressman Alcala was there. He toured us around, starting with showing off the infinity pool from the best vantage point, the top of the waterfalls. The shower rooms for the men is just on the right, and he showed us the view from the men's urinals :) Perfect huh?! A spa will be built around that same area to have that view too.

Then we hopped around the greenhouses that produces the organic vegetables and fruits for the hotel.

Breakfast was great. This time we were tired after all the walking. We had freshly baked bread, dip of farm produced herbs and olive oil, steamed prawns, organic vegetable salad. You forget when in nirvana :) We washed it all down with freshly made tea from tarragon leaves from the garden.

Can Sunshines be far behind after all these?

SPPAQ-Foundation Inc

We drove to Sariaya, Quezon to visit Sentrong Pamilihan Ng Produktong Agrikultura Ng Quezon (SPPAQ-Foundation Inc).

This bagsakan center, administered by Ariel has been helping the farmers around the area. Farmers bring their produce and buyers from all over go there to buy vegetables.

You think only Baguio and Nueva Vizcaya has the beans, cabbage etc?

Farm inputs are lent to farmers, equipments are available for low rent rates, seminars are given to update and educate them.

We met farmer Felipe who has a nice story to tell. You will be glad that a hardworking man will now have confidence that radiates. He is a classic example of an empowered man.

Earthkeepers Garden In Tiaong, Quezon

We decided to tag along on this trip just to go to the South of Luzon, via the East road from Rizal.

Had a hearty breakfast of the freshest latexless Langka from Teresa Orchard, over muesli and fresh milk.

By 7am, we were off the pleasant drive to Tiaong, Quezon

Getting to the entrance of Earthkeepers, by the roadside, didn't prepare us for the day ahead.

Tere and Armand welcomed us and led us thru a short maze of gift shop, their abode, and the largest building marked "restaurant", all comforted by blankets of ornamental plants.

As you approach the restaurant, you think why the building (you see a wall with windows) is enclosed in net. You walk past the door of the screen and realize there is only one wall and the whole area is enclosed in net. No boundaries, open, great view. The washrooms are also integrated with the garden.


We were served breakfast, that we were treating as brunch. Remember, we already had a hearty, healthy one. Laid on our table: naturally raised pork refried adobo, hard boiled native chicken eggs, fried sinaing na tulingan, tinolang native manok, ensalada, real malagkit suman w/ latik and naturally grown rice with great aroma and fresh taste. We thought it was too much! Wehehehhehe, a second round of pork adobo came out...still wiped out! Perfectly washed down by brewed coffee. We were laughing about a before and after photos of the table.

We went to walk around the nursery of ornamental plants, all naturally grown, no pesticides, no chemicals.

They make much of their farm inputs. They veer away from using the term organic...they call it natural farming.

Then we went to the pig pens. Boy were they glad to see visitors as they knew they will be given leaves to eat...part of the tour, they were like part of the show :) Then nearby the native chickens that gave us eggs.

After talking about Sunshines, they will start raising for their naturally produced restaurant to serve the meat and the eggs.

Tere talks about walking around the premises of Earthkeepers early in the morning and picking from the trellis and vines her breakfast.

They give seminars to interested parties, actually Congressman Alcala sends his people to train there. Tere actually had sore throat that day. Armand is trying to figure out what the cause was..wehehhe and he says he will reproduce that to give her a bad voice when he needs it.

Armand and Tere are a joy to talk to as they are intelligent, open and simple as you can get. No snooty purists here! Pretensions are not in the dictionary they own.

Wait...we were served LUNCH! We were saying no way we can eat more, no space.... I remembered to take the before photo of the buffet. After photo? I was way too busy trying to figure out what went into the pako salad, kinilaw na tangigue, pandan juice, sinigang na balat ng tangigue, tinolang native manok, adobong pata ng naturally raised pork and puso ng saging.

We bade our goodbyes and shook hands. Got to the car and talked about the unexpected day. The great company, new back to basics knowledge, meeting a principled and decided family, gastronimic events twice held....hoping to meet them again real soon.

Raymond Rubia of Daily Dose Farm should have been here.