TV Shoot For Hayop Mag-Alaga

Today, by 8am, we met with the crew of Hayop Mag-alaga. Aired over Channel 13, 1:30 Saturdays, and also shown in Vizmin stations. We decided to use our demo farm inside the Manila Boystown Complex, in Parang Marikina.


While they were doing the the interview on the technical side with Doc Rey, I was entertaining myself looking at how happy the Sunshines are in action. You could still hear the interview going, as they were shooting and having another angle of the Sunshines as their backdrop.


The picture was taken as they were shooting the spiel for the intro to Doc Rey's segment.

No pictures when it was my turn to shoot :)

This was the only time to take a pic of what we were to partake. Thank you to Roger, who always cooks for us at AANI events. We didn't have a picture anymore of our inihaw...and the spread of banana leaves as table cloth and plate, rolled around the table :)


Sam Francisco, the director, said it will be shown sometime November.

Incidentally, this is the 1st public appearance of Doc Rey since he got an Appendectomy. He travelled from Isabela yesterday, to make this shoot and for the Agri Kapihan and seminar on Sunday.

1st At Boystown

Today we started the demo farm in Boystown in Parang, Marikina.

I wanted to kill time, so I stepped out to have a haircut.

When I came back...see how happy they are in their new garden? According to Pol Rubia, it was Mrs. Soledad Agbayano of Console Farms who opened the chicken crates to free the Sunshines. She even commented that they were happy chicks :)


Look at their improvised shed.


This is just the start, as AANI is giving us several ranging areas as demo farms.

Thank you to the management of Boystown and AANI.

Sunshine Field Turn Over For Ranging Area

We set out today for lunch with AANI brains, Col Levi Viesca, and the Manila Boystown Complex staff.

The bamboo posts have been cut and ready to be erected for the fence of our first ranging area. House had been turned over too for use of AANI boys to man the vegetable plots and Sunshines.

We were told about twenty (20) of us for lunch, so we sent about 19+kilos of Sunshines. Half of which was inihaw and the other half was made into Tinola. You will see from the pictures how many ate.....wiped out! Mind you, we also had a lot of inihaw na hito..and still all vanished :)

Maybe the lunch was very good...that Col Levi Viesca suggested that the area infront be cleared and have a market started asap!

The market will be selling the organic vegetables and the Sunshine Chickens.

They all said... " LASANG NATIVE"!

Dawn At AANI Sa Boystown

Early this year, the Department of Agriculture started a techno-demo farm, a joint initiative with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim at the Manila Boystown Complex, Parang Marikina. It was a doable project, but if the supervisors were not focused nor passionate about the activity, it may not succeed. Eventually the project was abandoned.

The techno-demo farm and rehabilitation of idle land in Boystown was now offered to Agri Aqua Network International (AANI), the endeavor is still with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and an able Col. Levi Viesca who is present at the site Mondays through Fridays. The City of Manila will assist in the marketing of the produce of the demo farms.

When we went there yesterday, we saw the initial work by Pol Rubia on the vegetable plots. They have already harvested and sold at the AANI markets.

We walked around and Pol showed us the spot alloted for the Sunshine Chicken. He had always been ecstatic about the project and where we will be. Now I understand fully. The place is perfect for urban farming. Thank you for our location! Right by the entrance (perfect security), beside the church, and it has a building that may be used for housing by the AANI boys and as brooder room.


Before our visit there yesterday, I was searching on Boys Town and that was when I read about the DA's techno-demo farm, during Mayor Atienza's time they wanted to convert this facility to a housing development and abuses allegedly committed by the former administrator :(

Walking through the facility is a humility reality check. Pol was talking with the boys and you can hear about not seeing parents, former street children etc. Now you see them playing, courteous although some are still aloof and wary of new faces like us. As for the senior citizens, they were waving at us :) Maybe thinking that not too long ago they were just our ages.

If you consider an agri-tourism-civic trip, AANI Sa Boys Town should be an option....

Sunshine At AANI Sa Boys Town!