Success story of Roglen San Jose
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life.
The Success story of Roglen B. San Jose
By Judith Longid-DAR, Kalinga
“Once a farmer, forever a farmer”, Manong Kokoy said. His deep seated eyes looked directly on the horizon as the burning rays of the sun strikes his farm. Sweats came out from our bodies as we roam around not minding the mid-day heat. Pointing towards the north in the green fields, he uttered in excitement, “Those grains will fill our tables-the harvest seems to be plenty. Unlike the past cropping period, this one is very good”. “these plants rejoice with me because the land to where they are planted is already titled under my name” he added with a joke(referring to the CLOA title given to him last July 19, 2019).
He narrated that the lot was originally owned by a relative who migrated from Mountain Province to Kalinga, then to Nueva Vizcaya. Manong Kokoy’s grand parents bought this sometimes in the 1980’s but the papers were not perfected. In the 1990’s, his grandfather availed of a loan for farming equipment from the Rural Bank of Rizal using the lot with the consent of the original landowner. He was not able to pay his amortizations until it was foreclosed. Nevertheless, they continuously cultivated the land. “DAR was our saving grace. They rescued us at the right time. They did all the documentation, processed all the papers, worked on our behalf until the individual titles reached our hands. The CLOAs are the greatest legacy of the government to us”, manong Kokoy added.
Manong Kokoy as he is fondly named by friends and relatives, is Roglen B. San Jose, born in the peaceful village of Tadian, Mountain Province on July 29, 1962. At . nine years old, his parents took him to Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga and permanently resided there. At the age of 23, he worked at NIA-CRIPP in Bulanao, Tabuk. It was during those times that Aida Bugnay was a student of St. William’s Academy and she used to walk from Conner, Apayao, to her school in Kalinga. They got married in 1991 and blessed with three children. The first child is a nurse in Finland, the second is with them in the farm and the third is an employee of the Bureau of Customs in Manila.
While we spoke, I could see the house surrounded with a U-shaped pond full of fish. Two floating rubberized plastic barrel about 4 1/2 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter cut in half, serve as fishing boats. A self-made bridge was securely constructed above the fishpond to access the other side of the farm.
This other side of the farm is planted with different fruit bearing and non-fruit bearing trees. On its west is a wide tract of agricultural land planted with commercial corn. He said, the DAR also titled it to his brothers but he manages it all.
As he invited us for lunch, we gratefully sat on a table outside the house under the trees. It was facing a sloping mountain with patches of plains. The top of the mountain is a small plateau. While enjoying the amazing view, Manong Kokoy mentioned that said mountain is good for horse riding especially nowadays when recreation is needed in this busy world. A reality he said he must face on the coming years. Upon reaching my 70s, “I will go horse riding to drive the herds of cows I have there, when I get tired of walking. There is no retirement in farming.
He related that, “It was twenty years ago when we started developing this farm. We began with a small nipa hut here (pointing to where his concrete bungalow house lies now). This lot was idle before, no crops nor trees growing, just a wide tract of cogon grass. Only a small portion over there (pointing to where the corn was planted) was tilled by our parents and a few patches of rice land”.
“There was no wide rice fields in here but there was a promising source of water. Because I work with the NIA that time, I gained the trust of my boss. I worked diligently with him. With all courage, I often asked favor to borrow his bulldozer and he allowed me to use it. With my family, we were able to improve this lot through the help of the equipment. More rice fields were made and this once empty pond gradually turned into fishpond”. He told us.
Mr. San Jose was also instrumental in the propagation of bananas in Liwan, Rizal, Kalinga. He started the idea of planting bananas after seeing that wild bananas thrive well in a place, then domesticated bananas can also flourish there. He began by going as far as Paracelis, Mountain Province to get good varieties of subual (banana suckers) from his friends and relatives and planted it here. True enough, his bananas easily reproduced and he was able to propagate it. From this, the banana suckers were distributed all over Liwan.
He likewise related that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s assisted cooperatives helped them a lot. He disclosed that he and his wife are active members of the Rizal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RIZAMPCO) and Bulanao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), both DAR assisted cooperatives in Kalinga. Both of them are also members of the Tabuk Multi-Purpose cooperative, the biggest billionaire cooperative in the province where many members are DAR farmer-beneficiaries.
He recounts that during emergencies, when they are short of money to keep the farm moving, the cooperatives are there ready to serve them. They borrow, they pay and vise-versa. They also had access to the income-generating projects of the RIZAMPCO . He proudly said that, “Adda met a ti mainaynayon diay share capital mi nga tinawen” (an amount is being added to our share capital yearly) referring to the dividend and patronage refund they annually receive from their active participation in the coops.
In partnership with the DAR, Manong Kokoy they were given assistance by other stake holders such as the barangay food terminal from the Department of Agriculture. They further able to acquire a water refilling station.
Manong Kokoy said that the farming equipment given by DAR to the cooperative was a big help in his farm because the equipment are hired to coop members, with substantial discounts and proceeds go to the coop, as stated in their policy.
He learned many things through trainings offered by DAR and other implementing agencies. Through these learnings, he said his knowledge is enhanced and skills were improved. He is also a member of the LinkSFarm (linking small holder farmers to the market).
To date, his farm machineries lay in his compound, ready when needed. He owns a dump truck and two jeepneys that are used for hauling products from the farm. For family service, he has the Pajero. There is also a tricycle, a single motorcycle and other farm implements.
He said, that through all the assistance from the government especially DAR, a farmer’s interest in farming is nurtured and hope arises, saying, “Farming is a business. If you want to become a successful farmer, you need courage even if hope seems grim. You need to take risks, and you learn to love the heat of the sun. A farmer produce not just for himself also but for the others”.
Manong Kokoy see his farm as a fulfilment of his dreams. He looks ahead for his seeds to continue to be nourished and be cherished even after this life