It was on the 21st of February when I (Analyn) and Phadelyn (our field worker), together with our visitors Matteo and Shannon, took a bus to Ubay, a town in the northeast of Bohol island. It was to be a two-day visit; on the first day we conducted an orientation for 14 new applicants and on the second day we visited existing projects. 

 

Among the new applicants were seven local rice farmers who had come to apply for a loan but the money was not urgent at that time. They were applying in advance as sadly their farms had been greatly affected by the drought and they anticipated a loss of income. The seven farmers have named their group, “The Humay-humay Rice Growers”. 

 

The oldest member of the group is Celerino Ewican (59). He is married to Gracita (50) and they have eight children. The two eldest are married, the next 3 work in a mall in Tagbilaran city (Bohol’s capital), and the three youngest are studying in the local school. Celerino is the main provider, working as a carpenter and earning an average of 7,000 pesos ($120) a month. The three working children also contribute with each remitting 3,000 pesos ($50) a month, to help with the family’s day to day needs including Gracita’s medication for her high blood pressure. Twice a year, Celerino derives an income from his half-hectare rice farm, but sadly, in this year’s first harvest, he only harvested 5 sacks of unmilled rice, mainly because the drought had withered the rice stalks.

 

Another member and the youngest in the group is Jesse Ladica (26). He is a call-center agent, working from home. Jesse has been the family’s breadwinner since his father Efrin (55) had a stroke in 2022. Jesse’s mother Marilyn (51) is a snack vendor and they stretch their combined income to meet the family’s needs. Jesse’s five younger siblings aged 12 to 22 years old are all in school and he is the one supporting two of them, namely Glory Mae (20) and Glacy (19) who are in their second year and first year college respectively at Trinidad Municipal College taking degrees in Education. Thankfully, both are scholars, so Jesse only has to pay for their miscellaneous fees and daily school allowances. The family owns a one-hectare rice farm. The income from this land has been a big help for the family’s finances but the recent harvest in April was minimal. They harvested only 15 sacks of unmilled rice, compared with a normal average of 70 sacks due to the drought.

 

The other 5 members of the group, namely Jaime Cutanda (34), Marilou Salo (34), Mary Grace Bernil (33), Joan Pino (31) and Johna Lopena (29) have the same reasons for joining the group loan. Thankfully, the Department of Agriculture gave free seedlings and cash assistance of 8,000 pesos ($140) to affected farmers. The group members used the money to pay for the expenses of preparing their lands and happily when the rain started in June and in second week of July, they were able to plant.

 

I received a call from Jesse in early August saying that it is now the time to apply fertiliser on their farms. Each of the members will receive 10,000 pesos from the loan which will allow them each to buy 5 sacks of fertiliser. We at the PSHF are happy to help them with their livelihood and wish them a productive harvest this November. 

 

 

Analyn T. Gallibot

PSHF Bohol

August 2024