From Gold to Green

Life was easy for Petecio and Josefina Torrentira when they started their married life. The couple who were natives of Sagbayan and Carmen in Bohol Province migrated to Mindanao due to circumstantial reasons; Petecio went for work while Josefina followed her father who was already basedthere. Twist of fate they met in Pantukan, Davao del Norte in the late 80’s, got married in Carmen, Bohol on 1989 andthen settled back in Pantukan for the first few years of their marriage.

Petecio more known as “Pepe” recalled that they were doing well during the first three years of their married life. He worked in a gold mining company while Josefina owned and operates a convenience store. The couple had a combined income of P10, 000 – P15, 000 a week.

“Money was never an issue for us during those times because we were financially stable,” said Petecio.

“I even believe I was rich because I can buy whatever I want,” he further said.

Aside from regularly working as an operator in Benguet Mining, Pepe was also into gold business as he owns some equipment for dredging.
But all those are now just good memories for the Torrentira couple who are presently residing in Barangay Dagnawan in Sagbayan, Bohol. The couple claimed thattheir combined average income is P4,000 a month.

Pepe recalled that they were forced to go back in Sagbayan after receiving series of death threats from the New People’s Army.

“Our mining company allegedly failed to pay revolutionary tax which resulted in the burning of the company’s plant destroying almost everything,” Pepe added.

“We left Pantukan in 1992 bringing only clothes and our savings.My wife who was pregnant went ahead of me back to Bohol because I was hopeful that the company would still be revived but then threats became more serious which forced me to follow my wife later on”, Pepe reminisces.

In Sagbayan, the couple started a new life with a backyard farm. It was doing so well that their neighbours would often come to their house and asked if they would sell some of their produce.

In three years’ time, the Torrentiras were able to establish a small family farm with ornamental potted plants that was open to their neighbors and even by passers. Among their farm produce include akapulco, alugbati, adelfa, alusiman, amarillo, ampalaya, atis, anonas, atsuete, balanoy, balete, balimbing, bawang, bayabas, bunga, buyo, kakaw, karot, kilaw, kugon, kalabasa, kulitis,lagundi, labanos,luya, malunggay, okra, opo, oregano, makahiya, mais, dragon fruit and many more.

In 1996, the couple began travelling to nearby towns on market days to sell their farm produce and earn additional income as their family is also growing. At that time, they already have three children (Jopether, Jinnefer and John) to feed.The family’s success in selling their farm products also led into poultry and livestock raising.

To cope up with the demand, the couple has also doubled their efforts to increase their production which means they have to wake up very early in the morning to prepare food for the children, water the plants and feed the poultry and livestock animals. “We wake up as early as 4:00 in the morning,” said Josefina.

She disclosed that it would take them about two hours to manually water all the plants especially during dry season.

In 1997, neighbors urged Pepe to run asbarangay councilor which he eventually won. He chaired the committee on Agriculture for two terms. His seat in the Barangay Council opened more doors for him to improve his knowledge in farming as he was sent to join seminars on Bio Intensive Gardening, Training Course on Upland/Rainfed Rice-based Farming System, Trainors Training on Natural Farming System, among others. He authored an ordinance that requiresevery family in their barangay to plant at least five varieties of fruits and vegetables in the hopes of alleviating hunger.

“Farming is not new to me because I was a farmer long before I went to Mindanao to become a miner and operator. I also joined agricultural contests before like planting the tallest patola or the biggest ampalaya,” Pepe further added.

Last year, the family won the Bahay Kubo Faith Hope Gardening contest in the province.

Trials

The family’s success was cut short when series of misfortunes hit the family. In 2001, their fourth child Jay who was only two years old at that time accidentally took a high dose of neuro vitamin which was a regular vitamin for his eldest brother Jopether who was suffering from aminor brain ailment.

Jay had seizures, extreme vomiting, foaming of mouth and dilation of pupil. He was rushed to Ramiro Hospital in Tagbilaran City but was denied admission despite Josefina’s strong plea because of the low chances in saving the toddler’s life. But Josefina remained firm and insisted to the medical staff that Jay should be admitted in the hospital. Seeing a mother’s desperation to save her son, the hospital staff took them in. Three days after, Jay recovered and was soon discharged from the hospital. Josefina believed that their unity as family and strong faith in God helped Jay survived.

Following Jay’s hospitalization, the family’s financial state collapsed due to immense hospital bills and maintenance medicine. Their debts ballooned as Josefina also had miscarriage while Jinnefer got dengue. Pepe lost time in maintaining the farm as he has to attend to his children, while his wife is recovering. Because of the series of unfortunate events, the once lively farm became barren.

Torrentiras were also victims of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that badly hit Bohol in 2013 and the Super Typhoon Yolanda that damaged their compost pit and poultry house.

Pantawid Pamilya

In 2011, the Torrentiras became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, a conditional cash transfer of the Philippine government that invests in the health and education of poor children aged 0-18. It provides cash grants to beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).

“Pantawid Pamilya came right on time as our family was having financial difficulty. It allowed us to somehow recover,” Josefina emotionally cited.

Pepe for his part lauded the(FDS) of the program as it has strengthened his relationship with his wife and children.

FDS is a monthly assembly where beneficiaries are required to attend. Topics will vary from financial literacy, livelihood, skills training, disaster preparedness, proper waste segregationand strengthening offamily relationships among others.

“I used to think that nagging is normal but because of FDS lectures I was corrected,” he said.

The couple used to argue on Pepe’s organic and natural farming method becauseJosefina find it impractical as they would wait longer to harvest the yield. But eventually Josefina supported his husband because she saw how determined he is to reach his goals and still managed provide for the family.

Also, Pepe shared that because of the disaster preparedness topic discussed in FDS, he was able to make a resilient nipa hut that served as their temporary shelter during emergencies.

Children

Jinnefer, who is currently a third year architecture student of Bohol Island State University(BISU) in Tagbilaran City remembered that after those trials they find it hard to eat three times a day. But despite such difficulties she and her siblings continue to go to school even if they don’t have ‘baon’.

She is a student grantee of Expanded Student’s Grant in-Aide Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA). ESGPPA provides college education grants to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries funded by Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Jin, a consistent honor pupil since elementary is also a working student. “I have to work to help because there are three of us enrolled in college and my parent’s income is not yet stable.” She works as a part time house help in the town of Maribojoc.

“I don’t mind traveling 11 kilometers every day from Maribojoc to BISU- Tagbilaran City because these sacrifices bring me closer to my dream of becoming a licensed architect someday,” Jin said.

She disclosed that she has been quite successful in juggling time for school and work as her father has instilled in their minds the value of time management and discipline.

“He would always tell us that procrastination is a thief of time,” Jin further said.

Meanwhile, the eldest Jopether is currently in Dubai but does not have a stable income because he still has to get a working visa.

Jin plans to develop their farm using green architecture while her siblings John and Jay who are taking up Agriculture and Business Agriculture wants to improve the marketing side of their farm to realize their father’s dream.

Jeneveve, 6, the youngest in the family is life of the Torrentira’s humble abode. She graduated preschool with an outstanding award last year.

Community Involvement

Despite their busy schedule, the Torrentira couple would always find time to attend prayer meetings which made Pepe as the church cluster head.

Rene Ojendras, Dagnawan Elementary School principal described the family as humble, responsible and workaholic.

Her wife Julita who was the previous principal of the school described the Torrentira children as intelligent and diligent. “The children are mostly academic achievers.”

“We’ve seen them (couple) join Brigada Eskuwela and they have also been active in the construction of the barangay hall,” Rene Ojendras said.

The Ojendras live in the same village with the Torrentiras.

Every day they would pass by the latter’s house which is located along the road and personally know the family.

Julita who loves ornamental plants is a costumer of the Torrentiras.

To date more than 100 varieties of vegetables, fruit trees, herbs and ornamental plants are seen inside the 1,600 square meters Torrentira small farm. The farm has two small ponds where the family raise tilapia fingerlings. It also has a mini nursery and a storage area to house the farm inputs. Pepe’s parents own the land where the family resides.

Pepe called his system of farming as Diversified Integrated Organic Farming because it is a combined application of all the trainings he had attended. The family’s farm is also open to visitors.

Pepe proudly points out that he does not use commercial fertilizers to grow their plants in the farm, instead tried his best to follow the combined rules of organic and natural farming, “Call me a dreamer or too ambitious but I have long dreamed of opening a demo-school for practical organic agriculture to share my insight’s and to continue learning.” (Phoebe Jen Indino/Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer)