Just a kilometer away from barangay Salimpuno road in Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental lives corn farmer Edwin Calapiz, Sr.
At the age of three, Edwin lost both of his parents so his aunt Estrella took care of him. When he turned five, his life was changed forever. He made sure that he helped his aunt with the farm work because it was their only source of livelihood.
One day when he was milling corn with the use of a traditional equipment, the emery stone unfortunately fell on his foot. He and his aunt didn’t have enough money to go to the hospital so they let the pain subside by taking generic pain medication.
With the lack of professional care, the injury got severe and made him a cripple from then on. Being disabled did not hinder him from helping with the farm. He worked even harder to help make ends meet.
At the age of 20, he married the love of his life, Caki. They now have four boys; three of them are already married and gave Tatay Edwin four grandchildren.
In 2019, Sapang Dalaga was chosen as a covered municipality of the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program in Misamis Occidental. A total of 311 beneficiaries were identified from 15 barangays.
With Tatay Edwin’s diligence in farming and his goal to provide for his family, he was chosen to be part of the SAAD Program.
Municipal Agriculture Officer Marchita Intog made sure that every beneficiary they selected are hardworking and have a deep appreciation of the program.
Tatay Edwin’s life as SAAD beneficiary
In the last two years, Tatay Edwin received livelihood interventions that were geared towards corn production since the town has an agricultural area of 10,200 hectares (ha) and half of which are designated to corn production.
Table 1. Tatay Edwin’s SAAD interventions received
|
Item Description |
Quantity |
Total Cost |
| 2019 | ||
| Organic Fertilizer |
14 bags |
14,000.00 |
| 14-14-14 Inorganic Fertilizer |
1 bag |
1,000.00 |
| Sweet Corn Seeds |
1 bag |
1,800.00 |
| Hand Shovel |
1 pc |
300.00 |
| Seedling Tray |
1 pc |
100.00 |
| Farm Gloves |
1 pc |
37.00 |
| Rake |
1 pc |
300.00 |
| Spade |
1 pc |
300.00 |
| Shovel |
1 pc |
300.00 |
| Sprinkler |
1 pc |
500.00 |
| Weeding Bolo |
1 pc |
300.00 |
| Plastic Drum |
1 pc |
2,325.58 |
| Subtotal |
21,262.58 |
|
| 2020 | ||
| OPV Corn Seeds |
1 bag |
1,000.00 |
| HVCD Seeds |
1 pack |
150.00 |
| 14-14-14 (Inorganic Fertilizer) |
1 bag |
1,000.00 |
| Organic Fertilizer |
1 bag |
1,000.00 |
| Subtotal |
3,150.00 |
|
| Grand Total |
24,412.58 |
|
For 18 years, Tatay Edwin dedicated his life as a corn farmer. In those years, he tended a 1.5ha of corn, which he now is an owner.
Currently, he borrowed a 3ha area from his friend to plant the corn and vegetable seeds he received from the program. In return for his kindness, Tatay Edwin would give a small portion of his harvest.
Production Income
In April 2020, Tatay Edwin harvested from his sweet corn, vegetables, and the OPV white corn seeds that he received last year (Table 2).
Table 2. Tatay Edwin’s Production Income
|
Intervention |
Total Volume Harvested | Price/kg (Php) |
Net Income |
| Sweet Corn | 3,680 pcs |
9 |
33,120 |
| Okra | 107 kgs |
34 |
3,638 |
| Ampalaya | 57 kgs |
57 |
3,249 |
| Squash | 105 kgs |
15 |
1,575 |
| Eggplant | 126.5 kgs |
27 |
3,415 |
| String Beans | 146 kgs |
36 |
5,256 |
| OPV Corn | 20 bags (20kgs/bag) |
500 |
10,000 |
| Total |
60,253 |
||
With his produce, he sold 3,680 pieces (pc) of sweet corn at Php 9 each and 20 bags of milled OPV corn at Php 500/bag.
He earned Php 60,253 which he used for his children’s education and payment of his motorcycle monthly installment.
To ensure that his vegetables won’t go to waste, he loaned a motor vehicle as logistics for his products – from his neighborhood up to the town’s main market.
Challenges Encountered and Solutions Made
A problem he encountered was the weather condition. The road would become muddy during the rainy season, hindering him from selling goods to the market and to his neighbors. He worries that his vegetables would rot and be damaged if not sold immediately.
To address the said problem, Tatay Edwin strategized to plant and harvest (when marketable enough) his vegetables before the rainy season starts.
Knowing the predicament of the farmers in the barangay, The barangay chairman and other residents submitted their letter of intent to avail the Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) of the municipality to lessen their burden when transporting goods.
Plans
Just this June, Tatay Edwin received five free-range chickens (one male and four female) from SAAD FY 2020 as part of the program’s goal of enhancing the poultry production in the province.
Aside from the chicken, he also received biologics and electrolytes to boost the chicken’s immunity.
He plans to establish a multiplier farm once the chickens will lay eggs. He will store the eggs at the local government unit’s incubator for 21 days.
FY 2020 SAAD Free-Range Chicken Production Project
In the municipality, a total of 54 beneficiaries received 324 chickens (54 male and 270 female) amounting to Php 120,150.
Under the SAAD 2020 fund amounting to Php 4.1 million, the Free-Range Chicken Production Project was proposed to cover the 17 municipalities stretching to three provinces – Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Occidental.
This project aims to increase backyard chicken raising which will contribute to the poultry industry in the locality, as well as provide an additional source of income to farmers. ###
Writer: Ruth Esther Bermundo, SAAD Normin Information Writer
Copy Editor: Jennifer Valcobero, SAAD National Public Relation and Comms Officer
