As
a kid, he remembered that his parents brought him along everyday to the farm,
made him sit on banana leaves and watched as they till the soil. This farm
scenario may have greatly influenced him to achieve remarkable innovation in
farming, earning for himself a very sizeable income, not the conventional way
but through integrated natural organic farming.
Passion for farming
Rogelio
J. Saniel held several positions in the past, as an executive and consultant of
the United Nations, among others, giving him opportunities to travel abroad.
His professional career may have spelled great success, but when he retired at
the age of 54, he finally decided to go back to his first love: farming.
Everything
started out as a dream. But his passion was so intense that he slowly and
eagerly watched as it became a reality in just a few years.
“I
started farming in 1998 when I retired from my job. My children were very much
against it. But this did not deter me from farming. This was my passion, and
passions die hard,” he recalls.
“Pagsugod
nako ug farm, wa gyud koy ipamalit ug chemicals ug mga pesticides. Usa ka adlaw
nakakita ko ug dakong pundok sa uhot sa
humay nga gi-thresher nagsugod na ug kalata. (When I started farming, I had no
money to buy chemicals and pesticides. One day I saw a big pile of rice stalks
which was starting to rot.)
I
noticed that the plants nearby looked very healthy. Nakaingon ko, abono gyud
ni. Tungod sa akong kalisod pagsugod ug uma, kato akong gihimong abono. (I said
to myself, this is real fertilizer.) Because of financial difficulty when I
started farming, I used that as fertilizer,” Saniel explained.
So
he started planting fruits and used the rice stalks as fertilizer which yielded
very good results. He continued to read magazines and books on agriculture and
learned much, equipping him with enough information as an organic farmer.
Integrated Farming System
“I was used
to have much money from my previous jobs, earning a very sizeable income for me
and my family,” Saniel said.
So
he asked himself, “Kung mag-uma ko, unsay assurance nga makahatag ni nako ug
dakong income inig retire na nako? (If I go into farming, what assurance do I
have that this will give me a big income?)
“I
studied what I would plant first. So I embarked on planting fruit trees,
durian, rambutan, lanzones, pomelo, among others. In 5 years time, they would
be fruit-bearing already. Then I planted plenty of bananas, then corn, camote
and other root crops. So, that sustained all my needs. While I was waiting for
my fruits and bananas to harvest, I was earning much from other crops in my
farm such as coconut and rubber,” Saniel explained.
He
aimed to have a hectare earn an income equivalent to 5 hectares, so it will not
be mono cropping. Instead, several varieties should be planted for it to earn much
income, so that the farmer will not suffer financial difficulty. Saniel proved
himself right.
After
planting several varieties of fruits and crops, he went to livestock production
- swine, goat, sheep, cattle and chicken. He started with only a few but now
there are hundreds of them on his farm. His fishpond abounds with “tilapia” and
he sells fingerlings by the thousands.
Winning the 1998 Gawad Saka
“Barely
four years after I started farming in 1998, I won in 2002 an award as the Most
Outstanding Farmer in the Philippines “Gawad Saka” Large Animal Category
(Cattle) because that was my forte. I made my own formulation of the feeds and
studied their nutritional components. I also attended seminars to complement
what I have learned and to broaden my knowledge,” he clarified.
His
piece of advice when you go into gardening is that you should not only think of
family consumption but give focus on its business aspect. A good type of vermicast
and compost is needed and you should not buy fertilizer, you should make your
own. There is no reason for the new and younger breed of farmers not to succeed
in farming.
Lately,
his four-hectare rice field yielded an income of P500 thousand with no
commercial fertilizers and insecticides used, just his own concoction which can
be found in his book, complete with the ingredients and the formula. After the rice, his next income would come
from copra, then fruits, rubber, poultry, and the fishpond with tilapia. If a
fingerling would cost P1, imagine how much earning would that be if he sells
thousands of fingerlings?
He
will soon embark on planting cacao under the coconuts and bananas since cacao thrives
on shady areas.
Payback Time
After
receiving his award, it was payback time. In gratefulness to God for the many
blessings he received from his farm, he has trained more than 10,000 farmers in
the province of Zamboanga del Sur, giving them free seminars on integrated
natural organic farming. Everything was free including their food. For two
years he did not sell his pigs and the harvest from his rice fields. He built
his house as a training center for the farmers.
“Of
the 10,000 that I trained, there are only about 500 who adopted organic
farming, since they still practice the conventional method. I was the first who
introduced organic farming in Zamboanga del Sur. I made vermicast. I went to
Bacolod and Tagaytay and learned bio-composting. I studied everything and
implemented it in my farm. I was excited because many of them accepted the
technology.
Establishing the Business School
The
Saniel Integrated Farm Technological Business School at Sandal, San Isidro,
Mahayag is a TESDA-accredited school franchised by the Management Association
of the Philippines, Meralco Foundation and Agricultural Training Institute
(ATI). The school opened in July, 2012 but 4 batches have already graduated or
a total of 60 students.
The
most recent graduates were visited by Meralco Foundation, interviewed and given
an examination after which 17 passed out of the 32 who took the exam. The 17 students
qualified for a two-year diploma course in entrepreneurship and already left
for Manila.
All
students are scholars of the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Saniel is expecting 25 more scholars from Meralco Foundation this June funded
by the ATI and the Filipino Development Foundation.
The
school offers such courses as: Animal production - 860 hours; Agri-crop
production – 616 hours; Horticulture -1,140 hours; Aquaculture – 1,276 hous;
Natural Organic Farming Technology - 25 days; and Rubber production - 800 hours.
He
produced a learning module entitled “Malahutayong Agrikultura sa Pamaagi nga
Natural ug Organikong Teknolohiya” (Sustainable Agriculture Through Natural and
Organic Technology). He is the only accredited organic farmer in Zamboanga del
Sur.
Lastly,
he called on farmers to practice integrated organic farming. “With the
integrated farming system, you will be able to make one hectare produce a yield
worth five hectares. You will have a sustainable income and save time, money and
effort,” he encouraged.
Saniel
says a farmer needs to love farming. Passion, courage and confidence that you
can do it spells the way to succeed in farming. You must have faith in your
capability and set your heart to it. But above all, he exhorts everyone to live
a righteous life, a life of goodness with no vices which will destroy your body.
“But
the most important thing is this, “Make God your partner in all your
endeavors,” Saniel acknowledged. (PIA9)