Farm Life

I have always enjoyed planting and taking care of animals since I was a child. During my elementary days, we were required to plant vegetables at home and take care of animals that can provide food. So I planted tomatoes and took care of chickens. My father had a brother who took care of their family farm in Bulacan. Every summer, we would eagerly anticipate the time that we would spend a few days vacation in the province. It was the chance that we get to meet and play with our cousins from the province. We really enjoyed swimming in the river and sometimes at the irrigation canals beside the rice paddies. Spending summer vacation in the province meant riding on carabaos, picking mangoes and guavas from the trees, flying kites, playing slingshots and listening to ghost stories at night around an oil lamp.

When my uncle passed away when I was in grade two, we stopped going to their farm in Bulacan. But my father worked in a company that ventured into planting grapes, and my farm life experience continued. Since my father managed the grapes plantation, we practically went to the farm every weekend, since there were no classes. It had an open water tank that was used for watering the grape vines. We would swim in the tank, especially during the hot summer days, even if at times there were frogs in it.

My elder brother took care of pigeons in a large cage. He trained them to become homing pigeons and they grew in number. He also took care of rabbits, which multiplied very fast. It was in that farm that I learned to catch farm frogs that can be eaten. The baits used to catch the frogs were large earthworms. They were skewered in grass stalks and formed into a ring, attached to a string on a bamboo pole. It was like fishing, but instead of a hook, a ring of worm was used to catch the frogs. The frogs would bite the large worms and as they hang on to the bait, it was raised to be put in net bags. The frogs are either fried or cooked in sour tamarind soup. They were like small chicken and the texture of its flesh are really like chicken.

In some other places where I was assigned in my priestly ministry, I have always enjoyed a farm atmosphere. In the mountains of Abucay, Bataan where we have set up the third campus of Letran College, I have enjoyed planting eggplants and tomatoes. I also took care of goats and ducks that rapidly grew in number. And every time there were special occasions, like birthdays or feast days, we would have goat stew. In my island parish in the Babuyanes, I had a variety of vegetables in the garden at the back of my house. We do not run out of stock of okra, eggplants, string beans, pumpkins and cabbage. And since I lived on an island, I would occasionally go out fishing and would actually catch some fish. In Mindanao, we have a piece of land in Tagum City, where half of it was planted with durian trees. And since the other half was vacant, we had it planted with rice. There were also banana trees and a few lanzones and pomelo trees.

I really enjoy the farm life, where at times I can just rest on a hammock under the shade of the trees and savor the fresh air. But what I like most is harvesting the farm produce that I have planted and enjoy eating it with delight.