Tablas Island Rice Farming

Rice farming is done the traditional way on Tablas Island.   Plowing is done with a bullock or sometimes a rota tiller.  Seedlings are grown in one corner of the patty and transplanted at the right time to catch the rain for those hectares that depend on the rains for moisture.  Growing rice is a tedious process requiring much tending.  When we first arrived, a rice field was ploughed and the seeds were being broadcast by hand.  We have followed this field for six weeks. The seeds germinated and grew quickly reaching about 6 inches in height is one week.  Then unexpected rains came flooding the field.  This encouraged snails to eat the tender shoots.  Despite hand picking the snails, many bare patches were left when the water receded.

In sequence, the pictures:  broadcasting seed, snail picking, and spotty growth due to snails eating the young sprouts.

This picture was taken the first day we arrived on Talbas.  The farmer is hand broadcasting the seed.  We watched this field carefully over the six week period we were there.

Picking Snails After the Rain

Transplanting to fill in the gaps from snail damage.

Farmer's wife transplanting.  This is a family operated rice farm.

Dario’s father has been a rice farmer for a life time. 

Dario and his father.  Both have family rice farms.

Rice harvesting using a hand sickle.

This was the first time we had ever seen rice in anything but a bag or a box in a grocery store!

 Different varieties of rice are grown, each given a research number.  Seed is provided by government for planting.  All aspects of the rice growing and harvest are hand labour, ploughing with the bullock or rota tiller  being the only exception.

Hand sickled rice piled by field waiting for pick up.

             It is then hand threshed winnowed and bagged to be spread out each day to sun dry.

Dario’s father operates the rice mill.  Farmers bring in their unshelled rice for dehulling.  First the rice is weighed, then taken up the ladder and dumped into the rice mill. 

 Hulls are separated.  The courser material is separated from the finer hulls which are used for animal feed. 

The farmer’s rice is bagged for him to take home to feed his family or, if extra, to sell.

In order to buy land, Dario’s family often sold their rice instead of eating it themselves.  Here is a picture of Dario’s father (who operates the mill), his mother and Dario himself who grows rice as well.

Food security is assured for families by their small rice farms.  Many rice farmers also fish.  Fish is dried for monsoon season when they cannot fish, assuring a secure source of protein.



Tablas Island Victoria Barangay, a visit with Maria

Victoria and Maria:

The most outstanding, true marketer attending out workshops was Maria (Mary) from Victoria Barangay.  We knew that she would be a bit late each time, now we know why.  Friday was designated the day to make the trip to Victoria.  The road is passable in all seasons with care.  The road is narrow with short sections concreted (these sections were determined to be the most wet).  We were told it would take one half hour.  Driving is tedious.  One has to take ones time to navigate around washed out areas.  Mary would have come each morning by motorcycle taxi.  It was amazing what she brought each day!  Leaves from the forest, special for making curried fish, large papaya, coconuts (usually three big ones), a pineapple and her hand woven hats and baskets!   Too bad we don’t have a picture of her arriving on the motorbike taxi!

She always brought fresh produce for us. One day she brought a papaya and coconut, saying, ‘Papaya and coconut are free, bag will cost you 180 pesos’. Now that is marketing! Her spirit and enthusiasm shone through the workshops. Not surprising, she sold out each time!

Note the hang tag designed during the workshops for Maria's hats.

We were fortunate to travel to Victoria barangay and to visit Mary.

Mary’s home is built from native materials that grow in Victoria. 

 She cleverly designed her work studio as a loft, two bamboo steps up from the kitchen/living area.  Here she is in her loft where she does her weaving holding garlic she has braided.  Victoria barangay is locally famous for its braided garlic.

These are the palm fronds used to prepare basket materials.

Her garden is filled with plants that we in Canada cultivate during our short summers or have as green leaf plants indoors  year round:  cosmos, marigold (she points out that marigold leaves can be boiled to make a tea to treat stomach ache and help to protect gardens from certain insect pests), asters, split leaf philodendron to name a few.  She has several pineapple plants and we can see the yellow ginger root growing.  Below  Mary is holding the tree from which  they make fences.

Here is Mary with one of her sons.  He brings us  fresh, young coconut.  The coconut water is  much appreciated in the heat of the day.

Maria's water is piped in to her yard.  We noted that Victoria barangay has pvc pipes running throughout their barangay.

Just down from Maria's house is an incredible swimming area, part of the river.  How refreshing is this in the heat of the day!  Clear, pure water from the surrounding mountains.

A visit to Victoria barangay and Maria is a great thing to add to one's bucket list!

 

Tablas Island Odiongan Agri Fair

Agri Fair Odiongan Fiesta

Once a year during Fiesta in Odiongan, a mammoth effort results in a week long Agricultural Fair.  Our Fair day began in the truck travelling through the Barangay Linawan  to pick up fresh produce and handcrafts.  Farmers were at the roadside with melons, bananas, cassava, bodi beans, even some freshly dug clams and squirming crab.  By the time we were through the Barangay, you could not see out the back of the truck!

We arrive at the Fair but before we enter, we study the ice cream man offering ice cream in a bun or on a cone.  His little bell on his bicycle alerts all ice cream fans of his approach.  Her choice was  ice cream in a bun.

Dario proceeds to throw the coconuts over the fence for the booth set up.  When you consider how far a coconut has to fall from the tree, it is not an insult to throw it over the fence.

The Agro Fair is a great place to learn what is being produced, processed, handcrafted, grown, researched or manufactured in the area.  We set out to adventure.  Dario and agricultural employees are setting up the booth from San Andres.  Displays are beautiful!  It`s early morning and produce is fresh. 

We are looking at agricultural products grown or made in San Andres or on Tablas Island.  To our surprise, there are many.  We are really impressed by the research and assistance provided to develop, produce and label products by the Romblon Provincial Science and Technology Centre. 

Our favorite drink was an almost thawed Buk Juice.  Freshly grated coconut juice with the soft coconut strands in the drink.  How refreshing.  Lydia has to confess to having two!

There was a demonstration of basket weaving, a donut maker making donuts, and all manner of produce, salt fish, dried fish, live hens, duck eggs, ostrich eggs for the equilivant of $12 Canadian each.

Dept of Agriculture was displaying the equipment needed to make Briquettes.  This excellent project uses rice hulls, coconut shells and husks, mill waste: otherwise wasted materials to make Briquettes.

What a great way to learn about all aspects of Agriculture on Tablas!

Allan and Lydia Sorflaten

 

Tablas Island: The Cajil Caves

The Cajil Caves

One of the undiscovered treasures on Tablas Island is its many hidden limestone caves. Cajil Cave is really several interconnected natural caves located in Barangay Pag-Alad.   During the World War II Roman Catholic Masses were held within the large cathedral-like cave. 

We arm ourselves with flashlights and head lamps and wear secure footware (sneakers, not sandals). Dario goes to look for one or two boys from the Pag-Alad who know the Cajil Caves well enough to guide us!  He arrives with a dozen eager fellows, all wanting to take us into the caves. 

 We travel through a couple of people's yards noting that you would really have to know where to go as there is no marked path through the rainforest!   When we look at the passageway, we wonder if we will be able to fit! 

We are soon able to stand fully upright and investigate the formations using our flashlights and headlamps.  It is so dark.  So secluded.  No wonder it was used as a hiding place for the village people during World War II.

Using our flashlights to break the total darkness, we discover sparkling crystalline formations, hidden caverns, beautiful formations.

In one deep cavern, there were bats hanging.  We unknowingly caught this one on film flying!

 At one point we look way up to see daylight making its way through an opening.

We exit in a different spot than we entered.  Our guides lead us  back to the road.  With further development  this could be an entrance to the caves.

The Cajil Caves are unlabeled and  somewhat hidden but local guides are anxious to show this wonder of nature to interested adventurers.