Mindanaotoday.com | Former OFW nurse is now a successful dairy farmer
By: Chelsea Asiñero
DID you know that 7.2% of registered nurses in the United States of America are Asians?
Another interesting fact is that 4% of the Asian nursing workforce are Filipinos.
Whether it’s to improve economic conditions, or to live the American Dream, the number of Filipinos working abroad continues to rise.
Meet Nerea May Maghuyop, one of the 4% registered nurses in the USA.
She and her husband Hector, a certified public accountant in the Philippines, lived in the US from 1985 until retirement last 2019.
And while some overseas Filipino workers invest in real estate properties and businesses, the couple chose to give their time and money to establish their farm, Alman God’s Gift Foundation Incorporated Farm located in Mansabay Alto, Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental.
The said farm land was a property in the 1920s by Nerea’s grandparents, Vicente R. Baz Sr. and Engracia T. Baz.
Eight of their children inherited the land of 15-hectare rice field, 15-hectare coco land, 40-hectare fishpond and seven-hectare of integrated fishpond and rice field.
Even if some pursued natural farming, the land was affected by poor irrigation and saline waters resulting in it being forested and neglected.
The couple desired for the future generation to enjoy a naturally-farmed area, thus purchasing some portions of the coco land and fishponds in the early 2000s.
This then developed into what the Alman God’s Gift Foundation Incorporated Farm is now.
In 2019 upon returning to the country, they gambled their investments into the development of the farm.
And in 2020, it became a Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) of the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center X (ATI-RTC X).
“Nag sugod among pag-uma aron makaon namo among gusto kaonon.” She explained that every time they visit the Philippines, they would want to try different fruits and vegetables.
Most of the time, however, it is not readily available in the market or even if it is, chemical use as pesticide is always in question.
That then is the reason why they plant their own, to have it readily available within reach and to ensure it was a product of natural farming.
She continued to narrate that at one time, she planted two packs of eggplant seedlings bought by her husband, and were overwhelmed by a basketful of eggplants upon harvest.
Deeming it excessive for personal consumption, they decided to sell those they could not consume.
“The experience of selling it was fun,” she said.
Just like any other farms, they frequently encounter pest infestation.
It has been such a struggle for them considering they refuse to use chemicals to kill harmful pests.
Having said this, they plan to prolong partnership with the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) professor, Dr. Celia Medina, which they have been partnering with for an annex farm that has 300 mango trees.
Purchasing biological control products from the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Misamis Occidental and Bukidnon, was likewise her option to solve the problem once and for all. Alman’s Farm offers a variety of fruits and vegetables, cultivated by organic farming.
At present, they have been working towards securing an organic certification.
Nerea has such high hopes for the future. She envisions stronger confidence between the farm and its clients, and she is now also working on acquiring an FDA-approved processing facility.
They have recently acquired designation from TESDA as a certified farm school for organic ruminant production.
Visiting the area, we were able to stop by the thriving dairy farm consisting of both local and foreign cow breeds.
She also showcased their dairy products, such as mozzarella, cheddar cheese, and butter.
Upon entering their home, you would be welcomed with four huge chest freezers all filled with different flavors of milk bars, with their pasteurized cow’s milk as the main ingredient.
“You have to have passion for farming, to be able to enjoy it,” she said.
Owning such a huge and thriving area, her advice for those who would want to venture on farming is to put their heart into their work.
She added, being open to learning current and scientific information.
True enough, as the world evolves, methods and technologies have been advancing so fast.
“Dili pwede e-rely nimo sa imohang na andan.” she said. And lastly, she placed so much emphasis on camaraderie and appreciation for the people around her.
“You cannot do it by yourself, you have to make use of the available resources around the community. Your neighbors, your workers are very important for your business. You have to work with the whole team in order to be successful,” she said.
Alman God’s Gift Foundation Incorporated Farm continues its mandate to encourage farmers to use organic and natural farming.
Nerea is also striving for the farm to be an eco-tourism destination, to raise climate change awareness, and the importance of natural preservation.
As young people’s interest in agriculture declines, they hope to allow the future generation to see the beauty of a self-sufficient future.
“Although we have witnessed the growing interest of the Filipino people in working outside the country, it would be more satisfying if we get to revel in the land of our own. And that’s only possible if this generation fosters and protects nature for the good of generations to come,” Nerea concluded. (with reports from Efren Macario)
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