Mindanaotoday.com | Planting the seeds of a better future
Moving to Marawi City from Iligan City had been Gabriel’s decision. He had hoped to find more work opportunities and earn well for their growing family.
At first, life seemed to be looking up for Gabriel.
He landed a decent-paying job as a construction worker and was able to send money to his wife twice a month.
However, in his eighth month of working in the city, conflict broke out and he was one of those who was caught amid the hostilities.
Gabriel called Myrna soon after the violence broke out to assure her that he was safe. That turned out to be their last conversation.
Myrna was devastated when she could no longer contact her husband.
While grieving her loss, she also became worried about her children and wondered how she would raise them alone.
She started farming vegetables and on weekends sold rice cakes in her neighborhood.
“My first son was four years old and my delivery date was drawing close. I was tired from working all the time, but I still could not earn enough to pay for all our needs. I had to rely on my parents for help even though they also struggled financially,” says Myrna.
Three years after Gabriel’s disappearance, Myrna met Robert*.
“He treated my children like they were his own and after some time proposed that we live together. I thought a lot about it and finally accepted his proposal. I know it’s what Gabriel would have wanted for us,” says Myrna.
Being with Robert gave Myrna a chance to slowly rebuild her family.
“Robert owns land in Iligan City that we wanted to develop but did not have the resources to do so. We ended up working with a middleman who loaned us seed, fertilizers and money which we paid back during harvest time,” she shares.
However, the middleman set the price of the produce much lower than the market price because of which the couple earned just a little money after all their hard work.
This cycle went on for quite some time before they received a grant from the ICRC which they used to clear their debt and buy their own raw materials.
They stopped relying on middlemen to finance their farm or sell their vegetables and started selling their produce directly to customers at better prices.
“Getting the grant was a huge relief. It allowed us to really reap what we sow,” says Myrna.
In addition, the couple was also able to cultivate previously unutilized parts of their land to grow Chinese kangkong (water spinach), cucumbers and string beans that can be harvested several times a year.
Apart from spending on their daily needs, they used the extra income to build their own house.
Despite these gains, Myrna continues to face new challenges.
In December 2021, Typhoon Odette triggered a landslide and destroyed some parts of their farm, making those patches unsuitable for farming.
During the dry season, the cucumbers she planted also withered and the farm’s yield decreased.
“It was really disheartening but we had to keep making the best of what was left. Fortunately, we still have customers who buy bulk quantities of whatever vegetables we manage to produce. We are also planning to rent land for cultivation. Together, we are pushing forward one step at a time,” says Myrna.
Myrna and Robert now have a child of their own and, like Gabriel’s dream for his family, Robert aspires to see that the children have a decent future.
“I’d like to think that Gabriel sent Robert to us. Wherever he is, I hope he is assured that his family is thriving,” says Myrna.
(*Names have been changed to protect identity.)
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