Visitors from the South

Last month in August, I had visitors from the South ( Tagaytay and Manila). For a time, I have been teaching at the Divine Word School of Theology (DWST) in Tagaytay City.  Some friends over there came to see Sa Kabukiran in August 24-25 for an overnight stay. They were Dra. Maritz, Bing, Grace and Gina. They were joined by Resty, also a colleague studying at DWST. The trip Sa Kabukiran was designed so that there would be both instruction and leisure. Since all these friends were students of the Bible at a certain point, we had some great inputs from Resty regarding the Jewish reading of scriptures. This was a timely input since Resty just arrived from a month long study in Israel.

We had a sumptuous lunch. I call these meals, Laklak meals. Laklak in tagalog means unmoderated greed especially in eating. Soon, I shall be offering up these laklak meals to tourists and travellers who may want to visit Sa Kabukiran as part of their food tripping. I guarantee you, it shall be a voracious experience!

My visitors really were dressed to become tourist in an unfamiliar terrain. The morning after, I toured them around the farm, around my Mom’s memorial kubo and took some pictures  of them with majestic Mt. Arayat at the background.

I’m sure that after spending a night Sa Kabukiran, my visitors from the south would have been filled with a great eating experience and with a calming and soothing experience with nature at the fields Sa Kabukiran. I hope that anyone wanting to have the same experiences as my visitors from the south would soon come flocking to this wonderful oasis we so loving call Sa Kabukiran. 

With me is Lola Bing, the leader of the pack. Here in front of the signage Sa Kabukiran

The sumptuous and colorful laklak meals Sa Kabukiran

Here from left: Resty, Gina, Bing, Maritz, Grace and myself all set for the laklak meal

Everyone with majestic Mt. Arayat at the background

All dressed up for a grand tour Sa Kabukiran

Taking a pose with Mt. Arayat again on the background

Awaiting my Organic Rice

The heavy rains enhanced by typhoon Mario have just poured yesterday. Much of Metro Manila was under water. Pampanga, however, was spared from the heavy downpour. A day after, I went Sa Kabukiran. Good thing, none of the trees were uprooted. Some trees, though, have slightly tilted, as the rains have made the ground soaked and soft and the winds howled fiercely into the open fields, making it impossible for some trees to remain straight and upright. A year ago, typhoon Santi uprooted some of our trees. This year, we’ve trimmed our tree tops so we could avoid the same catastrophe. 

But I was surprised to see my organic rice standing firmly. I guess, their firm stalks made it possible for them to stand against the howling winds and the rains that poured down. Rice stalks sometimes become weak and lose their rigidity because of chemical fertilizers. An overdose of nitrogen sometimes makes rice stalks soft, making them vulnerable to strong winds and rains. 

But more than that, I guess, when rice stalks begin to bear grain, a great sense of expectation begins to excite you. Here are photos of some rice stalks showing their unripe grains. In a few weeks from now, the grains will turn golden and soon, I shall harvest this beautiful organic rice.  

The law of nature occurs with a delayed effect. You plant today but can’t harvest tomorrow. You have to wait. But the waiting is in itself rewarding. The transformation of plants from seedlings to mature rice stalks is a wonderful lesson in evolution, adaptation and growth. 

This is one of the rice paddies in the farm. This is the inner one surrounded by trees and shrubs. The other paddies are located outside of the fences. 

Another view of the rice stalks standing firmly after typhoon Mario.

The view of organic rice facing the Northside of the farm bordered with different trees. 

Rice growing near a trellis with flowers of a vine

Another view of the rice of another vine on a trellis

An Eco-Friendly Farm

From the time it was conceptualized, Sa Kabukiran has always been an eco-friendly farm. The presence of trees of different varieties, its landscaping that follows the natural contours of the land and the organic methods that are utilized to grow fruit trees and vegetables all add up to the idea that this farm is indeed eco-friendly. I have always wanted people visiting this place to see this farm as a place where they can indeed be one with nature. It should be a place where people can appreciate the land, the tress, the fishes, the mountain and the clean air.

In line with this advocacy, Sa Kabukiran has opened its doors to students wanting to learn more about the ecosystem. In August 9, 16 and 23, Sa Kabukiran  would have played host to a group of College Freshmen of Holy Cross College from the nearby town of Sta. Ana. The three batches have dedicated a day Sa Kabukiran to learn more about the Ecosystem. The Modules on the Ecosystem have been prepared for them so they can truly understand what it means to be part of this ecosystem. After some inputs on the ecosystem, practical workshops were done to enhance their learning. The first workshop involved the making of potting materials using discarded plastic bottles. The class was divided into  groups and given a complete set of tools to convert plastic bottles into potting materials. After this, they had to place soil into their newly converted pots and then plant seeds of pechay and mustard. In the afternoon a lesson on tree planting was discussed. Young people need to be taught the importance of trees nowadays. The skill of planting trees should also be a necessary skill to ensure their knowledge of planting and caring for trees. The discussion then culminated in the actual planting of trees Sa Kabukiran.

I believe in this advocacy. I used to think that Sa Kabukiran was a place that cannot be appreciated by young people. I was wrong. I thought then that since these young generation grew up with malls and computers and their  contact with nature and the environment was limited,  they wouldn’t be able to appreciate nature that much. As it turns out, I was surprised to see these young people really appreciate the land, the trees and the beauty that nature could bring them through their exposure Sa Kabukiran. Hopefully, their experience will at least make them love nature, help them preserve it, and help them make that initiative to grow plants and trees that help the environment regain its balance.

A Lecture on the Ecosystem with College Students from Holy Cross College, Sta. Ana, Pampanga

The lecture Hall seen from the attic.

Making potting materials by using discarded plastic bottles.

Lunch time  at the Lecture Hall with banana leaves.

The Main Hall

The main hall of the Kubo measures around 80 sq. meters. Upon entering the door which divides the foyer and the main hall, one is immediately welcomed by the main hall’s  high ceiling that is covered with nipa. This high roof ceiling is designed to look like a tunnel at the end of which is the space that allows illumination from natural light. I sometimes call this space as the light at the end of the tunnel.  This ceiling design was inspired by Cindy’s painting of  mommy represented as a blue butterfly heading towards the light. This main hall is designed to tell the story of mom’s journey from this world to the next. Her life has been transformed, not ended. The tunnel of light depicts her journey  from this earth to that kingdom where there is no more darkness but only light. Unlike the foyer which is surrounded by colored glasses, the main hall contains only clear glass to allow natural light to flood into every corner of the main hall. Light in its purity and natural state signifies God himself who is light. In the Psalms, we encounter a passage where it says: “in your light, we see light itself…” Mom has now come to this light. She has gone home to the father. There she will prepare a place for all of us. There, she will continue to pray for us, as she had always done in her earthly life.

The main hall is surrounded with panels made of intricate callado wood carvings which are located just above the doors and clear windows. These have also been made from Betis. The callado wood carvings depict images of foliage and flowers that seem to be heading towards the light. The callados at the end of the hall include the carved figures of a butterflies highlighted with a touch of gold. Mom’s transformed life is now symbolized by a butterfly. Like the butterflies depicted on the wood carvings, mom, too has taken flight towards the light. The carved callados are meaningful to us. During her lifetime, when mom would sit at the garden, she would instruct her maid to cut bougainvilla flowers and foliage and put them in a bottle. Even with Alzheimer, she never forgot to appreciate beauty and the simple things which always made her happy. So the carvings also in a way symbolize how happy she is now surrounded by God’s own love and mercy in heaven.

The main hall also has three concrete posts covered with bricks. These are accentuated by three lamps. These three lamps mounted on the posts represent the three virtues she always had in life: Faith, Hope and Charity. She was a woman of faith, praying very often, surrendering herself to the will of him who knows best.  Her hope never failed even in difficult and trying times. And her charity to everyone was heroic. On top of the post at the end of the hall is a mosaic cross also made by Cindy. Symbolically, this tunnel of light becomes the vision of those who have lived under Christ’s own victory through the cross. Two chandeliers hang over the main hall. Their lights look like candles with copper tubes encircling them. When I bought those chandeliers, the saleslady told me that they are called Atlas chandeliers because the encircling copper tubes resemble the image of the world. I said: “ that would be perfect.” That chandelier is like a “light of the world” chandelier. Like the chandeliers, Mom was for us, a light of the world, a salt of the earth, a brilliant light that we will never forget.

The main hall with the living and dining furniture.

                                                              

Details of windows and callado wood carvings.

Another view sala, windows, callado and the high ceiling and the light at the end of the tunnel ceiling. 

The high ceiling with the light at the end of tunnel feature. 

Another perspective of the Main Hall