In August last year the torrential rains and thunderstorms, known informally as Typhoon Habagat, displaced the communities around Laguna Bay. The Goducate team in Laguna has been helping to rehabilitate some of the families in Tagumpay through training in livelihood skills. Some of the men learnt agricultural skills at the Goducate Model Farm, while the women learnt skills such as soap and detergent making, decorative handicraft, and sewing.
We were fortunate that a former mayor of Bay generously offered us, for free, 2000 sq m of his land in the district of Tagumpay, to be used as a community farm. Five men who were trained at the Goducate Model Farm helped develop this community farm.
The early part of this year was spent planting. By March the workers were starting to harvest lady’s fingers and some string beans. The bulk of the string beans (79 kg) were harvested in the first 2 weeks of April. have had a good harvest of string beans. Between April 1 and 12, 79 kg of beans were harvested, and what was not used for personal consumption was sold on the market. Pechay will be harvested soon. Leeks and mustard will be planted soon.
By now the people displaced by the severe Habagat floods have left the evacuation centers and are in their own homes, some of which had to be completely rebuilt. The longer-term plan is to use this farm for training others in the community in backyard farming.
