[Marinduque] Lessons from the ‘kangga’

By Gerald Gene R. Querubin
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:25:00 05/26/2010

MOGPOG, Marinduque, Philippines—For having survived the hard times, brothers Edmundo and Epifanio Motar, coconut farmers from Barangay Mampaitan in Mogpog town in Marinduque, are grateful to God.

"Although our farms have not fully recovered from the devastation of Supertyphoon `Reming' in 2006, we are grateful that we have enough to sustain our daily needs," said Edmundo. He and his brother, both in their 40s, earn some P2,000 per harvest four times a year.

In thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, the two joined the Kangga Festival on May 13 in honor of the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro de Labrador.

The festival, which started in 2003, also showcased the tools that farmers use in their backbreaking work. These consisted of the "araro" (plow), "halabas" (scythe), "balunasan" (coconut husker) and the "kangga" a carabao-drawn, sled-type cart made from bamboo and wood.

The cart is fitted with a system of four-point runners that allows it to glide smoothly on all types of surfaces—hard, packed earth, loose soil, stone-strewn riverbeds or muddy rice fields.

Decorated kangga units pulled by carabaos and filled with harvests were paraded around town by barefoot farmers carrying assorted tools and the "bilao" (native food trays) of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Dwindling income

Mogpog's farmers earn little and are hampered by the lack of work opportunities, according to Dr. Homer Montejo, a social science professor from the Marinduque State College. The town has a total land area of 8,770 hectares, of which 5,121 ha are agricultural.

"Yet, the residents of Mogpog do not easily lose hope and consider these concerns reasons to work harder," Montejo said.

Teofila Ferrer Lingon, officer in charge of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Marinduque, said the drought caused by El Niño weather phenomenon has made matters worse for the industry. Last year, the PCA recorded total coconut harvest at a measly 9.368 metric tons, lower than the 9.705 MT harvested in 2008.

Last year, coconut harvest amounted to only less than P20 million—a far cry from the annual average of almost P320 million based on eight harvests per year before 2006 and when prices of copra had been higher.

Perseverance

Several storms had swept the province in the past, but the farmers of Mogpog have managed to overcome, Montejo said.

"There are times when we are short financially, but we find ways to sustain our daily needs and the school expenses of my children. We earn very little from copra farming," said Urbit Luisaga, 43, a coconut farmer from Barangay Bintakay.

He said he earned around P3,000 per harvest four times a year—way beyond the almost P7,000 per harvest eight times a year before Reming struck.

Luisaga accepts carpentry jobs to augment his income. His wife works in a factory in Manila and regularly sends money to her family.

The couple has seven children: The eldest is about to enter college, three are in the elementary grades, while the rest are of preschool age.

"Reality will tell us that life is not that easy, but I believe that through hard work we will be able to hurdle any trials before us. God is there for us to bless us," Luisaga said.

Mayor Senen Livelo, who is also a historian, said Mariduqueños could "learn to be resilient like the kangga."

Parish

The Mogpog farmers have been offering their harvests at the town's church since the establishment of the Parish of San Isidro de Labrador in 1807.

Montejo, however, believes that thanksgiving should not only be done after a bountiful harvest. He said farmers should thank God before they till and when cultivating their products because everything they have and do are blessings from God.

"Commemorating and celebrating the feasts of patron saints is a celebration of life. We should always be a part of the feasts because there is a connection between us and what we are celebrating, and we are not just mere observers," he said.