In celebration of International Women’s Month this 2023, we are honored to feature Letty Bisco on our blog. Known to the GSSP Community as “Manang Letty”, she is currently the President of the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS). Manang Letty was one of the students of the very first seed school ever conducted by Global Seed Savers Philippines (at the time, we were still known as Friends of ENCA). Along with her other classmates during the 2015 seed school, Manang Letty became a founding member of BASS. She has been instrumental in bringing seed-saving practices to several farms in the Cordilleras and is a beacon of hope for many who know her.
Continue on to the interview below to learn more about Letty’s experience as a woman farmer.
Why is farming any different for women? In your family, did women farm or are you a first-generation woman farmer?
Traditionally the woman’s role in the family is working at home, and managing household chores. But since no one is taking the farming role, I took the initiative to continue working at my family farm. There are some difficulties for women to work in farms given the difference in physical strength compared to men.
I had to hire help for the heavy tasks on the farm which adds to the cost of farming. Being the woman owner of the farm though, I had the financial freedom to spend my own money. I also have the freedom and control over the farm and I don’t have to answer to a boss since I am the sole owner.
I realized this sense of financial freedom when I assumed responsibility as the sole breadwinner in the family due to the passing of my husband. I continued farming even in his absence.
Back in the early days of parenthood, I remember merely working in the household doing domestic chores. I was confined at home. It was a liberating experience when I did farming because I could choose to go out of the house anytime, and that I also have control over my earnings. I’m not a first generation farmer since my mother was a farmer too. These days, however, I am the only woman farmer in the family. I am also the only farmer since we don’t have any men farmers either. We all received education, which influenced my siblings to pursue other things other than farming. I thought, such a waste of our land if I don’t take on continuing farming.
What do you consider a successful year at your farm?
When the climate is stable, the harvest is good. When there are no calamities, the yield is optimal. I recall 2015 when the climate was favorable. There was rain all year-round and not a single major typhoon struck my farm. Because of that, production was high, and my farm sales were also high during that year.
What, for you, is the next step for women farmers?
Women farmers have to be open minded with agricultural innovations. They have to maintain their commitment to farming. Farming is not simple, you need to learn how to forecast what are best crops to plant, and when to plant particular crops. This is tedious and scientific which requires patience. I say it is scientific because you do trial and error. You need to experience and learn for you to get better results.
If you could share one piece of advice with the future generation of women in agriculture, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid of taking risks in experimenting and experiencing new things, because only in this way will you explore what are the best methods in farming. For future generations of women farmers, take hold of that concern and love for your family as this will guide you in your farming; this will translate into you finding ways to practice healthy and safe food production.
February of this year, Dr. Ernie Amaranto, one of Global Seed Saver’s most loyal supporters, came to Baguio City to visit Farmer Anita’s farm in Tublay, Benguet. During Dr. Amaranto’s visit, himself and our BASS partner farmers gathered together for a luncheon on February 11, 2023 at the Baguio County Club.
The luncheon was attended by more than 40 of our partner farmers and other GSS community members, many of whom are farmers from BASS and Tublay, two were officials from the Benguet Provincial Government, an individual from another NGO, several of our supporters, and our Former Executive Director Karen Hizola also paid a visit.
During the event, Dr. Amaranto, also fondly known in the GSSP community as “Gangster Tatay” as a heartwarming nickname, showed us a plaque for the Preserve Planet Earth which was awarded to the Mead Rotary Club. He attributes this award to the work of Global Seed Savers in the Philippines, which part of was funded by the Rotary District.
Some of the more notable events during the luncheon included a pivotal conversation with Atty. Reuben Paoad (who is the former mayor of Tublay and is currently working at the Benguet Provincial Capitol), Board Member of the Lone District of Benguet, and Chair of the Agriculture Committee. Atty. Paoad talked about how fewer edible plants there are presently in Benguet, and that we must now act to prevent this from getting worse. His words elicited a lot of questions from the audience, but we agreed to have a follow-up conversation to determine how we can collaborate in the future through a project related to food sovereignty.
More than anything, this event was an opportunity to reconnect with our partner farmers and supporters. It was a reminder of the huge work that lies ahead, and a testament of the great deed we can accomplish together as one community dedicated to seed and food sovereignty.
Balay Sofia, the only Steiner-Waldorf School in the Cordilleras, has once again paid a visit to Annette’s farm! This time, the school brought with them about 35 students from Grades 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8.
This trip was part of the school curriculum and was meant to give children a glimpse of farm life. During the visit, the students and their teachers collected weeds and processed them for composting. They also planted peas, which at present, are now thriving.
The kids got to interact with BASS farmers Anita and Elizabeth, and they also enjoyed their time with Anita’s farm pet mouse!
While this visit is not yet an official program of Global Seed Savers, we are honored to have the opportunity to create these connections between farmers and the youth. We believe that through these interactions with farmers who painstakingly grow food in healthy and sustainable ways, these children will become the new generation of conscious consumers who will become advocates for sustainable food systems.
See More Photos of Balay Sofia Students Visiting Anette’s Farm!
I am Anita Paoad Sinakay, 41 years old, married, and a mother of one. I am presently residing with my family in Pinan Daclan, Tublay, where my farm is also located. I named my farm Nature Lovers Garden. It has an area of exactly one (1) hectare.
I am affiliated with several farmer’s organizations like the Tublay Organic Farming Practitioners Agriculture-Cooperative (TOFPA-COOP), the Association of Farmers on Organic for the Rural Development of Daclan (AFFORD), the Daclan Kafamilja Rural Improvement Club (DKRIC), and of course, the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS).
Our BASS retreat was held last September 10-11, 2022 at Paradiso Beach Resort in Aringay, La Union. We were there Saturday night so we just enjoyed our dinner together as one family and sleep right away to gain more strength for the next day. Early the next morning, at precisely five ‘o clock we went to the beach and started enjoying the coldness of the breeze and the warmth of the water in the sea. From there we experienced playing with the waves and enjoyed bonding while swimming at the same time telling stories, sharing experiences, jokes, etc. Then it was time to eat because everybody was starving.
The thing that struck me most about the retreat is the group discussions wherein we talk about things to improve in the future that we should take seriously on seed saving. Being a member of the BASS, I realized that being committed to saving seeds must be sustained. I was really thinking about how to encourage younger farmers to go on farming and do seed saving for the future.
I am glad that I’m part of the group (BASS) because we are learning something even just by talking with each other, sharing experiences, observing others’ attitudes, understanding others’ personalities, being considerate, etc. I learned how to adjust myself to them, forgetting past bad memories, forgiving others’ shortcomings, and thinking that everybody commits mistakes because we are just humans who are imperfect.
Belonging to a group is more fun than being alone. I think our goal during the retreat was attained.
March 15, 2022. This is the day we officially launched the food sovereignty campaign through the support of our partners from the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS).But for me, who has been with Global Seed Savers Philippines (GSSP) for less than a year, this was an important day for a different reason. It was the first time I personally met the farmers whom I’ve only seen in photos. It was also the first time I came to Tublay, and the first time I experienced first-hand the work of GSSP. I was both excited and anxious, but also, determined to observe and learn the ways of the community.
The activities were pretty simple, with the blessing of the soil and seed as major highlights. We had planned for a ritual to express our gratitude to the land and the seeds that enable our farmers to continue producing food for our communities. And of course, there was a lot of music, dancing, and food!Here are some photos and videos from the event:
This, however, was not a simple celebration. It was also a coming together of two communities, both devastated by typhoons in the recent past, one that has recovered, the other, still in the process of recovering.A major objective of the activity was to bridge the connection between the farmers of Tublay and the farmers of Cebu. As you may already know, Cebu has recently been devastated by Typhoon Odette. But this is not the first time that farmers in the Philippines have had to rebuild their farms (and lives) after a typhoon.In previous years, it was the farmers of Benguet who needed help. Farmers from Cebu readily sent their seed stocks to help re-enliven the farms of Benguet. Now it is the Benguet farmers’ turn to help Cebu rise up from the devastation of Odette.
Through this event, the farmers of Benguet sent their compatriots from the South, prayers of strength, healing, and nourishment so that they may overcome their current challenges.In one part of the program, Karen, our Philippines Executive Director, asked all attendees to stand and touch the seeds and the soil which was going to be sent to Cebu. She said, this was so we could share our “microbes and microorganisms” to our partner farmers in Cebu.[1]Perhaps in future posts, we will have the opportunity to discuss the microbiome and its connection to agriculture. For now, we hope you read this resource to better understand the value of this … Continue readingThis held a lot of meaning for me.
And though simple the entire event was, it led me to a lot of realizations and lessons. For one, it helped me realize how the land, and agriculture in general, represent the interconnectedness of Filipinos. Agriculture and all the traditions and knowledge systems built around it are what makes our communities thrive.
Another realization I had during the activity was this: farmers recovered from the climate disruptions they have experienced in recent years because they have not forgotten the spirit of bayanihan.
“This spirit is indeed the heart and soul of our work at Global Seed Savers! Seeds, seed saving, building a community committed to sustainably feeding itself and resisting the ever growing stronger corporate and chemical take over of our food system, is only possible when done together…in community….with a true spirit of bayanihan!”
As I say these words, I realize that there are so many ideas, concepts, and insights here that would need time and space to unpack. Perhaps, in future articles, we would be able to expound on these ideas as they appear in the Philippine context. For now, however, I want to center on this one idea: There is so much to be done in terms of food sovereignty in the Philippines, but our communities already have the foundations to make it happen. Our communities have all the elements to make food sovereignty a reality in the country. It is only a matter of utilizing the knowledge we already have, and remembering the power they hold.As I leave Tublay, a single thought echoes in my mind: “The heart of the Filipino is in the right place”. As our world is currently in turmoil, I realize just how valuable this is. Though many of us are caught up in feelings of turmoil and hopelessness, the community and the lessons of the past ensures that our hearts will continue to beat together, in search of a better future.
Imagine a beautiful mountain valley surrounded by pine tree and tropical forested mountains, rice fields lining the riverbank, and a beautiful organic farm just above the road that passes through this magical place! This scene is real and last week during our farm visits with the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS) we spent lunch and a lovely afternoon at Auntie Mary’s beautiful farm tucked away in Tublay Central. It is always grounding and reaffirming to go on farm visits with our dedicated farmer partners during my annual visits to the Philippines. While I recognize the deep importance my fundraising and advocacy away from the farms provides… my favorite days each year are spent in the fields learning, laughing, and sharing best practices with the BASS Members. They are a passionate, knowledgeable, and extremely dedicated group of farmers and each time we spend time together I am reminded of how blessed I am to get to work with each of them!
Tublay Central Valley View from Auntie Mary’s Farm
Auntie Mary’s beautiful organic farm sits along a small riverbed and she is a true organic practitioner having farmed organically the last 15 years, since a personal heath scare during her last child’s birth. She is a new member of BASS and plants a wide diversity of organic crops including okra, lettuce, beans, adlay (a Filipino native grain), and especially exciting is her native corn!! The Philippines is SE Asia largest producer of GMO Corn, with over 800,000 hectares planted around the country. Considering that corn wind pollinates up to 10 km, some studies are starting to show that all the corn in these densely GMO planted areas might be contaminated. It is a real treasure that Auntie Mary has native corn and she is excited to keep growing it out at her isolated farm and share seeds with BASS farmers and our Seed Library in Tublay.
BASS Farmer Mary poses proudly with her native corn.
BASS Farmers Mary and Pastor Jun looking at seeds.
We also visited BASS Members Fely and Pastor Jun (a new member of BASS and the current President of the Tublay Organic Farmers Association). I have known Fely for many years, since my early Peace Corps days and this was my first time to visit her farm. Set just below the ridgeline of Coroz in Tublay she has a wide and beautiful farm full of coffee (she partners with another NGO to export to Japan) and a wide diversity of vegetables including herbs and squash. We toured the area she had dedicated to saving seeds, but sadly her greenhouse was destroyed in the recent typhoons. We are still formalizing how to share the funds raised to support all the BASS members impacted by the recent typhoons. In total, BASS Farmers suffered over $20,000 USD in damages. To date we have raised just over $2,500 to support their continued recovery and any additional gifts are much appreciated and will go a long way to ensuring BASS Farmers can continue to propagate quality seeds. Donations can be made via our website: https://globalseedsavers.giv.sh/ba3e.
Pastor Jun’s Farm is located one ridgeline North of Fely’s and feels like a hidden gem as you walk the steep pine tree path into the woods and turn a corner to see a magical secret garden. Pastor is new to organic farming but already has a wide diversity of crops including dill, cucumber, carrots, beets, and more. His farm is in a perfect location for our continued seed trials and increased seed production, because it is well isolated and already proving to be fertile land. Pastor is excited to conduct carrot seed saving trails in the coming months and expand his seed saving knowledge as a new member of BASS.
Looking at Pastor Jun’s Garden
BASS Member Fely describing her coffee production with our Country Manager Karen.
GSSP Board Retreat and Planning
As you might remember, last year we registered our Philippine Counterpart NGO Global Seed Savers Philippines. It has been a fruitful year for the organization starting to gain local funding support and formalize their board roles and action steps. I have enjoyed getting to help guide this process with the Philippines Board and last week Sunday-Tuesday Karen, Padma (a longtime friend and the GSSP Board President) and I gathered in La Union at the beach for a two-day working retreat. It was the perfect relaxing setting to reflect, make plans, and brainstorm our future and continued growth. Priority topics included: local board development, an assessment of the current strengths on the board and what we are missing, we also laid out ambitions programs plans for the coming three years including:
Hosting 6 seed schools in 2019
Hosting a Philippines Wide Seed Summit in 2019
Launching at least 8 new seed libraries by 2021
Hiring more local staff to manage our growth to new regions and more!
It is an honor to be building this organization with Padma and Karen and I am excited to see where 2019 takes us after a fruitful and productive retreat. Also, special shout out to Nash another Philippines Board Member currently getting her Masters Degree in Belgium who joined us via SKYPE for day one of the retreat.
GSSP Board Retreat: Karen, Padma, Sherry, and Nash via Belgium.
This has by far been my busiest trip to the Philippines in recent history; between conferences, travel all over the country, new partner development meetings, and lots of time spent with Karen planning, formalizing processes, and reflecting on our last three years of growth and impact! I am excited to head to Sagada tomorrow for some R and R to round off my final week here in the Philippines.
There is so much momentum for Global Seed Savers right now and I am excited to continue to support our Philippines Team and Farmers as we grow and ensure more farmers have access to locally produced non-chemical seeds!
Thank you for following along and all of your support for our work!
