Human Nature's Joan Icotanim shares her fieldwork experience after spending nine days in Bukidnon!

Human Nature's Joan Icotanim shares her fieldwork experience after spending nine days in Bukidnon!

by Joan Icotanim

After spending nine whole days in Bukidnon, Human Nature’s Joan Icotanim shares her fieldwork experience in witnessing the potential of replicating citronella oil production in the rich soil of Mindanao. Through similar development plans, Human Nature’s Social Enterprise Development department continuously aims to build the capabilities of local farmers.

In 2010, Human Nature launched the One Heart for One Community Program, wherein 100% of the profits from the Citronella Bug Spray were used to repair the school, buy books, give health insurance and build an integrated processing facility for citronella oil production in Labo, Camarines Norte. We trained the farmers of Kooperatiba ng Maliliit na Magniniyog ng Barangay Kanapawan (KMMBK) and built up their capabilities to continuously improve their production. Now, it is their turn to "pay it forward" to other communities.

I was overwhelmed with joy and pride listening to Tita Judy Pamplona, KMMBK's Plantation Supervisor, teach the farmers of Bukidnon about their enterprise in Bicol. She unhesitatingly transferred plantation management, harvesting practice, processing, and handling techniques and technologies to the farmers without the fear of competing with them in the future.

She knew that by sharing their expertise, they can create a rich ecosystem to sustain their business - rather than serve as a threat to their market share. She emphasized how the culture of solidarity and collaboration are truly key to the bayanihan spirit, and inspired them to keep on trying and learning, never settling for anything less than good quality.

Tita Judy shared how before Human Nature, the farmers of Bicol used to sell their produce at a very minimal price. She recalled the trying times when they struggled to stay afloat until their efforts paid off and their products achieved the global quality standard. But just like the farmers of Bukidnon, these Bicolano farmers are still learning and experimenting to keep on improving. Her words and enthusiasm inspired her listeners who were very thankful for the tips and advice – they even expressed their gratitude through coffee beans, an abaca fan, and new-found friendship!

Human Nature’s HR Manager, Sheryl Aspacio, and our Agriculturist, Angelo Noriel, also visited our Bukidnon farmers to conduct community studies. Because we wanted to make sure that the business plan for the farmers are based on valid assumptions, we conducted time and motion and yield studies in one of the communities to ensure the viability of the business and the concrete roles the farmers will take on.

It was during one of these studies that we were able to talk to one of the farmers, Kuya Poning. He is a single 34-year-old man who had plans to get married, but was dismayed by the thought of not being able to provide a bright future for his family because of his lack of education and the lack of employment opportunities in his province. When asked what his dreams were, he simply answered, "To have my own house and my own farm." This is exactly what Human Nature would like to achieve – to provide the poor with more opportunities so that they may attain their dreams and reach their fullest potential.

All in all, it was a physically exhausting trip - but our work has only just begun. Even if I've had to ride a habal-habal (a big motorbike and the staple mode of transportation in Mindanao) every now and then under the pouring rain just to reach far-flung communities, seeing the richness of the countryside never fails to console me. Discovering the vast lands and rich biodiversity of the countryside, I couldn’t help but remember the lines, “Ang bayan kong Pilipinas, lupain ng ginto’t bulaklak…”

Fieldwork ceases to be work, especially when you realize how blessed our country is and how much we can do for the Filipinos.