In Peñablanca, Cagayan, 68-year old farmer Editha “Nanay Edith” Liquigan Manuel has spent decades nurturing her farm and community. From her early days of farming to being the Chairperson of the Bical Baliwag Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative, Nanay Edith embodies the resilience and resourcefulness of women farmers.
Nanay Edith participated in the GrowHer Training of Trainers implemented by the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) through the ASEAN Green Recovery through Equity and Empowerment (AGREE) Project. Through the training, Nanay Edith gained new insights on climate-smart farming practices and digital marketing strategies, further enhancing her ability to navigate the challenges of climate change.
In this article, Nanay Edith shares with us the lessons she has learned through years of hands-on experience and her hopes for her fellow farmers. Her story highlights the vital role of women farmers as leaders and champions of sustainable agriculture in the Philippines.
Please introduce yourself. Can you share with us what encouraged you to be a farmer?
I am Editha Liquigan Manuel, 68 years old from Baliwag, Peñablanca, Cagayan. I started farming when I got married at the age of 23 and I’ve been farming ever since.
When I was starting out, I planted bananas because I was a processor of banana chips. Later, I expanded into high-value crops like coconuts, mango, and corn. I also planted root crops like cassava, sweet potatoes, as well as vegetables. Over time, I learned how to make taro chips.
I chose to become a farmer because I understand the importance of farming. Food is essential to every Filipino. Farming is the foundation of our food supply and I take pride in being part of ensuring that people have food on their tables. Farming is my passion—this is where my heart is.
What are some farming practices you have learned through the years that you can share with other farmers?
My farm is approximately 10 hectares, more or less. As farmers, we inevitably experience ups and downs, we earn well and sometimes we face losses. That’s why I practice intercropping. This way, if one crop doesn’t do well, I have other crops to rely on for income—intercropping is my strategy to prevent significant losses.
For example, bananas were the first crop I planted on my farm. Later, I introduced cacao, which thrives better in shade. To protect the cacao from excessive sunlight, I planted it alongside bananas, which provide natural cover. I also practice intercropping with vegetables, ensuring we have food at home while selling the extra harvest at the market for additional income.
How has climate change affected you and your farming practices over the years?
As a farmer, especially with my age, I have faced many challenges over the years. One of the biggest is climate change. On top of that, the rising cost of farm inputs makes it harder for farmers like me.
Due to climate change, water supply has become a major hurdle. We don’t always have enough water for our crops, so we installed deep wells on the farm to provide an additional source of irrigation. That’s also why I practice intercropping with drought-tolerant crops to help us cope during dry seasons.
While we earn a decent income from farming corn, a strong typhoon once devastated our crops. Fortunately, we had other high-value crops to fall back on. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to farming.
How can women farmers help strengthen our agriculture sector, especially in making it more climate-resilient?
I believe that women farmers play a crucial role in agriculture. Women, especially those of my generation, have a strong influence in our communities. We are motivators—our husbands, our neighbors, and fellow women farmers to persevere.
As the Chairperson of our cooperative, I always encourage our members to plant a variety of high-value crops, along with staple crops. This way, we are not entirely dependent on external aid.
Our cooperative has about 340 members, including agrarian reform beneficiaries who received land titles through the Department of Agrarian Reform. We help them get back on their feet through a low-interest loan program that provides access to seeds and fertilizers. With support from the Department of Agriculture, we also implement a high-value crops program that encourages farmers to grow. This way, aside from planting corn, they also have cash crops to sell for additional income.
Can you share some of the most valuable lessons you’ve gained from the training programs you’ve joined? How are you using these lessons to improve your farm’s resilience to climate change?
Prior to joining the GrowHer Training of Trainers, we had already adopted some climate-smart practices with the help of programs like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ National Greening Program. However, the GrowHer Training further enhanced our knowledge of climate change and introduced new strategies that complemented what we already knew.
Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from the training were fertilizer management and integrated pest management. I have applied these techniques on my farm and I hope to see better results in the next cropping season.
Support from PLDT & Smart Communications has also been a huge help. The technology and connectivity package they provided has allowed us to leverage digital marketing. Before we had to bring our harvests to the market to sell them. Now, we can promote our products on social media and customers come directly to our house to buy our fresh produce like bananas, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and soursop. We also use digital marketing to sell our processed products, such as banana and taro chips, cacao tablea, and tamarind candy. This has helped us reach more customers and grow our business.
What motivates you to keep on farming despite the challenges you’ve faced? What advice would you also like to share to other farmers, especially women farmers?
What keeps me going is the understanding that not every season is the same. Losses happen but we must keep moving forward. If we stop trying, nothing will improve and we won’t be able to better our lives. Farmers must be strong and resilient.
I also hope that more farmers like me will have opportunities to attend training sessions like the GrowHer Training of Trainers. Continuous learning is crucial for farmers so we can keep improving and adapting. My dream for our cooperative is to see every farmer succeed and have a better life. Because if the farmers thrive, our country will also prosper.
To my fellow women farmers, let us never give up hope. I hope we can be an inspiration to other women, proving that they too can succeed.
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‘GrowHer: Voices from the Field’ is an article series by the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture highlighting the personal journeys of women farmers trained through the GrowHer Training of Trainers under the ASEAN Green Recovery through Equity and Empowerment (AGREE) Project. Discover the inspiring stories behind their farms, their challenges, and their successes. Follow our series to gain insights and celebrate the remarkable contributions of women in agriculture, climate resilience, and innovation.
The farmer’s quotes in this article have been translated. While efforts were made to preserve their original meaning, some nuances may vary in translation.