Behind every young child who believes in themselves is a parent who believed first, but what happens when that parent, the one you thought would be your first and biggest supporter, is nowhere to be found?
Dexter Donn Alingay, a young farmer from Kadingilan, Bukidnon, overcame a challenging childhood to become a successful agripreneur through hydroponic farming.
Loss and Struggle
Born in 1997, this Ibaloi Igorot was left by his parents at just 9 months old and was raised by his loving aunt, Nanay Ivy. Tragically, Nanay Ivy passed away, leaving Dexter alone again. This forced him to drop out of college due to a lack of financial support. In his darkest times, he even resorted to vices to get by. His childhood was unlike most children since he grew up moving and transferring residences from one relative to another. At a young age, he learned the importance of working hard and finding ways to earn a living in order to survive.
He was forced to stop going to college due to a lack of financial support. In his search for a better life and purpose, he went to Manila to apply for the Army, but things didn't go as planned due to medical reasons. In his darkest times, he even resorted to engaging in different vices as a source of income to get through the day. With this, he decided to go back to his hometown and asked for a place to stay on his other auntie’s farm and volunteered to take care of its livestock, venturing into raising ornamental fish as his primary source of income.
A Curious Mind
In 2018, he became curious about maintaining proper water conditions more conveniently, and after much research on YouTube, he discovered aquaponics. Aquaponics is a sustainable farming technique that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in water) to create a symbiotic ecosystem where both fish and plants thrive. He learned that in an aquaponic system, fish waste is converted into nutrients for plants, while the plants help to filter and clean the water for the fish. With this knowledge, he created an aquaponics system where the ornamental fish were partnered with kangkong (Swamp Cabbage).
Discovering Hydroponics
Dexter became curious about aquaponics, a sustainable farming technique combining aquaculture and hydroponics. He later focused solely on hydroponics, finding it cheaper and easier to set up. Despite skepticism from his relatives, Dexter persevered, engaging in welding and repair jobs to earn money to build his own hydroponics greenhouse in 2019.
Knowing that hydroponics was not yet known in the area, nobody believed in him, not even his relatives because he was known before as "bugoy." Despite these trials, he never gave up, holding onto his strong belief in the potential of hydroponics as a good source of living, acknowledging agriculture as the backbone of the Philippine economy, and bearing in mind how his deceased aunt believed in his capability. With God-given skills, he went into accepting welding and repair jobs and selling land lots enough to earn a P10,000 commission, which gradually allowed him to construct a hydroponics greenhouse.
Recognition and Success
Unknowingly, he found out later that he was slowly abandoning his remaining vices to be able to accumulate more capital for hydroponics. In 2021, Ivy Alvarico, an Agricultural Extension Worker (AEW) from the Municipal Agriculture Office, was searching for a young farmer to be a candidate in the Provincial Young Farmers Challenge. This program, offered by the Department of Agriculture (DA), aims to provide financial grant assistance to the youth who engage in establishing viable and profitable agri-fishery enterprises. During her search, Ivy discovered Dexter and encouraged him to participate in the program. During his application to the said program, he was also chosen to be one of the lucky 4H'rs to undergo a two-week intensive and integrated training on ATI’s "Adopt a Youth Homestay Program" in one of its learning sites, Umanika Eco-Cultural Farm in Malaybalay City.
Breakthrough and Accomplishments
At 26 years old, Dexter is a successful agripreneur while also pursuing a degree in Business Administration. His inspiring journey, overcoming a difficult upbringing through hard work and determination, demonstrates the power of self-reliance and passion for agriculture.
Dexter identified this time of his life as his breakthrough towards his chosen career in agriculture because that year he won the Young Farmers Challenge at the Provincial level, and with the award, he was able to finish constructing his hydroponics greenhouse, earning sales from it through individual consumers and cafe owners. He was also part of the 4H club and had been participating in some 4H activities. Currently, he is a self-supporting 2nd-year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in Financial Management student at Bukidnon State University (BSU), Kadingilan Satellite Campus, while also being a successful agripreneur. To date, Dexter earns an average monthly income of P10,000 from selling his lettuce.
His journey was never easy; growing up without the love and guidance of a parent was heartbreaking, losing the one whom you can only rely on made it even more painful, and living in a world where no one believed in your capability made it harder. He could have dealt with it negatively forever, but he never did, holding onto the hope that he found in God, believing in the God-given gift to him, and how his aunt believed in him despite all the setbacks. That grasp of hope and his principles that “It's okay to experience mistakes in pursuing your passion, correct them and strive for improvement the next time” made its way to finding his purpose and success. Above all, he never has regrets or frustration about the life that he had because he believes that all things work together for good for those who believe in God. (written and submitted by: Cheaster Kimberly A. Magat)
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