“I was wondering why most of the farmers in Palawan are different from those in the other provinces in Luzon. I have this impression that we are left behind. So, I thought, why don’t we give a new life to the agricultural sector of the province? Let’s cultivate the land of Palawan.”
Born and raised in Narra, Palawan, Rex Ordas manages the Bonsay Agricultural Farm in Brgy. Inogbong, Bataraza, Palawan for almost two decades now. “My father used to call my only sister “Bonsay” because she is petite. When thinking of the name for the farm, we thought of her,” Rex said.
Though not residents of Bataraza, his parents decided to try their luck in rice farming since fishing was not as lucrative as when they were starting.
“I encouraged my parents to try investing in the land. Our initial capital to buy the land came from my parents' savings from fishing. By the grace of God, slowly, we were able to start Bonsay’s operation,” Rex recalled.
At first, Rex admits that he is not that interested in farming, although he is a graduate of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering, but his exposure to the farmers in northern Luzon, where he had training in agriculture, changed his perspective. “I was left curious why there is a big gap between the economic status of farmers in Luzon and the farmers in Palawan,” he shared.
His curiosity propelled him to pursue farming as a full-time profession.
Bonsay farm dedicated its 24 hectares to rice farming, employing organic farming (vermicomposting and use of chicken manure as fertilizer) and direct seeding method of rice planting. This traditional way of farming lessens the cost of hiring people. Regarding the source of seeds, they barter with neighboring farms for good seeds. Rice varieties include Rc18, Rc82, 42, 206, and 218.
“With the traditional way of rice farming, we can produce 130-140 cavans/hectare depending on the variety and a profit of PhP50,000.00 to PhP60,000.00 per hectare with the initial farm inputs and labor amounting to PhP100,000.00,” Rex shared.
Aside from rice, the farm is also home to different vegetables, fruit trees, corn, coconut, and farm animals such as poultry (layers), quail, swine, free-range chickens, and ruminants (cow, carabao, goat, and sheep).
“We have five regular staff on the farm. Our staff in charge of the different commodities in the farm also serve as our trainers for our TESDA training and accreditations,” he said. Some of the tasks are outsourced to a nearby community that is mostly members of the indigenous peoples.
Among the provinces in MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Palawan shared the highest number of agricultural farms. This number was expected since Palawan also has the largest land area in the region with a total agricultural land area of 225, 904 hectares (PSA, 2022), of which 117, 406 hectares (PhilRice, 2023) are dedicated to rice farming.
“We are blessed with the land. Most of the farmers here in Palawan own a piece of land. But owning a land does not guarantee a farmer of good fortune in farming,” he shared.
Rex shared that many local farmers have difficulty making ends meet. They are left with nothing when emergency needs arise.
“My heart goes to those farmers who are toiling daily on the farm to feed us, yet they were left with nothing when in need,” he shared.
Rex firmly believes that the farmer’s education, skills, and availability of resources can significantly increase the potential for farming success.
“As I always say, let’s educate our farmers properly. Our farmers are not difficult to learn. They just need to see the best results to believe. That’s why we always start our training touring the whole farm. I let them see our rice field. With that, they get to see and experience the technologies firsthand. It also gives us the credibility as a learning site,” Rex explained.
An educator himself, Rex turned his farm into a training hub where farmers, students, and fellow farm owners can learn and benchmark.
The farm became an accredited Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) in 2019. As an accredited LSA, the farm introduced new technologies. Farmers could access learning materials (provided by ATI) that help them with their daily farming activities. Bonsay also invests in molding young minds to appreciate and learn more farming techniques. On average, about 200 senior high and college students come to the farm for training.
The LSA accreditation led Bonsay to qualify for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)- Rice Extension Services Program (RESP). Rex attended the RCEF Farmer Field School (FFS) and Training of Trainers (ToT) in Bataraza.
“RCEF-FFS was a huge opportunity for Bonsay to extend help to our farmers through farm mechanization and technology training. Through the Bonsay Agricultural Cooperative, RCEF connected us to PhilMech (Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization) for farm machinery. Now, we have a rice planter, hand tractor, harvester, and a mechanical drying facility which members of the cooperative and farmers in the locality can borrow,” Rex narrated.
Aside from the machinery, Bonsay also received seed subsidies, which Rex considers “good quality seeds” since it passed several studies to ensure quality.
Since then, the farm’s expenses were reduced from PhP 100,000.00 to PhP 70,000.00. The transplanter makes seeding more efficient, earning them a profit increase of PhP90,000.00 to PhP 100,000.00/hectare per cropping season from PhP50,000.00 to PhP60,000.00 profit before.
“Farm mechanization plus technology equals better productivity,” Rex said.
Rex was able to extend his success to the farmers in his locality through the training, FFS, and lending of farm equipment from RCEF.
He also shared a significant shift in the mindset of farmers who have benefitted through the training they conducted. “For example, a farmer noticed a pest in his rice farm. Of course, the tendency is to spray commercial pesticide, but now, he will resort to organic ways of dealing with pests and diseases first,” he shared.
Aside from the expansion and continuation of what Bonsay had received from RCEF, Rex wants to invest in the next generation of farmers.
“My challenge to the next generation is to go back to agriculture. Do not wait until one day, you’ll wake up to the reality that other countries are feeding you,” Rex added.
Asked whether he was able to achieve his advocacy to uplift Palawan farmers or at least in Bataraza, Rex just grinned.
“As long as Bonsay farm exists, with the help of our government and the agencies who believe in the future of agriculture, we will continue to create and innovate for our farmers. I might not fully achieve it in my lifetime, but with the knowledge, skills, and resources shared with our farmers, the discipline, and dedication, at least, I am assured of one thing: someone will be continuing what we have started,” Rex said.
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