TUBA, Benguet – As part of the Kini-ing Festival, guests were invited to tour Caleb’s Garden in the Sky, a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-accredited farm located in Poyopoy, Taloy Sur.
Cynthia Abance-Sil-ac and her husband have been farming the mountaintop land since the 1990s. Through active participation in one of the barangay’s farmer cooperatives, her husband stumbled upon the GAP Accreditation Program. Within less than a year of meeting the standard requirements, they were able to obtain such recognition.
GAP Accreditation is a program facilitated by the Bureau of Plant Industry supported by the region’s Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR), aiming to ensure and educate farmers on both safe food consumption and environmental integrity.
Through the program, Cynthia and her husband were able to gain newfound knowledge. Aside from improving their practices, they also became advocates for safe and sustainable farming. “Idi ket ag-us-usar kami ti kasjay ket ag-agang ti salun-at mi ngay. Adaan kami ti ulcer… jy agsakit ti tiyan. Haan [mi] gayam ammu ngay nga [epekto ti panag-usar ti napipigsa nga spray],” Cynthia said. “Isu nga dakkel iti [tulong] ti GAP ngay ta kanem jy mulam nga amum kasjay nga nai-spray nga at least nga na-control … ken haan nga diyay kwarta lang ti panunutem. Haan nga diyay income, ‘di ket diyay salun-at ti tao nga mangkakan tapos sika metlaeng nga nangimula,”
Through GAP Accreditation, farmers can produce market-standard products with higher value, increased reputation and recognition of their work. Cynthia also noted that small amounts of farm items are given as tokens to those who apply for renewal. “Haan kami py naka-receive ti kasjay ta first pylang nga [year] mi ngay. Nem dagijay naka-renew piman, mapadas dan naitedan dagijay [tokens] ngay. Mamingsan, agited da iti seeds, fertilizer, uray haan nga dakkel ah. Dakkel dagijay nga tulong en. At least makalibre tanu gatangen mi ijy [Baguio] ket nagngina,” she said.
Although GAP-accredited, Cynthia still sees organic farming as the ideal method due to the absence of pesticide-use. The couple spray their crops once every one to two weeks with blue-labeled pesticides. They rent a jeepney for ₱250 to bring their produce to the highway for sale, but hope to connect with dealers who buy from GAP-certified farms at fairer prices.
Cristina Molitas-Tolero, CEO of La-Diyang Haven Community, Inc., emphasized that the Kini-ing Festival features farm visits to provide the public with valuable insights into the lives of farmers, especially remote and highland communities like Caleb’s Garden in the Sky. By Aiyra Marzan
