Chapter 9- My Mother’s Flower Gardens and Vegetable Farms

Our mother always have Flower Gardens at home. She said, she's   happy when she looked at her flower gardens. She often said: “My flowers were for my eyes only. I am always happy when I saw my flower gardens.” She shared some of her flowers to friends.

Mother, helped the family from the earnings of her gardens. Gardening was mother’s second love. Our house’ surroundings were planted with  different flowers and vegetable.  She grows flowers and maintained these even during dry seasons. Mother’s flower gardens were always blooming with roses, daisies, pointsetias, gumamellas, vogainvillas and other flowers.

But on some occasions, in June when many young people got married, many decorators bought flowers from my mother to decorate the churches. Also on February 13, many young people visited our home to buy mother’s roses and other flowers.

But she earned year- round from her vegetable gardens. She plants pechay, string beans, mustards, alogbate, eggplants year round. After harvesting the vegetable,  new vegetable are  immediately. My sisters helped water the plants and pulling weeds.

Mother practices organic farming during those times. She kept the carabaos, goats and chicken manures and all the garbages-- the leaves, ashes in our stoves and  grasses   were made to decomposed. She stored these in one side of the fence under a big tree.

She kept it there for several months. She brought home  also some seaweeds, gathered from the sea shores and put it in her composts. When this materials were fully de-compost,  she spread them on her vegetables and flower gardens. She told us: “These composts will make the vegetables and flowers grow fast, strong, vigorous and resistant to pests and diseases.”

During that time, in 1969’s. there were no commercial fertilizers and poisonous pesticides sold. And our rice fields were abundant with many foodstuffs – different kind of fishes, small crabs, native snails and fresh water shells. These were all killed and disappeared when, poisonous pesticides where sprayed like the deadly Endrin Pesticides that were used  in the rice fields during those time.

in 1972, when President Marcos declared Martial Law, he   mobilized the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and provide loans   to farmers to buy commercial fertilizers and all kinds of poisonous pesticides. That was the first time, I saw and learned about Urea, also 16-20 fertilizers and Triple 14. We also started buying poisonous pesticides sprayed on rice and plants like the deadly Endren and Malatation, that destroyed most of our  fresh water fishes, small crabs,edible  shells and snails. Endrin and Malation were later banned and not allowed to be spay on the rice and vegetable farms.

Many of our neighbors came to buy vegetables from mother. Also, wives of fishermen came exchanging some of their fish, crabs  and shells with mother’s vegetables. Women came with lobsters, shrimps and small crabs and barters these with mother’s vegetables. Although my parents have little cash, life was quite easier for us, with vegetables bartered by the women.

For continuous source of a little cash, mother also planted “buyo”. I heard she went to Janiuay in Central Iloilo, about 200 kms., to by stems of “buyo”. These were plants that climb the bamboo polls. And the leaves were used by old women for chewing, “mama”. Together with other ingredients – tobacco, lime, beatle nuts and “buyo” leaves, the women chew these. They chew this ingredients mostly after meals, making it also as a social sharing among women.

Their saliva becomes red. And they do this, mostly 3 times a day, morning, noon and evening. They came to the house weekly, to buy “buyo” . They buy other ingredients for their “mama” from other nieghbors. I learned later, the chewing game mostly of older, women, was the reason why, most of them have very good and strong teeth until they grow old and died.

To earn additional income, mother reserved two rooms in our house for public school teachers’ use as lodging room. They cooked their food. They pay each a certain amount monthly. Two teachers often stayed in a room. There were often 4 teachers boarding with us at home. Only female teachers were boarding at home.
She also planted  Tobacco in a 400 Square Meters area about 40 meters from home. She has two areas, of equal size, 400 Square  Meters which she plants tobacco. She plant tobacco this year. Then the following year, she plants her tobacco in different area. She plant different crops, from the vacated  tobacco area. She told me, that is one way, to  preserve the fertility of the soil. Do not plant the same crop every year.
After about  9 months, mother harvest her tobacco. She have a bamboo stick, about  one meter long. She pierced her bamboo stick on the  hard part of the tobacco leaves, and  hang it inside her  small nipa hut, used for drying tobacco leaves, by air drying.
After about 20 days of air-drying  tobacco leaves, this are placed the tobacco leaves, one by one, on  bamboo floor, that is covered with 3 mats, one  on top of the other. Here she ferment her tobacco,  where she filed about 50 leaves filed one on top of the other.  It was about half meter high. Here she allow the fermentation of the tobacco leaves for about 10 months. Then she prepared to sell. That was how meticioulous mothers's method of fermenting the her tobacco leaves. She then, sold the leaves to people in town, to be used by the old women in their "mama". Here tobacco leaves, together with lime, buyo leaves, and  other ingredients, provide women with  their game, of "mama", which they enjoy doing, once in the morning, lunch time and  later afternoon.

My parents earned little income. But with 9 of us in the family to feed, dressed and send to elementary school, it was not easy for our parents. They softly challenge us, often through stories, to study and get education. My mother discouraged my sisters to go dancing during their youths. But challenged them to study and get education. We made it and finished  elementary grades.

But to get education in high school was very, very hard. And college education was much harder. Almost, near to impossible. They pushed us a little hard. They challenged us to go, if possible study as working students. Getting education was a way for us, who were poor to have a better life in the future.

I think, some of our family’s values, were influenced by the Baptist Pastors and Baptist  leaders that often visited our home. By this time, my mother was worshiping in Cawayan Baptist Church, and had become involved in the life of the Baptist church. She became a host to many Baptist pastors and church leaders that visited Cawayan Baptist Church in Carles, Iloilo.

And many visitors from the Convention of Philippine Baptist Church and Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Church stayed at home for a day or two visits. I could remembered those who came when I was still very young, and those who when I was still younger.

 They stayed with us, for a day or two or 3 days, when they were invited to speak at Cawayan Baptist Church. Their presence while visiting us, helped much in our develoments in life.

I remembered the prominent Baptist leaders who came and stayed mostly for a few days at home -Dr, Agustin Masa, Pastor of  Capiz Evangelical Church and later President of Filamer Christian College, Rev. Ralph George and Rev. James Long, American Missionaries and General Secretary of the CPBC.  Dr. Joseph T. Howard, Dean of the College of CPU College of Theology, when I was in high school.

Rev. Leo Penacerada, Evangelist. Miss Carmelina Catedral, Iloilo Kasapulanan Minister. Pastor Angelina Cadiao, Women minister. Rev Edwin Lopez, who was elected General Secretary of the CPBC and Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, Asia Pacific. Rev. Penuelito Sacapano, General Secretary. Rev. Apolonio Francia, Field Secretry. Rev. Gigari, Rev Edwardo Calvo, Rev. Malvar Castillon, Pastor Proserfina Plasus, Pastor Fred Jacildo.

Rev. Geofrey Parish of Australia Baptist World Aid; Rev. Sven Lindstrom, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Sweden. Rev. Olof Lindstrom, Mr. Leo Liljengren, Mr Ake and Kikki Svalfors of the Baptist Union of Sweden. Rev. Emelio Lapatha and Rev. Harold Blatt, Stewardship Specialists on Every Member Canvass;

Rev. Ernesto Uncho, Rev.Elias Laprades, Mrs. Feraz Baclagon Legita, Program Assistant for Relief & Development of Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and President of the Convention of Phil. Baptist Churches and Ms. Henna Baclagon, Director of the Development Minsitries of CPBC.

Our parents, Restituto Bernal, Sr. and Estrella Carvajal were good hosts to our Baptist pastors and church leaders.

I think, the presence of  pastors at home have helped me, together with my brothers and sisters, to develop a sense of sensibility that comes with a few minutes time and conversations with pastors, both men and women of God.

They have a kind of bearings and attitudes, the language and the ways of speaking that helped developed good attitudes and sense of responsibility that we believed, helped mould our lives, our minds and our spirits for a wholistic life.

We learned much from ministers of God who came and visited  our church  and stayed with us  for a day or two at home. There tappings of our shoulders and prayers has guided us and helped developed our ways , helped mold our lives, our values and our future.

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