Dumingag: a preview to what a sustainable future looks like
2 weeks ago I found myself booking a flight to Mindanao. No, I didn’t go for white water rafting again, or to sunbathe in a sandbar of Camiguin, or to visit those majestic waterfalls in Iligan that I missed to see a few years back. I literally had zero plans of what to do there, but I entrusted my whole week in the hands of my very good friends, Mama Beau and Bogs.
Mama Beau lives in Bukidnon. Her place is one of those cozy ones you would never want to leave. I would even pull jokes everytime I get the chance, telling her and her sweet parents to “please, adopt me”. They practice permaculture in their huge yard — their house is surrounded by veggies, beautiful flowers, and fruit-bearing trees, to name a few. There’s also an earth dome built by Beau when she came back from her apprenticeship in CalEarth. I stayed in this little paradise before we went to Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur.
Bogs now lives in Dumingag. We were classmates in college, and it was so surreal to have met him again after a decade in the most unlikely of places. We had the chance to reconnect last year through an interview I did with him to feature the work that he does in Dumingag. I was so inspired by it that I felt the need to experience life in that little town.
Small world
I was delighted when I found out that Beau and Bogs knew each other. They met during the Philippine Permaculture Association’s convergence in Los Baños early this year and from there, they were able to establish connections. Bogs invited Beau to visit Dumingag and requested to conduct a super adobe earth dome workshop for the farmers. Beau happily exalted the request. (Well, she’s one of the few people I know who has a heart of gold, and I’m glad she’s in touch with another golden-hearted one, Bogs).
Mama Beau and I stayed in Dumingag Organic Greenville, where Bogs has been staying for more than a year now. It is also where DOCO (Dumingag Organic Culture Office) is located, where Bogs conducts leadership trainings and music and arts workshops for the community. Every morning, we would walk from it heading to Umaleng Farm.
Umaleng Farm is owned and personally managed by Mrs. Elgyn Pacalioga, Bogs’ mentor in managing their upland farm, Bukid ni Bogs, and handmade soap-making. I’m so honoured to have the chance to meet her — she’s so down-to-earth and humble and caring, I can go on and on saying a lot of nice things about her even if we only had a very short time spent together.
Permaculture: a way of life in Dumingag
This Dumingag experience was like a dream come true. The town is surrounded by mountains, and boasts of fresh clean air and water. Organic food shows up on shelves everywhere, permaculture farms are mainstream, paddy fields of rice are farmed organically — clean, pesticide-free and gmo-free vegetables and fruits are available everywhere, all year-round, in modest prices.
What I like most about this beautiful town of almost 50,000 people is that big businesses and the usual urban retailers are nowhere in sight. Local cooperatives, producers, and small shops are more prevalent. Organic farmers are highly celebrated here and I am in awe of it. Especially when I went to the Organic Trading Post, I learned that most store owners are hands-on farmers as well.
I remember a night of sharing stories over that unlimited rice wine, peanuts, and chilli dark chocolate under the bright superworm moon, Bogs told me and Mama Beau that even children in Dumingag are taught about the importance of agriculture and permaculture in schools and in their homes. Witnessing how Dumingagnons proudly embrace their rich culture is one of the things that inspired Bogs to continue what he has started to do in the town.
We have different styles and approaches in protecting the planet, but we’re all in the same path and have the same goal, Bogs said, and I couldn’t agree more. Nothing that we do that positively contributes to a better society and environmental condition is piecemeal.
Sustainability and bringing back the environmental balance in the town are the long-term objectives of Dumingag. Organic farming is seen as the foundation of a bigger plan to ensure socioeconomic uplift to the locals. People here deserve all the praises for already doing what we are campaigning for and having what we all want of our future to be: green, equitable, and sustainable for everyone, not just for those who can afford it.
