The first part is done - a report about the Project (August 2002)

DEAR MNG. PILAR, ALFRED AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HARANANG PILIPINO FAMILY,

Guten tag, Warm greetings from the Philippines ! ! !

Mng. Pilar, I am very happy to receive a call from you last night when I was still in our office having an "overtawad" overtime with out pay, went home at 12:00 midnight na, we planned for the EL Nino mitigating measures, we are having a wet season now but most part of our country are having drought problem. Anyway that is part of our public service to our people, hopefully, slowly Philippines will be economically stable in the future so that our concerted efforts in helping to alleviate the poor economic status of our countrymen in the rural areas will not be in vain.

First of all may I apologize for my delayed report regarding the status of our Helping Hand Project, from the time you left our country last April, 2002, though I had already partly finished this report last week of June but only this time I was able to finish it due to intervening activities. Secondly, may I reiterate my deepest gratitude to both of you, in spending your precious time in visiting our remote place despite the rugged and bumpy road connecting Baguio City and Lias and to all of you for trusting me implement our project in Lias, Barlig, Mt. Province.

Congratulations!!! To all of you Haranang Pilipino Family, for coming-up with a good web page, so that the affluent World will know that on the other parts of the globe there are people who are less fortunate who also need proper food, shelter, good education, care and love, surely God will enrich you more for the "helping hand" that you are doing. The Lias farmers were very happy to learn that our place, one of the remotest and backward barangay in the Cordillera Region is now in the internet, much more to the help that you are extending to them.

Manang Pilar and Alfred, the following day after I left you in Pangasinan last week of March, as we had agreed, I time-deposited the P35, 000.00 at Development Bank (DBP) Session. (the interest monthly is 100 pesos) and used the P5,000.00 in buying 4 bottles insulin for the diabetic boy and girl in Lias of which Joseph and Ester Kacayon (parents) and family were very thankful for your great help to them, however, its unfortunate that the boy died last May because his sickness became acute. This maybe due also to improper nourishment, a small amount of penny earned by the parents goes to medicines only.

I was busy for the past months, First week of April I called you in Pangasinan but according to your brother you went to visit your sister in the Visayas. Starting April 5, we had conducted series of Coffee arabica training in the different Municipalities of Mt. Province of which Lias, Barlig was conducted last April 25. Most of the participants during the training were members of the "Lias Fruit Growers Association" that we have formed during our first meeting with the Lias farmers. Around 60 farmers actively participated during the training. Topics discussed includes:
(1) Status of coffee arabica production in the Philippines and the World,
(2) Nursery establishment and management,
(3) plantation establishment and management,
(3) coffee rejuvenation,
(4) Pest and Diseases Management,
(5) post harvest practices and
(6) Marketing.
The training gave the farmers proper technological knowledge on how to produce coffee. After which we celebrated our family re-union and the grand re-union and Fiesta of the Lias people on the 26 of April to first week of May.

For the whole month of May, we were busy in establishing coffee arabica technology demonstration projects in Benguet and Mt. Province. First week of June I was happy to receive a call from Mr. Boy Ingles-from Bacolod, our friend during the Hanover EXPO 2000 and a member of the Haranang Pilipino, he was asking the status of our project, I was inviting him if he could come to Baguio City also his previous plan but due to some projects that he was implementing he was not able to come. I told him, don’t worry, I was just busy at the moment and will implement it at the right time when the rain starts for irrigation.

Second week of June, rain started to pour in the Cordilleras, an indication for the right time of planting, so last June 16, from La-Trinindad, Benguet, I bought 1, 500 coffee arabica seedlings ready to plant, 9 kilograms of coffee arabica seeds for the nursery production, 5 bags of cement for making hollow blocks for making a seed bed for the sowing of the seeds at the nursery and 1 coffee pulper and delivered it to Lias on June 17 using our office vehicle, so we provided only for the gasoline. Armed with these goods that you have provided and our determination to help alleviate the poor economic status of the people of Lias thru fruit production we trekked the rugged road again kahit na umuulan.

On the night of June 18, we conducted the second farmers meeting for the helping hand project, around 40 farmers attended together with the original participants during the first meeting. Presented to them the cash money in the bank, the seedlings bought, the nursery materials and how it will be implemented. The farmers actively participated and decided that since all of them are ready and willing to plant the coffee seedlings, the seedlings was divided equally among the farmers. 1,500 pcs was divided to about 40 farmers with 36 seedlings per farmer. The seedlings for the expansion will come from the nursery which will be ready for planting next year. Presented the one unit coffee pulper to them-this is a 2 years loan from the Department of Agriculture amounting to P9,400.00. They are asking if you could also shoulder the payment of this unit since it will be use for the coffee development, I told them to refer this matter to you. The pulper was placed under the care of Mr. Tamy Siano-elected Fruit Growers president. Pls consider this matter since this will help the farmers to reduce post harvest labor. The meeting was finished at 11PM, not like our first meeting na inabot tayo ng 1AM, talagang napuyat tayo. The following day we distributed the seedlings to the farmers and delivered the other seedlings to the project sites particularly the farmers whose farms are located along the road. The hauled the seeds and cements.

A. BREAKDOWN OF INITIAL OPERATING EXPENSES DELIVERED LAST JUNE 17, 2002.

Items	Unit Costs	Total Costs
1,500 coffee arabica seedlings, 2 feet height	P 8.00/piece	P 12,000.00
5 bags of cement	P 145.00/pc.	P 725.00
1 plastic	P 150.00	P 150.00
Gasoline	150 lts @ P17.00 per liter	P 2,550.00
9 kgs coffee arabica seeds		P 900.00
Additional food for the farmers who hauled cement from the road, sand from the river, made the hollow blocks, made the nursery seed beds		P 500.00
Total Costs		P 16,825.00

B. Breakdown of additional expenses for the nursery to be purchased and delivered on October 2002

Items	Quantity	Unit Costs	Total Costs
Polytylene plastics (potting cellophanes)	13,500 pcs	1.00 peso	13,500 Pesos
Fertilizers
a) Tripple-14	2 bags	650	1950 Pesos
b) Urea	2 bags	600	1800 Pesos
Water sprinkler	1 pc	600	600 Pesos
Water hose	1 roll (3/4 inch)	900	900 Pesos
Hog wires	2 rolls(5ft)	800	1600
Gasoline and engine oils for the vehicle to deliver the supplies			2,500 Pesos
Total Amount			P 22,850.00

The potting cellophanes will be used in transplanting the seedlings 3 months after sowing (October), to be taken care for 6 months before they will be planted in the forest. The fertililizers is an initial need for the maintenance, water sprinkler-for watering the seedlings and the water hose to tap it form the domestic water system. Hogwires will be used for fencing the seedbeds to protect it from astray animals.

C. There is also a need to construct a fruit nursery structure in the school compound for the proper placement and growth of the seedlings. I will send the breakdown of the expenses for this if you are infavor of my suggestion. A nursery structure is very important to be established in Lias since this is the very basic foundation for a sustainable fruit tree development in the area. Establishment of a good nursery means putting-up a nursery structure, this will provide sufficient supply of planting materials for every farmers in Lias and to the whole Barlig Municipality. Producing the seedlings within the area will reduce costs in buying expensive seedlings in Baguio City and will reduce transportation costs and labor for hauling. Fertilizers are also needed for the maintenance of the nursery and the plantations being established.

I am happy to learn from you Manang Pilar that you have contacted a Good Samaritan person who is willing to provide sponsor to the diabetic girl and family. I’m sure that what ever assistance for the family will be a great help to them for their daily subsistence especially in buying the medicines, this will be a great help in easing the burdens of the parents and for the girl to continue her studies who is now in grade five, this will also enable the girl to have a brighter future like other normal children.

Parents: Joseph Kacayon, Ester Kacayon

Daughters: 2, 1-high school, Bianca-diabetic, in grade five
Son: 3 in elementary grades
deceased sons: 2, one died last 2000 and the Paul last May 2002, due to diabetes. Hopefully, the other children are not also infected with this disease, suggested for analysis to confirm their status.

Thank you for informing me last night that you are planning to send second hand clothing, Surely the Lias people will also be very happy. You could send it directly to Lias, Barlig, Mt. Province. Silangan Lias Barangay captain-Romeo Cofin, Kanluran Lias barangay captain-Wilfredo Masadao. To facilitate the transportation and to reduce costs, I suggest that you could send it thru my address here and I will be the one to bring it in Lias.

I think I have written a lot, you might be bored reading it, so I decided to end it here, till next mail. Thank you very much and warm regards to all of you over there. God bless you all!!!

Sincerely yours,

Pedro Pinos-an

Your partner in our "Helping Hand" development project