I grew up afraid of the sea – the unknown depth and unpredictable waves. The first time I went to a beach was a year before I graduate from college and I didn’t even swim that time. After that year, the universe is kind enough to allow me to witness the beauty of Philippine beaches. Here are some of them.

1. Aguirangan Beach Camarines Sur

The first beach I visited! It was 2013 and I used my friend’s digital camera.

2. Hundred Islands, Pangasinan

I am trying to remember the name of each island we visited (btw it is HUNDRED ISLANDS). LOL.

3. Queen Tuna Park, General Santos

Have a walk or swim for free! This one is open for all and no entrance fee is needed (well that’s the situation when I was there).

4. Cagbalete, Mauban, Quezon

This is the low tide situation but do not wait for the high tide if you do not know how to swim. LOL.

5. Calaguas, Camarines Norte

My friend took this using her GoPoor. Nope that’s not a typo. Forgive me for not giving this beautiful beach justice with my pic.

6. Laiya, Batangas

One of the known beaches in the country. Ala eh!

7. Alubihod beach, Guimaras

Perfect timing when we went there – a not so good weather! (Did you feel the sarcasm there?) LOL. But it didn’t ruin our trip! We still enjoyed swimming and island hopping.

8. Gigantes Island

Different shades of blue! ❤

9. Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro

Looking for some calm morning and wild nights in a beach? Puerto Galera is the place to go!

10. Love Beach, Occidental Mindoro

Looking for a quiet beach with black sand? Consider this one on your next trip.

During the strict lockdown period it was difficult to get some of our basic needs like food. Even online shops got paralysed. Our only option was during those scheduled market day/s.

If you are considering to grow your own food and you have a very small land, here are some crops that can be your source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals and won’t occupy so much space.

Carbs

It is a challenging task to grow a cup of rice so let us give a BIG THANKS to our rice farmers! Also, stop wasting even a single grain of your rice. Aside from being a challenging crop to grow, it will also require a big land area. So here are your alternatives:

1. Cassava

Make sure to choose those varieties with low cyanide content like Lakan and Rajah varieties. This crop will take 8-10 months  before you can harvest but a single cutting can give you a week  or more of carbs.

2. Sweet potato

Sweet potato roots are harvestable 4 months after planting. Cuttings from the supermarket can be your source of planting material. We love this as snack but you can substitute this to your rice.

3. Corn

Who doesn’t love sweetcorn? This crop is not your ordinary snack. You could find this in almost every chips you enjoy. One plant can bear 1-2 ears. Its plant architecture will allow you to grow more plants in a small space.

Protein

Price of meat went up during the lockdown period because of transportation cost. Planting your own source of protein would be a great option for you and your vegan friends.

1. Mungbean

A cup of this will give you your daily protein need. Mungbeans are harvestable 90-120 days after planting. With high-yielding varieties, you can harvest up to 4-5 times in one cropping.

2. Peanut

Our favorite chicha is rich in protein. Growing peanuts won’t require you hectarage of land unless you want to be a supplier of big markets. Maturity date of peanuts depends on variety and can range from 90-140 days after planting.

Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. To keep your digestive system healthy you will need to have some food rich in fiber. My recommendations below can also be grown soil-less through hydroponics!

1. Pechay

2. Lettuce

Vitamins and minerals

Boost your immune system with these veggies that are packed with vitamins and mineral but do not require a lot of space and too much effort to grow. Make sure to check my previous post on this.

1. Saluyot

2. Alugbati

If you are interested, there are published articles to read to see the amount of cabs, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals in these plants. Happy farming!

Ingredients:

250 grams sweet potato tops

1 cup water

1 cup fresh milk

1/4 cup sweetened tapioca pearls

Procedure:

Boil the sweet potato tops in water for 3 minutes. Let it cool. Add sweetened tapioca pearls and milk. If you have a very sweet tooth, you can add sugar or honey.

Do you also have credit points from your cancelled flight/s? Why not spend them on the beautiful islands of the Philippines? Here are the 5 places where I will spend my credit points once it is safe to travel.

1. Coron, Palawan

2. Basco, Batanes

3. Tacloban, Leyte

4. Boracay, Aklan

5. Grande Santa Cruz Island, Zamboanga

I haven’t visited these destinations yet and they are on my #travelgoals #bucketlist. I hope that we can travel again safely and peacefully soon. Will update this blog if ever I get the opportunity to go to these places.

According to my site stats, most viewers look at my post entitled 5 tips to pass the licensure examination for agriculturists or LEA. The exam is not a joke. The 3-day examination is composed of 6 parts wherein you will take 2 subjects per day. One of the 6 subjects is crop science and here I am going to give you 50 crop science related questions you can practice on.

1. Pomological crops are agronomic crops.
a. True
b. False
c. Neither true nor false
d. None of the above

2. What is the common name of Phaseolus vulgaris?
a. Lima bean
b. Snap bean
c. common bean
d. both b and c

3. The scientific name of corn is Zea mays, L. The “L” stands for:
a. Lehninger
b. Linne
c. Linnaeus
d. either b or c

4. Aubergine belongs to what family?
a. Euphorbiaceae
b. Solanaceae
c. Poaceae
d. None of the above

5. The specific epithet of Soybean
a. Merrill
b. max
c. Glycine
d. soja

6. An example of plant that commonly being reproduced sexually.
a. Squash
b. Sugarcane
c. Both a and b
d. None of the above

7. Crops can be classified according to life cycle. Rice is classified as:
a. Annual
b. Perenial
c. Biennial
d. Cyclical

8. The following are classification of according to growth habit except:
a. Herbs
b. Trees
c. Graminoid
d. None of the above

9. S. bicolor is usually used as:
a. Cereal
b. Legume
c. Fiber crop
d. Oil crop

10. This crop produces latex/resins.
a. M. philippica
b. P. pelucida
c. H. brasiliensis
d. P. nigrum

11. Cover crops help in preventing erosion because of its fibrous roots.
a. True
b. False
c. Neither true nor false
d. None of the above

12. Grasses that are fermented and preserved for animal consumption.
a. Silage
b. P. purpureum
c. Soilage
d. a and b

13. Morphologial character/s associated with avoidance to lodging.
a. small stature
b. stiff stalks
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b

14. The male flower of corn.
a. Ear
b. Silk
c. Seed
d. Tassel

15. The following are the primary functions of the roots except:
a. absorb nutrients and moisture
b. anchor the plant
c. store food
d. none of the above

16. Legumes can form root nodules. Which of the following is a leguminous crop?
a. Glycine max
b. Katuray
c. Kakawate
d. All of the above

17. Gas form of hormone responsible for ripening and induced with stress.
a. Abscissic acid
b. Ethylene
c. Cytokinin
d. Auxin

18. What is the genus of bittergourd?
a. Momordica
b. charantia
c. Cucurbita
d. Lagenaria

19. The following are root crops except:
a. Manihot esculenta
b. Solanum tuberosum
c. Daucus carota
d. Sandoricum koetjape

20. Which of the following are aboveground stem?
a. Spurs
b. Rhizomes
c. Tubers
d. b and c

21. Gabi or Colocasia esculenta has modified roots called corms.
a. True
b. False
c. It depends
d. Neither true nor false

22. An art, science and business of improving crops.
a. Plant Breeding
b. Plant Physiology
c. Plant Pathology
d. Weed science

23. Termed as “The most obnoxious weed” in the world causing decline in crop production due to production of several tubers.
a. Pistia stratiotes
b. Pennisetum purpereum
c. Cyperus rotundus
d. Ipomoea triloba

24. Rice contains spongy tissue with large air spaces providing plant roots with oxygen under hypoxic condition. This tissue is called:
a. Parenchyma
b. Sclerenchyma
c. Aerenchyma
d. None of the above

25. Modified leaves in pea plants that serve as support to its stems
a. Bracts
b. Bulb
c. Tendrils
d. a and c

We are halfway there! How are you doing so far?

26. Modified leaves in pea plants that serve as support to its stems
a. Bracts
b. Bulb
c. Tendrils
d. a and c

27. Its primary function is for reproduction and ensuring continuance of species
a. Flower
b. Leaf
c. Stem
d. Root

28. An example of a monoecious crop.
a. Zeamays
b. Oryza sativa
c. Manihot esculenta
d. a and c

29.  Which of the following statements is not always true?
a. Incomplete flower has one of the parts missing
b. All complete flowers are perfect flowers
c. All perfect flowers are complete flowers
d. Imperfect flowers have either stamen or pistil lacking

30. A fruit consists of fertilized, matured ovules called:
a. peduncle
b. seed
c. angiosperm
d. gametophyte

31. An efficient way of producing off-season fruits through application of chemicals or other methods.
a. propping
b. bagging
c. flower induction
d. ratooning

32. Strawberries are example of what type of fruit?
a. simple
b. aggregate
c. multiple
d. b and c

33. Plants can produce their own food with the presence of light through what process?
a. Respiration
b. Transpiration
c. Photosynthesis
d. Either a or c

34. Trellis is used as support to growing creeping plants. The following are different types of trellis except:
a. A-Type
b. Live materals
c. Both a and b
d. None of the above

35. Plants can produce energy through respiration.
a. True
b. False
c. Neither true nor false
d. None of the above

36. Why do plants transpire?
a. To transport minerals from soil to plant parts
b. To maintain turgor pressure
c. It is not an important process
d. a and b

37. An element is considered essential if:
a. It can replace the function of other element
b. It is indirectly involved in plant metabolism
c. The plant can survive in the absence of the element
d. none of the above

38. Soil fertility refers to the inherent capacity of a soil to plants in adequate amounts and in suitable proportion.
a. True
b. False
c. It is crop dependent
d. None of the above

39. Essential elements needed in large amounts are called macroelements. __________is one of the macroelements.
a. Iron
b. Silicon
c. Magnesium
d. a and b

40. Which of the following statements is/are not true:
a. Microelements are needed in small amounts compared to macroelements
b. Beneficial elements are essential elements
c. Symptoms of deficiency in mobile elements are first seen in mature leaves
d. Sulfur is a macronutrient

41. According to seed technologist, a seed is considered germinated when there is radicle.
a. True
b. False
c. Neither true nor false
d. None of the above

42. The type of germination wherein reserved tissue is raised above the ground.
a. hypogeal
b. epigeal
c. parageal
d. both a and b

43. Arrange the following processes in seed germination (1 being the 1st):
a. Translocation and metabolism assimilates
b. Imbibition or water uptake
c. Seedling emergence and growth
d. Hydrolysis of reserve food
e. Activation of enzymes

44. Which is not always a requirement in seed germination?
a. light
b. favorable temperature
c. proper oxygen level
d. none of the above

45. Place of origin of avocado
a. Mexico
b. Philippines
c. Japan
d. Brazil

46. This method of seed viability testing involves soaking of seeds in water before sowing.
a. dormancy test
b. TTZ test
c. flotation test
d. none of the above

47. Pangasinan is the top producing province of which crop/s
a. eggplant
b. calamansi
c. peanut
d. a and c

48. This type of seeds should be stored with low moisture and low temperature and relative humidity upon storing.
a. orthodox
b. recalcitrant
c. intermediate
d. a and c

49. Government agency that is primarily responsible for all national censuses and surveys, sectoral statistics, consolidation of selected administrative recording systems and compilation of national accounts
a. Bureau of Agricultural Statistics
b. Philippine Statistics Authority
c. Institute of Statistics
d. Statistics Authority for Agricultural commodities

50. The top sugarcane producing province.
a. Sultan Kudarat
b. Tarlac
c. Davao del Norte
d. Negros Occidental

-end-

Follow my blog to know the answers (I will also explain why the other choices are incorrect)! Or you can simply search the web.

Disclaimer: The author composed the questions from different literatures. These are sample questions and there’s no guarantee that any of these will be on the actual exam.

Good luck, takers! *wink*

Love is magical and the most powerful force on earth. Here are some bible verses about love that I try to live in.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – John 4:8

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His only son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. For God sent His son into the world not to judge the world but so that through Him the world might be saved.” – John 3:16-17

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31

I am far from being a saint but still I believe that to make this world a better place we should fill ourselves with love until it overflows and you become a source of love. If you are filled with love, then you can only exude love, right?

Likha ng sariling kaisipan. Isip na naguguluhan at marahil pusong nasasaktan. Sapagkat may mga salitang dumadaloy sa isip na hindi kayang bigyan ng boses.

HINDI KO NAMALAYAN

Hindi ko namalayan
Lumipas na ang maraming araw

Hindi ko namalayan
Nawala na ang sabik na nararamdaman

Hindi ko namalayan
Ako na pala yung bumitaw

Hindi ko namalayan
Hindi na pala ikaw ang aking mahal

_ _ _

ILUSYON

Sabi mo noon ako ang ‘yong gusto
Ang ngayon at bukas nakaplano
Ikaw at ako yung sinabi mong sigurado
Sa panalangin mo kasama pa nga yung tayo

Isang umaga may ibinulong ka
Tanong na nagpabangon sa’kin sa kama
Masaya ka pa ba?
Baka nasasanay na lang sa isa’t isa?

Masakit na ako’y iyong tatalikuran
Pero mas masakit ata ang ipilit na ako pa rin ang mahal
Ayokong gumising ka na wala nang nararamdan
Kaya handa na akong bumitaw

Hindi mo naman sinadyang mawala
Pati ikaw nabigla
Parang may hindi tama
Ano nga ba ang ating ginagawa?

Anim na taon
Maraming pagkakataon
Ito na marahil ang panahon
Mahal, ititigil ko na ang aking ilusyon

It’s been a week of no internet (hello, PLDT, are you there? LOL) in our house and because of that I was not able to post anything here. However, one positive thing that happened was I finished reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I wanna share to you some of my favourite lines in the book. I just forgot to note who said the specific line/s.

“Each person feels the pain in his own way, each has his own scars.”

“People are drawn deeper into tragedy not by their defects but their virtues.”

“We accept irony through a device called metaphor. And through that we grow and become

deeper human beings.”

“Love can rebuild the world they say, so everything’s possible when it comes to love.”

“And as long as there’s such a thing as time, everybody’s damaged in the end, changed into something else. It always happens, sooner or later…”

“…but even if that happens, you’ve got to have a place you can retrace your steps to…a place that’s worth coming back to.”

“Listen, every object’s influx. The earth, time, concepts, love, life, faith, justice, evil – they are all fluid and in transition. They don’t stay in one form or in one place forever. The whole universe is like some big FedEx box.”

“I’m scared. As I told you, I’m completely empty. Do you know what it means to be completely empty?”

“Taking crazy things seriously is – a serious waste of time.”

“Pointless thinking is worse than no thinking at all.”

“The longer people live, the more they learn to distinguish what’s important from what’s not.”

“Whether you’re talking with people, or things, or whatever, it’s always better to discuss things.”

“Chance is a scary thing, isn’t it?” Hoshino said. “It certainly is”, Nakata agreed.

“Let a bright light shine in and melt the coldness in your heart. That’s what being tough is all about.”

“Memories warm you up from the inside. But also tear you apart.”

“The choice is entirely up to you. Nobody’s going to force you to do one or the other. But once you’re in, it isn’t easy to turn back.”

“When you surf you learn not to fight the power of nature, even if it gets violent.”

“The world is a metaphor, Kafka Tamura.”

Young folks don’t often choose agriculture as their career path. Some would want but people around them will raise an eyebrow and ask “what job will you get after you graduate?”. Don’t worry, pal, I got you! I also had the same question when I took the course. After my graduation, I realize that opportunities for agriculture graduates are limitless. Besides we live in an agricultural country. I just wrote 10 career paths among the multitude of options.

1. Agriculturist (PhP 17,000 – 90,000/mo.)

After taking and passing the licensure exam for agriculturists, you can apply as agricultural technician or agriculturist in your town. Your task will involve agricultural activities in your area (e.g. monitoring of rice production).

2. Farmer (PhP 10,000 – 100,000+/mo.)

Being a farmer is one of the best and fulfilling jobs. You are working while feeding people. Depending on your strategy, you can earn to as much as six digits a month. One of the successful people I know quit his CEO position (with PhP 100K/mo. salary) and invest in farming and he said he is earning more farming than his previous job.

3. Farm Consultant (PhP 5,000 – 20,000 per consultancy)

If you do not have an initial capital for your farm or did not inherit a farm land from your parents, why not become a consultant of a farm? Some people have land and would need your farming skills to establish their farm. There are also companies that need your expertise to guide them on their agriventure.

4. Product Developer (PhP 21,000 – 45,000/month)

From the words itself you’ll know that this job will require you to develop a product. In this path, you will need to have skills on methodologies and strategies to create and/or improve a product according to cost and quality targets of the company.

5. Researcher (PhP 18,000 – 75,000/month)

Ever dreamed of becoming a scientist when you were a kid? I bet you can if you take agriculture as your course. Plants, animals, microorganism you choose what field you want to focus on. The objective is to apply scientific knowledge to discover and rediscover things.

6. Professor (PhP 19,000 – 95,000)

Teach. Share your knowledge. Basically, you are going to impart whatever you learned and will learn to your student. You become a mentor of our future aspiring agriculturists. Make sure to mold them to become better people.

7. Field Manager (PhP 16,000 – 45,000)

In other words, you become a supervisor of a farm. You work on the farm and you also supervise. Whether it is a crop trial field or livestock farm, you need to manage your people to efficiently work towards one goal – to have a productive and profitable farm.

8. Marketing and Sales (P 17,000 – 35,000/month + sales commission)

Are you into marketing and sales? If yes, you can take this path as an agriculturist. You will need to promote and sell a product from your company to target consumers. Most of the time you have a quota to reach and exceeding this will give you extra commission.

9. Business owner (PhP 5,000 – 100,000+)

There are just people who don’t want an 8-5 work hours nor a boss. If you are either of the two, then you might want to become the owner of your own business. There are banks that lend money if you don’t have initial capital but make sure that you study your business thoroughly.

10. Extension worker (PhP 17,000 – 40,000)

Do you love sharing knowledge to people? Aside from being a professor, being an extension worker will allow you to do this. You will extend the technology to the end-user. For example, a new farming technique to increase yield was released, your role will be to disseminate and encourage farmers to use the technique.

Disclaimer: salary and job description mentioned here are based on what I know (either I learned it from the person doing the job or from a position I applied). This may vary depending on the company/institution/organization you are in.