Do you know Li Ziqi in the Youtube community? She creates videos about farming for her family’s consumption and her contents get million views in a few hours. It amazes me how so many people like the concept but only few do the actual farming.

I listed 5 reasons why you should start growing your own food now and you’ll never know you might be the next Youtube superstar! *wink*

1. It can save you during lockdowns (and even after)

Remember the days when quarantine was so strict? – there’s the limited days you can go to the market and there’s also the scare of the virus whenever you go out grocery shopping. The list goes on. But imagine if you have some crops that are available in your garden to sustain your daily needs – these plants can save day!

2. It makes you healthier

If you grow your own food, you will need to commit on getting up early in the morning (you are also forced to sleep early). Monitoring your crop and applying the care they need will be your exercise. Studies also suggest that farming helps you relax – releasing the stress that piled up. You also choose what to plant – so better grow healthy foods.

3. It will give you additional savings

Don’t you love to pair fried fish and steamed mixed veggies (e.g. okra, kamote tops, eggplant) plus bagoong with sili and calamansi? I’m craving now so I need to stop. LOL. The plants I mentioned can be bought in the market but they too can be grown easily. Think about the amount you can save if you have these in your backyard.

4. It can be a source of income

There was this time a friend of mine harvested so many okra that she had surplus. She sold those to her officemates and she earned around 300 pesos! Not a big amount but it was surely an added money for her expenses. With proper care, the veggies you plant for your own consumption might also be your additional source of income.

 

Do you love boiled sweet corn but your supermarkets are always sold out? Why not plant them in your backyard? Seeds can be bought easily online and cultivating them is a no brainer. Here’s a quick guide on how to grow your corn:

1. Choose the right kind of seeds

Decide what kind of corn you want. If you want yellow sweet corn buy yellow sweet corn seeds. Buy good quality seeds – buy from trusted sellers. Check the germination rate and purity of your seeds.

2. Prepare the land

Plow the soil where you intend to grow your corn 3-4 weeks before planting. Make sure to break big clods. Pulverize again a week before planting if needed. If it is hectarage of land, create furrows a day before planting at 75cm apart and 8m deep.

3. Apply fertilizer

Add fertilizer between furrows then cover them with some soil. If you are doing your planting in the backyard create an 8-cm hole spaced at 20-25 cm apart and apply your fertilizer and cover with thin layer of soil. If no soil analysis has been done, apply 5bags (50kgs/bag) of 14-14-14 per hectare.

4. Plant the seed

Plant 1-2 seeds per holes or hill if you are planting in a furrow. Cover the seeds with thin layer of soil and gently press it to obtain a good soil-seed contact.

5. Water the holes/hills

Irrigate/water your hills/holes after planting if it is dry season and there is no chance of rain. Do this every 2 weeks until a month before harvest time. If it is rainy season, water your plants when necessary.

6. Weed and monitor other pest

Do spot weeding from time to time or when needed. If it is a big field and has furrows, do off-barring after 21 days from planting. Monitor also for other pests and implement control measures if necessary.

7. Thin out

If you planted 2 seeds per hill and both grew, remove the unhealthy one to avoid plant competition.

8. Do sidedressing

Sidedressing is application of fertilizer near the plant. After a month, apply 4 bags urea (46-0-0) per hectare and immediately cover the applied fertilizer. Avoid putting urea to the leaves. Irrigate after fertilizer application.

9. Always visit

Always visit your field and check for diseases, pests and rodents and apply necessary control measures.

10. Harvest

Time to harvest depends on the variety and the maturity stage you prefer – baby, green or physiologically mature corn.

 

 

 

 

Last time I posted some beautiful beaches in the Philippines, but the country has a lot that one post is not enough. Here’s the part 2.

1. Sugar Beach, Sipalay, Negros Occidental

Located in the sugar bowl of the Philippines, the sand of this beach looks like unmilled sugar, hence the name! But I’m warning you the sand is salty so do not dare taste it.

2. Magalawa Island, Palauig, Zambales

Zambales really has a lot to offer including this one. Wake up to a beautiful sunrise while walking on a sandbar.

3. Lola Sayong, Gubat, Sorsogon

A 12-15-hr road trip from Manila by land, this beach will allow you to relax from the city noise with the sound of its waves. They also offer surfing activity for beginners and pros.

4. Patar Beach, Bolinao, Pangasinan

The bluish-green color of the water that kisses the shore is a view it promises. If a day of stay is not enough, there are inns around that offer overnight stay and stores where you can get your food.

5. Borawan, Padre Burgos, Quezon

A white beach for your mermaid self. It will only take 3-4 hours land trip from Manila. The water is clear and calm but be careful not to swim to the area with lots of jellyfish.

6. Magpupungko Beach and Tidal Pool, Siargao Island

Siargao is known to its Cloud 9 surfing camp but in case you still have time to spare, you should go here. You’ll surely enjoy the adrenaline rush of jumping off the high rock formation but be alert on the level of the water. High tide with strong waves starts at 10am.

7. Maniwaya, Marinduque

“Maniwaya ka sanang, minamahal kita.”. Yes, believe me when I say you’ll fall in love with this place. Watch the mesmerizing sunset and interact with the fishes on the shore.

8. Samal Island, Davao

Another beach where you can walk to its vastness during low tide. A great place if you want to have some quiet soul searching and adventure at once.

9. Caramoan, Camarines Sur

Planning to go to this island because of the Survivor show? Go ahead and book that trip cos you won’t regret. Try island hopping and enjoy seafoods that won’t break the bank.

10. Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro

Lost for things to do in a beach? This one doesn’t only offer a swim, an island-to-island zip line awaits you? Scuba diving is also a must-try here.

 

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