Ms. Rebecca holding an Anthurium
It was another ordinary day for Ms. Rebecca Bartolome of Pucay Village, Marcos Highway, Baguio City, when I visited her to write an article about her success story on anthurium production. She was doing some chores and attending to her grandchildren. On the lookout of their five lovely grandchildren — one girl and four boys — was Dada Doming who just arrived checking his roosters and chickens. As I approached her, she welcomed me with a warm smile and a fully-gripped handshake. As usual, she was happy to see me and showed interest in what we were about to do.
Nana Rebecca started growing anthuriums out of interest and love of flowers until it became a hobby which expanded to another family’s source of livelihood. She first had a hand on the plant when her son-in-law from La Trinidad, Benguet, gave her daughter planting materials of three anthurium varieties (Nita, Hawaiian Red, and Kansaku). Of course, the gift turned to be a manifestation of commitment and loyalty until it became part of a family story. Her daughter, Lanie, became the wife of Bon, they are blessed with a bubbly son named Kiko. The anthurium plants are equivalents of their life stories describing a very strong family relationship. The production is now on its eight year and still gaining momentum because of a cultivated passion and dedication. These made her continue to work and enjoy this simple hobby complete with stories and memories, including the fruits of gratifying labor.
Having a land for anthurium production was the first concern of Nana Rebecca. All she wanted was to have the three varieties planted in a suitable area. Since the anthuriums became part of her daily activities, she decided to place them in their underutilized area which used to be planted to chayote and some vegetables. She later on shifted from vegetable to anthurium production when the plants became very productive. She continued to propagate the plants until these became mother plants eventually producing runners that were transplanted, propagated, and sold. This was the very reason why she made her simple hobby into a profitable activity.
Owning an idle land of approximately 1,350 square meters, including free-flowing irrigation from a nearby creek, surely made the difference for the ornamental production. In the case of Nana Rebecca, land resource was not an issue to start an agricultural activity but how to manage it properly. Fortunately, she had minimal technological needs because her son-in-law, Bon, was a graduate of agriculture at Benguet State University. It was the technical inputs of Bon that boosted the spirit of Nana Rebecca to engage deeper into her hobby. In addition, she incorporated her traditional knowledge with new innovations for her booming hobby into a productive and profitable business.
Her working routine
Nana Rebecca starts working on the farm at seven in the morning after preparing breakfast and checking the lunch of her three grandsons going to school. She makes sure that the plants were properly watered, especially during the dry season and if there were attacking insects and occurrence of any diseases affecting the plants. Most often, she stays on the farm at least three to four hours. In so doing, she ensures that the production area is properly maintained because she believes that the land is the lifeblood of the plants. Her area is constantly monitored because up to this day, it is the only anthurium production area in the entire Baguio City and La Trinidad vicinity which was not affected by bacterial disease since its outbreak for almost 12 years now. Knowing that her area is disease-free, she makes sure that there is farm quarantine especially for buyers and visitors who come to purchase cutflowers and planting materials. Being the only isolated farm is an advantage but of course she still maintains strict production management system to avoid any misfortune or outbreak of any disease.
Within the working hours spent at the farm, she alternately weeds the area; irrigates using a small gasoline-powered water pump; places some fertilizers to make sure that the crops are properly nourished; and thins the crops to make sure that flowers will bloom and runners will develop. She uses organic fertilizer coming from her own formulated compost which is a combination of animal manure, dried leaves, grasses, rice hull, and clean soil.
Her daily work is complemented by a caretaker whom she employs as hired labor. However, she does not treat her caretaker as a separate individual but as one of the family members. The extra help is for the extensive manual labor, especially during hauling and transport of potted plants ready for market. At 56, she believes that her regular working routine makes her stay in shape, strong, young, and energetic.
Anthuriums
The production technology used
Preparation of soil medium
The availability of dried leaves, good soil, and formulated compost is her passport to better production for bigger cutflower sizes and more runners as planting materials. Her soil medium was a modification from Bon’s brother who was into anthurium a decade ago. With her instinct of making it big as a business, she made some adjustments on the medium and incorporated rice hull instead of the usual coconut husk which she has a hard time obtaining as potting medium. The rice hull is readily available because her neighbor just drops some bags coming from the lowlands whenever she needs them. To her, the new ingredient makes it handy, especially during potting of runners and adding soil for the fast-growing plants.
Protective structure and facilities
She first started her farm operation on an elevated area approximately 550 square meters. The area was protected with a bamboo structure covered with black net. The black net serves as protection against direct sunlight, strong rain, and even entry of destructive insects. Most often, the black net minimizes the entry of direct sunlight that affects the flowering behavior of the plants. Anthuriums are photosensitive, which makes it flower on regulated sunlight. Also, the area is provided with plastic pipes attached to the water pump for irrigation. At the expanded area, an underground water tank made of cement and hallow blocks together with two irrigation canals were constructed to store water supply during summer. At the same time, the canals serve as production area for the Azolla which is incorporated to the soil media for the plants and as fertilizer. The new area is also protected with structures made of iron bars and cemented posts, including the black nets. All the farm activities — from soil medium mixing, packaging, potting, transplanting to propagating — are done in this area.
Packaging the runners as planting material
Small runners sprouting out from the mother plants are good sources of planting materials. These are cut and separated when they are two months old. The age is very ideal because it is the right time when they can establish and start their own growth. Immediately after cutting, the runners are sprinkled with water and placed in a shaded area. Plastic pots measuring 4 x 6’s are prepared and filled with the soil medium. Runners are directly planted in the middle of the bag using a stick or pointed object and watered. The newly potted runners are then placed under the shade for at least two weeks or until they show signs of recovery. Close monitoring to ensure 100 percent survival rate is realized. When they have fully recovered, the potted runners are transferred to a bigger area for better growth and development. After two months, the potted runners are ready for marketing and sold to plant shops or Baguio City Orchidarium or nearby areas. The potted plants sell at Php 25.00 to Php 35.00 depending on the variety.
Harvesting, postproduction, and marketing activities
Basically, anthurium plants are produced for their flowers. According to Nana Rebecca, she harvests her flowers twice a month with an average of 240 dozens. During the wet season, she harvests 180 to 200 dozens because the plants grow very fast with more leaves than flowers. However, from October to December, the harvests can go as high a 250 dozens per month. What is interesting in this production is, there is a regular harvest throughout the year.
The harvested flowers are simply tied with a rubber band and packed in newspapers. They are stocked in a big styro box or ordinary box and transported directly to Dimasalang, Manila. In her experience, she had zero to less than one percent transport lost. This can be attributed to the packaging technique she used, including proper handling of the delicate flowers.
Nana Rebecca’s marketing strategy is direct selling. All harvested flowers are sent to a regular flower shops in Dimasalang, which she has established as partner. The prices range from Php 50 to Php 80/dozen. However, the price can go as high as Php 120.00 in December, February, and June. The white variety flowers are the most preferred orders but the Hawaiian Red is the most common and most saleable. On the other hand, the Nita and Kansaku (dark red to maroon) varieties are the preferred flowers in June in time for weddings.
The romance with the blooming business
Nana Rebecca’s interest and love for flowers are based on her family and relationship. She and Dada Doming are blessed with three lovely daughters named Shirley, Sonia, and Lanie. Because of her dedication and fulfilling role as a good mother, she started planting several kinds of flowers in their backyard. Not knowing that this created a business opportunity, she made it a point that her flowers, especially the anthuriums, are well taken care of, well-maintained, and provided with proper nourishment. To place things in order, her flowers became the focus of conversations of some of her visitors, friends, and relatives. This was her description when I asked her, “What is really the life of a mother with three lovely daughters?” She simply replied, “If you care for something dearly to you, you will provide everything, protect them, love them and most of all, talk to them in order that they will understand what your intentions are. Only then you will know that they will abide by what you want them to be today and the days to come. My daughters are my flowers. They are my treasures. My anthuriums are my treasures and the treasures are my business. This is how I look at it; I share my love and I am in love always and forever.”
Written and Photos by: Marlowe U. Aquino
Source: www.bar.gov.ph
