Text and images by Bonn Erasmo
The Kinalin barrio farm can be accessed by taking a 15-minute ride on a pedalled vehicle called iskits or skates in English, the other vehicle is a motorized one called trolley or de motor
Start the day while it is still dark. Listen to the call of the birds. From the quack-quacking of the wild ducks called mapan to the chuckling of the barred rail birds called tikling. From the twittering swallows to the chirping sparrows, from the warbling larks to the chirruping kingfishers.
The morning is calling, it is a new day in Barrio Kinalin, one of 81 barangays located in the municipality of Calauag in the province of Quezon.
Dawn is bursting from the hills filled with trees and coconuts. As the sun extends its rays into the green field intensifying its surrounding colors, the fuzzy white fog starts to disappear, leaving a net of sparkling dewdrops on every leaf of the palay planted by hardworking farmers.
The colors of the farm vary according to the seasons. The planting season paints a silvery white when water fills the rice field. This is when farmers prepare the soil until it softens, ready for planting—a great time to stroll around the farm, especially in the afternoon to catch the sight of water mirroring the hills. Weeks after broadcasting the seeds, the farm will eventually turn green, when all the palay leaves have grown. Months will pass and the harvest season will follow. Behold the golden rice field, the palay grains ripe for harvesting.
This handsome little boy Bembem loves to stroll near the rice field while the farmers prepare it for plantation 
But the beauty of the rice field is not limited to its crops. Look closely at the rice paddy dike or pilapil, with its rich variety of green wild grasses growing—amazing! Tiny flowers, some as tiny as a fingernail, bloom in soft pastel colors waiting to be noticed.
The sounds made by the nocturnal birds like the Asian koel, which is locally called kuhaw, and the Philippine hawk cuckoo or tagkaro, along with the chirping crickets, remind you that it’s evening. The day is done. Night falls faster on the farm than on the city.
The green grass is a carabao’s favorite and of goats, too, but oftentimes it serves as a playground. Luksong baka (jumping over the cow) and luksong tinik (jumping over the thorns) are the games children play, a custom passed down to many generations.
But the fun doesn’t end there. A plunge into the cold water of the overflowing irrigation dam provides a relaxing exercise for the lungs and muscles of swimmers young and old in the Barrio. At no charge, it’s better than a resort for those who love picnics or dreaming of a getaway. In addition, locals can satisfy their cravings for seasonal wild fruits, like katmon, kalumpit, lipote, and mabolo (velvet apple) to name a few. Young ones who love to climb trees enjoy picking fruits off them.
The mesmerizing colors of sunset will complete your day. The sounds made by the nocturnal birds like the Asian koel, which is locally called kuhaw, and the Philippine hawk cuckoo or tagkaro, along with the chirping crickets, remind you that it’s evening. The day is done. Night falls faster on the farm than on the city. But as certainly as the sun rises in the east, the farm will bloom again tomorrow.
(Editor’s Note: The author was a layout artist of Manila Bulletin and Panorama Sunday magazine until he fled the tyranny of the hourly, daily deadline for the serenity of the farm.)
