By CEL CADAHING OCAMPO
She currently serves as the head of a public hospital in Bataan province. Yet despite her professional role, a glance at her Facebook profile reveals that Dr. Gena Acuzar Abara has a deep passion for farming.
And why not? Having grown up in a household where both parents were agriculture educators, farming was something ingrained in Dr. Gena's upbringing. However, she picked a different path and pursued a career in medicine.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, on the very day she learned of her success in the Medical Board Exam, her pilot husband died in a helicopter crash, leaving her to raise their one-year-old son by herself.
In the midst of grief and depression, the young doctor found solace and purpose in returning to her roots in farming. Below are excerpts from an interview on how farming changed her life for the better.
Here's Doc Gena's story in her own words:
A DOCTOR DESTINED TO BE FARMER
My name is Gena A. Abara of Palili, Samal, Bataan, and I am 59 years young. I lost my husband early and have since raised our son on my own. I work as a Chief of Hospital in a public hospital eight hours a day and as a farmer for the rest. Kaya pag nag-retire ako from public service parang di naman retirement per se but just transitioning into full-time farming.
I guess you can say I had no choice but to develop a green thumb. My parents were pioneer teachers of an agricultural school here in Bataan, Bataan National Agricultural School, now known as Bataan Peninsula State University (Abucay Campus). Nakabili ang parents ko ng maliit na manggahan noong mura pa ang lupa dito and our entire family would spend our weekends tending to it kaya I was exposed to farming at an early age. Pero sa tatlong magkakapatid, isa lang samin ang naging agriculturist. I went on to study medicine and farming wasn’t in my plans for the foreseeable future.
I married after graduating from med school. And on the same day I passed the board, I also lost my husband. He was a pilot. I still remember may dumating na kapitbahay na nagsisisigaw habang iwinawagayway ang dyaryo, “Gena, nakapasa ka! May doctor na ang Palili” at bago pa maproseso ng utak ko yung dapat isa sa happiest moments dapat ng buhay ko ay heto naman ang isa pang kapitbahay na humahangos habang sinasabing napakinggan nya na may bumagsak na helicopter sa Cagayan de Oro at nasawi ang piloto.
PLUNGING INTO DEPRESSION
I was plunged into a deep depression. Our son hadn’t even turned one. It was June, the start of the rainy season. Maliit pa ang mga punong mangga noon at may tanim kaming pinya sa mga pagitan. Para lang marelease ang sakit, naghahawan ako sa mga pinya kahit umuulan. Naghahalo ang ulan, luha, sipon, at putik sa mukha ko.
This went on for two more years. Tila nawala sa isip kong nakapasa na ako sa board exam, di muna ako nag-practice ng medicine. Physical na trabaho lang, kung ano ang pwedeng gawin sa farm. Maghawan, mag-abono, umani at magtanim uli. Until one day nagising na lang ako and realized I am a doctor; siguro totoo ngang time heals all wounds pero malaking pasasalamat ko rin sa farming.
Kaya up to this day, ayun ang relationship ko sa farming, kahit anong stress ang bitbit ko mula sa trabaho, nababawasan pag-uwi ko sa farm. There’s something about working with your hands and seeing the physical manifestations of your hard work siguro. You reap what you sow pero literally, I think that gives you agency.
REALITIES OF FARMING FOR WOMEN
My biggest challenge has always been time management. On weekdays, I have to wake up at 4 a.m. para makasingit ng trabaho sa lupa bago pumasok sa ospital. I can only imagine kung gaano kahirap lalo kung ganito na ako ka-focused sa farming when I was still raising our son as a single mom.
There are disadvantages and advantages of being a woman in this kind of work. Disadvantage, alam naman natin lahat, even as modern day progressive women we can’t deny biology -- physical strength. Natutunan ko sa Papa ko na dapat ang isang trabaho, bago mo pa i-upa sa iba, alam mong gawin. Marunong akong mag-prune, mag-abono, mag-spray. Pero gumamit ng mower? Sumubok ako pero ako ang dinala ng mower imbis na ako ang maggiya nito. May mga kakilala ako dito sa amin na nag-aararo using the traditional way (carabao and wooden plow) but these are exceptional women.
Advantages naman, masasabi ko anecdotally na ang mga babae pinag-aaralan munang mabuti ang isang proyekto bago isakatuparan. Nakalatag ang bawat hakbang, plan A, plan B, plan C, hanggang Z. As a woman farmer, Iagi rin nating isinasaalang-alang ang aesthetic component, a woman’s touch ika nga. At di sa pag-generalize pero siguro dahil mas nurturing ang mga babae, we care a tiny bit more about environmental impact.
As far as being discriminated for being a woman, we are fortunate to live in a great time and masasabi kong we’ve made great strides when it comes to this. Wala pa akong naranasan na discrimination. All thanks to the work of countless women of the past who defied the perception of “woman”. We stand on the shoulders of giants! It’s important to teach young girls that anything men can do, they can do, too. Ayun na nga puwera mag-mower. Just kidding.
EXPERIENCING A BREAKTHROUGH
My most unforgettable breakthrough in farming happened in our mango farm in 2019. It was on ny Papa's 84th birthday. He passed away in 2004, after two years of battling with cancer. You would think his mango farm was connected with him in spirit as it, too, grew weaker right at the time cancer was starting to take ahold of his body.
Since Papa got sick, we’ve never seen a good harvest. The yield would usually just be enough to give away to friends and family. A far cry from Papa’s wishes that he kept telling us as kids: “Babayok (masisira) ang ten-wheeler truck kapag namunga na ang mga mangga natin”, he used to say in jest.
And I can’t say it was for the lack of trying. Though none of us were the proper honest-to-goodness farmer Papa was, we did try. A few years ago, in fact, people from the Extension Services of BPSU Abucay, in cooperation with UPLB, approached us and offered help. We saw an improvement in yield that season, but still far from Papa’s lofty dreams for our “hacienda”.
I came to a point where I wanted to give up. I thought of simply cutting down all the mango trees and start fresh with mangosteens and rambutans. If it weren’t for the reminders from my siblings Grace Acuzar Buensuceso and Ge Acuzar III that the farm was one of Papa’s legacies, maybe I would have done that already. I almost forgot that this is the physical manifestation of all the years of hard work Papa put in. Eventually, I reconciled with the thought that as long as the trees provided oxygen, prevented erosion, and gave sanctuary to birds, I was okay with it not yielding a greater harvest. It was a moment of bittersweet acceptance.
Fast forward to January 2019. A random act of fate. I was once again approached, this time by an experienced mango farmer. He told me they would take care of everything and we agreed upon a profit-sharing scheme.
And on Papa's birthday that year, June 5, which was more than 15 years after his passing -- we harvested 406 kaings (baskets) of beautiful mangoes! Perhaps exceeding even Papa’s wildest expectations. I am almost tempted to think this is Papa’s gift to us on his birthday. To remind us that he’s up there, smiling and looking after us from heaven. And he did it with the help of a stranger. Angels work in these mysterious ways, I would like to believe.
Pero sorry, I had to tell our Papa. Hindi bumayok ang truck na kumuha nung harvest. Medyo maganda at bago yung truck na dinala nila. 'Tsaka hindi ko nabilang kung ilan ang gulong.
ADVICE FOR OTHER WOMEN FARMERS
Sa dami ng factors na dapat i-consider ngayon gaya ng climate change, water supply, mataas na presyo ng abono, napakaraming middlemen, malikot na presyo ng produce sa mercado, ang pagsasaka ay napakahirap na trabaho.
Kaya ang advice ko sa mga women farmers ay dapat buo ang loob nila. They have to be passionate about farming. And it doesn’t hurt to keep other sources of income, especially when starting. They don’t have to quit their day job. They can start with what they have, no matter how small.
