AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Last December 2021, I was honored to be asked to talk about digital storytelling in ATI (Agriculture Training Institute) Region 4A’s Techno Gabay Program. I spoke about how we started, grew, and continue to maintain Agriculture.com.ph, which is a trusted online resource...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The textile industry can become a key player in the agriculture industry, and the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) is leading the way. The PTRI is a research and development institute, one of seven, under the Department of Science and Technology. They conduct...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan I’m always on the lookout for farmers and gardeners who have turned urban spaces into plant paradise, so when I heard about how janitor Rene Pajutro transformed the rooftop of the residential condominium he works in into a lush garden, I just had to meet him. Pajutro...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan A couple of weeks ago, the internet was abuzz with the report that Jeyrick Sigmaton, aka Carrot Man, won an acting award at the International Film Festival Manhattan 2021 in New York for his performance in the film, “Dayas.” It’s his first acting award, which is...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan If you live in or have been to Baguio City, you’ve probably heard of or visited Narda’s Handwoven Arts and Crafts, a Benguet institution. The company is named after its founder, Leonarda “Narda” Capuyan, an Igorot entrepreneur who helped popularize Cordillera’s...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan There’s no mistaking asin tibuok, an oval piece of salt nestled inside a clay mold, looking like it would be more at home on top of a mantle instead of the dining table. “When I was young, there were about 200 salt-making cottages here along the shore,” says...
Michelle Aldana made a name for herself when she was crowned Miss Asia Pacific in 1993. A year after her reign, she began her career as an actress with her debut role in Fernando Poe Jr.’s movie titled “'Hindi Pa Tapos Ang Laban.” Her acting skills became recognized by critics when she...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Last July 8, 2021, the Department of Agriculture declared Lipa City ASF (African Swine Fever)-free. Lipa was one of six Batangas cities considered “recovered from ASF.” The others are San Jose, Malvar, Rosario, Taysan, and Nasugbu. Through concentrated efforts between...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan In December 2020, the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) started planting urban gardens on its premises under its new Medical Center Chief, Dr. Afdal B. Kunting, with the help of Kids Who Farm (KWF), a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching urban gardening for...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan There is a (rightfully) growing concern over the shrinking number of people engaged in the agriculture industry. But for those who have chosen farming as their livelihood, it’s a profession that gives them much joy, despite the many hardships they face. A while back, I...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan I wrote about this in Agriculture.com.ph early last year, and I think it’s worth revisiting, because in a market flooded with adulterated honey, or “fakes,” we can always get a refresher on how to choose unadulterated, or “pure” honey. Not all honey available...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan In early 2020, I interviewed Raymund Aaron of Villa Socorro Agri Eco-Village in Pagsanjan, Laguna. Aaron, whose business card says he is the resort’s Banana Chief, doesn’t just manage his family’s farm and resort. He also developed the resort’s most famous product,...
