Long-distance marriage brings bountiful harvest

While absence makes the heart grow fonder, the Dayag couple turned the time they were apart into building a nest egg that would help them build a house and set up a farm in the north.

The then newly wed Eugenio Dayag had to leave his wife in 1978 after barely four months of marriage. Dayag was hired as a medical officer at the stevedoring company Philippines-Singapore Ports Corp. (Philsinsports) in Saudi Arabia.

A two-year contract with a salary of $1,500 per month was too tempting to pass up, compared to the meager P1,200 a month he was earning as a resident physician at the Cagayan Provincial Hospital. It was a tough decision, but he was up to the challenge even with his marriage at stake.And for having literally taken the high road, Dayag will be one of the recipients of the Overseas Filipino Entrepreneurs (OFEs) awards for outstanding excellence in his endeavors abroad.

The awards will to given out by President Arroyo and Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III at the Go Negosyo Para sa mga OFWs at Balikbayans fair, the latest leg of the continuing Go Negosyo campaign spearheaded by Concepcion, slated on Dec. 15-17 at Market! Market! Trade Halls A & B in Taguig.

Life overseas was no joke for Dayag for he had to endure residing in the ship’s quarters at the port without the comforts and luxuries of home.

Fortunately, because he had the privilege of escorting patients repatriated to the Philippines, he was occasionally able to enjoy spending a few days with his wife and loved ones.

After two years of toiling, he finally decided to return to the homeland and try his luck.

Amassing all of his savings, he applied for a pasture area in Sitio Caradian, Liwan Sur, Enrile Cagayan at the Department of Natural Resources. In the midst of his application and evaluation, he was able to formulate a blueprint for development in the area.

He bought eleven cows and a bull to start his own ranch. At present, the Dayag family has about 370 heads of cattle. The profit earned from the ranch slowly made their life comfortable and covered more than enough of their needs.His success from his work abroad inspired his wife to try her own luck when she decided to work as a nurse in 1986 at the Al-Jahrah Hospital in Kuwait. At that time, tough financial times ensued once more and working in a foreign land was the best and only resort, not just for the Dayag family, but for everyone else in the country. So his wife, this time, left the care of her one-year-old and five-year-old sons to her husband while she worked for three years in Kuwait. When she got back, she and Dayag invested in fanning and purchased eight hectares of rice land. Since Dayag had training as a seed grower, they also produced certified seeds to be sold to farmers. Driven by agricultural modernization, their farm is now fully-mechanized with the purchase of three hand tractors, one medium and one big tractor. Venturing into sugarcane and cassava production followed suit with over 43 hectares of sugarcane, 12 hectares of cassava and 14 hectares of rice land with over 68 employees under their supervision at present.Despite their flourishing business, Dayag continues to heed to his first calling and serves the community of Tuguegarao as a City Health Officer. He spearheads a lot of activities as the City Nutrition Acti0/1 Officer, is an active member of the City Development Council and the City Peace and Order Council and Vice-President of the Association of the Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines (AMHOP) Cagayan chapter. He still oversees his farms with over 23 permanent farmhands and 45 seasonal farm workers to offer assistance.Dayag credited the outpour of blessings to his decision to set aside personal happiness for a chance at a better life for his wife and family abroad. "Even though it was hard to be away from her before, at least now I know life will never be hard for us again."