A kibbutz idea, Visayan style

When I met Mayor Aljun Diamante as a mentee at the DepDev Innovation awards last November, I thought he was a crazy mayor planting organic coffee in a land made of limestone. But I went along with his presentation of his town, where the 60-something executive came home to run as mayor in 2010 and introduced coffee farming. I promised to come soon and see for myself what he meant by organic agriculture in a land where the soil is hard as rock.

Wow is an understatement when you arrive at Tuburan 360, the top of a hill in what would be sleepy Tuburan, with 57 barangays spread over many hectares of land and greenery that spreads from sea to sea (you see Tañon strait on one side and Cebu Strait on the other). What used to be barren land is now planted with at least 12 species per hectare, per Naturland and Control Union (certifier) organic standards and the place is so clean and devoid of trash. The only trash I saw were some sachets and bottles left by tourists who posed at the container vans made into lookout balconies and who probably dropped some garbage in the deep ravine underneath.

We were toured around the farms by Jamaica Diamante, coffee afficionado, who joined her father in executing his grand vision when they planted coffee 10 years ago. Jam, as she is called, is now the “boss,” as everyone calls her, while mayor is still called “mayor.” After a sumptuous lunch of native vegetables they grow organically, pork and chicken supplied by communities around, we first had freshly brewed Tuburan coffee before going on the farm tour.

We visited the coffee farm where freshly harvested coffee cherries (fruits) were laid out to dry, where seedlings were also nurtured and where trainings for many farmers were conducted. The coffee center is also where roasting is done, along with the tedious sorting of coffee beans by students in immersion, and where we met the farmers in charge of roasting and packing the now famous drip coffee bags of Tuburan coffee.

We then drove around to see several farms under the care of landowners who are trained in coffee farming and in vegetable growing. Some even raise quails (I saw quail eggs in my adobo at lunch), organic free-range chickens, pigs and for fish, there is a huge fish pond for tilapia (also in our lunch as tilapia sisig). The bangus or milkfish, in our sinigang at lunch, came from Tañon strait’s brackish waters and had a clean taste and smell. I now see where our meals came from – they are grown by the many farmers in the area, bought by Tuburan 360 at farmgate prices or whatever current price it could fetch in town. Farmers need not travel far to sell their produce. Tuburan 360 is nine kilometers from the town proper.

Another interesting practice is their waste disposal. Farmers segregate trash at farm level or their trash will not be collected by the municipal collectors. Farm debris like leaves and stems go into sacks and farmers take them to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to swap for organic fertilizer. What a cool exchange! Farmers get free fertilizer from their farm wastes.

Everyone sees Jam and greets her “Maayong buntag Boss” (Good morning Boss) but after Jam first kisses the hand of the farmer or his wife greeting “Un’kol” or uncle, “Ta” or Tita (auntie), while giving them instructions about their part of the farm. Most if not all of the farmers are relatives of the Diamantes, who probably were not lucky enough to finish school, which was then six kilometers away from home. I found it amazing that Jam kept their family values of making“mano” – bussing the hand of an elder, even if they are now her direct reports.

The farm also boasts of a bamboo trail – with many species of bamboo – as this grass grows well due to water sources beneath the whole of Tuburan. The name of the town comes from “tubud” or spring and rather than call it “springs of hope,” Mayor Aljun calls it “springs of success.” Always positive, Mayor Aljun dreams of a green and organic Tuburan where every family or household is sustainable through coffee and agriculture in general. And that is what we observed already. Every family in their 16 People’s Organizations (POs) is busy making a living, while Tuburan 360, the coffee resort, is supplied with organic vegetables, meats, eggs and even employees.

This reminds me of the kibbutz model in Israel, where communities are gathered in a non-competitive way to feed each other and live harmoniously as a community. It is agriculture based because, after all, everyone works for food first and coffee later. It is happening in Tuburan, 80 kilometers away from Cebu City. The roads are good but because they are winding through mountains, it could take two hours from the airport either via Danao or via the Balamban highlands.

If a local government unit can do this model, one can surmise that this could be replicated in many island provinces and faraway towns. But the political will to do so is of prime importance. There is no magic involved. It only takes using government resources properly and improving on its use and using convergence as an example. The template works, as shown by Tuburan.

A community is given a farm plan, financial literacy lessons and then they are started off with coffee and other crops with a ready market (i.e. Tuburan 360). Even the smallest unit of a farm is placed under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), as I saw labels and identification marks indicative of GAP certification.

I suggest for all LGU executives to come and visit and learn a thing or two from Tuburan’s model. Rather than giving cash or money to your constituents for dole outs or KBL (kasal, binyag, libing), give them a sustainable livelihood that is immediately palpable and acceptable to every community member.

Bravo, Mayor Aljun and Jam! May your tribe increase.