my response

Bicol Rural Women Summit 2008
& Awarding Ceremonies
Macagang Business Center, Nabua, Camarines Sur

2nd Place Winner of the
Dept of Agriculture's Search for the Most Outstanding Rural Women 2008



i derive great pleasure and feel honoured to be addressing this group of women, and be associated with this very significant occasion – commemorating the International Rural Women’s Month and the Bicol Rural Women Summit 2008. and i accept this prestigious award with deep humility, hope and determination. as aptly themed, this assembly is about “Climate Change: and we, the Rural Women, are part of, if not THE solution. secretary Yap in his speech during the awarding ceremonies of the national winners, specifically said, that men must accept it, it is the women who do the better job, it is US.


marlyn sta. catalina - regional technical director for operations and regulatory, DA-RFU 5
dr. carmencita africa, PCA - vice chair, GAD-FS
usec. bernadette romulo-puyat – chair, GAD-FS
bernadette de los santos – 2nd place winner - region 5
hon. sec. arthur c. yap – dept. of agriculture
first lady lourdes n. bongcayao
baao municipal mayor quirino g. bongcayao, jr.
aloha gigi i. banaria, chief, institutional development section

my winning the 2nd place in the 2008 Search for Outstanding Rural Women has given me mixed feelings: pride, joy, apprehension, excitement, humility and hopefulness. but the most pervading emotions were the last two: humility and hopefulness. i was telling gigi when we were back in our room, after the awarding ceremonies, that i felt humbled standing beside the two other winners. one was an entrepreneur and the other a haciendera, with 300 hectares of farm/orchard in a land never visited by tropical storms. but hand in hand with that feeling of humility is a strong sense of hope and purpose. i was the youngest to receive the award and i was telling myself that when i reach their age, i will have achieved more, i just have to re-set my goals and be clear of my purpose.



being outstanding in any field, is never a birthright, nor is it handed from one generation to the next. it is a conscious daily choice. from the time we wake up till our hour of sleep, we are always presented with choices and i believe now, more than before, that it is our decisions and choices that make the difference between excellence and mediocrity. everyday, we are presented with situations where we can be outstanding, exceptional, admirable. we should grab those opportunities and be.

i farm, and i am sure a lot of you have been to my farm, or at least have heard of La Huerta. but farming is not automatically beneficial to the environment. in fact, a lot of farms have done more harm than good to our environment, with the unconscionable use of non-biodegradable farm inputs. it is always a conscious act on my part to be environmentally responsible when i farm. it takes a lot, it may also cost a lot, but when i sit down on my favourite spot at my balinese hut, and feel the cool breeze and gaze at the greeneries that surround me, i am at peace with myself, because i know, at the end of everyday that i farm, i am not only being a steward of La Huerta, but i am a stronger and more determined guardian of my environment. so i call on you, sisters, friends, fellow women, let us do our own small share in making our environment green, together, all these small share from each of us, will mean a lot.



to my mother, who is the “gardener in my garden of dreams”, she has sown the seed of love for farming in me. i have always wanted to make her proud, and now, i am sure, she is smiling. my brother martin and my sister terrie, for allowing me to “play” at La Huerta. to the dept. of agriculture, RFU5, my deepest appreciation and gratitude for all the support. gigi, ms. marlyn, glo, rose, sir dave, red dayao. to my allies in baao, mayor bongcayao, lucy, my “sisters in the hood”: ritz, tootsie, anne, lilette, shazam! members of my various organizations, i will make up for the lost time, as being in a competition takes a lot of time and energy, i was nearly amiss of my duties to my members. my farm helps: virgie, inggay, ponso, delia, jason, bataw, eboy, isko and grace, i would not have made it without their loyalty and industry. to my dearest ernst, my one and only brother by serendipity, for restoring my confidence and for making me believe i am "beautiful". for a dear person, who prefers not to be mentioned, you are the wind beneath my wings. and most of all, i offer my win to the Almighty. thank you and good day!