Beds of roses in Milagro

Ormocanons are familiar with Milagro. The place sits on an elevation of about 600 meters above sea level. One can easily feel the change in the climate at this elevation on one’s skin in varying degrees. When it’s hot down in the city, it’s still cool up there. But when it rains, it’s really chilly up there and you have to have that ukay-ukay sweater on your body.

Because of its marvelous weather, the place has attracted Cebuano settlers from Brgy. Busay, farmers who are experts in flower culture. They have began to settle in the area, leasing portions of the lands along the road and some near the Anilao river where they use motor-driven water pumps to water their beds of flowers.

From the looks of it, these farmers have been successful. Some of them have acquired vehicles and rebuilt their huts along the road with hollow blocks and galvanized iron roof. A few have become barangay officials. In a way, they have really settled down here.

Wild cordecips sinensis

Now Milagro’s original settlers are following their example. Supported and financed by PNOC, the local farmers organized themselves into a cooperative and carved their own beds of roses from one hillside. The beds follow the natural contour of the land and, on warm days, the beds of roses look dazzling. On wet days, however, you can see the soil being washed down to the road below and farther down into the river. Apparently, the PNOC community organizers failed to warn their beneficiaries about the dangers of soil erosion.

I usually go home from our farm on late afternoons as school children are starting to trek back to their homes in the hills. Since it gets cooler, I can also smell the air around me and, you know what? I don’t smell the fragrance of flowers but the smell of death – of malathion and decis, both potent killers of insects and men (and women). The scent is often mixed with that of ammonia-laden chicken dung, which is just as suffocating. Ironic, isn’t it?

I can understand why the Cebuanos do it. That’s the only way they know how to do it. But those PNOC people are supposed to know better than to plot their beds following the contour of the hill. They should know better than to use generous amounts of harmful pesticides and fertilizers. I thought PNOC is for environmental conservation and advocates the sustainable use of resources.

#roseplantation
rosegrowing

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