Just like most kids in her generation, April (Malatamban) yearned for a life outside the rural community where she grew up. She felt stifled by the slow pace of life in the province. So when she graduated in high school in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, she opted to study in Cebu City and took up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, a direction she felt will bring her to a more dynamic career as an IT Professional. Her college life was exciting. She was fascinated by the big city lights living la vida loca away from the constraints of her strict father, Tommy, an Officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and her mother, Francis, a high school Math teacher. After College, April worked in a call center in Cebu. Little by little, the excitement of being independent has been replaced by the harsh realities of city life. She realized that city living is expensive. Sometimes, to make ends meet, she turns to her parents for help. It was during that time that her father asked her to go home and help on the farm. Her father, a strong advocate of organic farming is slowly turning their 2.3-hectare rice-based farm in Simaya, Malaybalay City into an organic farm. He said he need her help.

Realizing the futility of going against her father and the realization that it is hard to become financially independent, April resigned from her job and went home. April’s decision to move back home and learn the ropes of farming from her father was providential. After only a year back home, her father died. With her mother who have just retired at that time, the mother-daughter tandem was born. April’s first order when she got back is for her to attend trainings mostly conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute. She also attended trainings from the Department of AgricultureRegional Field Office 10 and the City Agriculture Office of Malaybalay. Her father wanted her to learn as much as she can so that she can help on the farm.

Most of the training that she attended were on organic farming. April’s mom, on the other hand used to coach her students during Techno Olympics for dish gardening and landscaping. Those artistic talents came in handy as she started to landscape their farm integrating vegetables, flowers and even bonsai plants to their rice, fishpond and livestock. The result was aesthetically pleasing and efficient. Visitors start to visit their farm as they became an accredited Learning Site of the Agricultural Training Institute. Now the farm has flourished. While holding on to her father’s dream of growing healthy farm produce, the farm has grown by leaps. They added goat since the market demand is high and goat pellets serve as organic fertilizer. They also started producing various juices (blue ternate, dragon fruit) and selling it to schools. It was a timely enterprise since DepEd has banned the sale of carbonated drinks in school. Their organically grown rice has also reached Metro Manila. The farm enterprises continue to thrive. The awards and recognitions are coming too. This year, April represented Region 10 in the “Women in Rice Farming” Forum in Manila. They were awarded Organic Farm family in the 15th Regional Organic Agriculture Congress in August 2019, . This time around, Father’s knows best. April is very optimistic about the future. Her father’s legacy lives on.

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