Upland farmers in Bicol continue to marvel in the wonderful world of our ancestor to protect the environment

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Upland farmers try ‘bonkol’ way in Ligao City
By Rhaydz B. Barcia

LIGAO CITY: The upland farmers in Bicol continue to marvel in the wonderful world of our ancestors through the use of bonkol, a primitive way of farming to protect the environment from degradation and also to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change due to global warming.

The practice by the upland farmers coincided with the campaign of Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda through the Center for Initiatives and Research on Climate
Adaptation (CIRCA) headed by Manuel “Nong” Rangasa in pursuit of provincial level implementation of the United Nation’s program for the protection of the environment, food security and new challenges in agriculture following the global climatic change phenomenon.

Rosalina Del Valle, 63, a resident of an upland village of Pinamaniquihan along with more than 50 farmers are doing the bonkol method of farming in the mountainous areas of this city specifically on top of the Kawa-kawa hill.

Bonkol is a long bamboo tube with knife like shape on the lower portion to perforate the dregs, having a slot running its length. As it pounds the ground, it produces a sound that carries far and wide across the distance like a talking drum.

As the bamboo tube pounds the ground, the locals or visitors could even dance the indigenous way due to its captivating humming sounds created by the bonkol tools.

Florentino “Tata Tinoy” de la Cruz, 67, also a resident of Pinamaniquihan village said they continue to practice the bonkol process of Dinorado palay planting because it helps to preserve and protect the environment, specifically prevention of land erosion.

“The bonkol way of farming might be odd to many but we uphold this traditional way because the land we’re tilling has not been affected by the hazardous method used lowland farmers using mechanized farm implements such as tractors, thrashers among others,” he said.

“If you have noticed and go around the mountainous areas here all upland farmers opted to use bonkol because this is the best way to plant the Dinorado and our very own contribution to government’s campaign to preserve the environment by adapting the primitive or old practiced of our ancestors,” Tata Tinoy told The Manila Times.

The bonkol or hasok type is a primitive way practiced by upland farmers here despite the modern techniques, which contribute carbon gas emissions, that cause global warming. The bonkol tools also serve as instrument to communicate with people living across long distances specifically in hazard prone areas.

Bonkol planting is fun and attracts people from all walks of life here when the farmers pound off the ground. The bonkol way of farming became popular when Mayor Linda Gonzalez started the Dinorado Planting Festival last year on top of Kawa-Kawa Hill.-- Rhaydz B. Barcia