The Philippines - Gilbert P. Hoggang (Jil) - 2004 Graduate

by Gilbert P. Hoggang

The Wigan Settlers Multipurpose Cooperative

page developed by Ann Collet, ARI Graduate Outreach Volunteer

submitted April 2024

The Road to Growth: Using Local Resources

"My plan is to have an integrated and sustainable farm...a small farm where the community people can see and learn."

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Jil out fertilizing his Napier grass, which he uses as cattle feed

After observing the devastation caused by African Swine Fever and bird flu, I thought it would be better to start rearing cattle. I started with very thin cattle that had suffered from a long hot summer that dried up all the grass. For future feed, I began collecting and planting Napier grass, Moringa, Madre de Agua, Madre Cacao trees and Coconuts.

Collecting Napier grass / Napier grass fertilized with cattle dung

When the Napier grass started growing, I began construction of the cattle feedlot barn and brought 6 very thin dying cattle. While feeding, I observed the cattle dung piling up tremendously. Since mixing compost is quite hard, I thought of taking care of earthworms to help eat the cattle dung and produce more quality vermi-cast and also vermi-tea for fertilizer. This way, the cattle dung could be managed and used. The fallen leaves, as well as the banana leaves and trunks after harvest, will be useful too. The rice straw, the feed waste from the cattle, kitchen waste... can all be used.

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Cattle feedlot barn

I also inseminated one gilt and was able to have 8 piglets. This way, I can use the mixing room, my grinder, and the feed mixer to mix feed for the cattle and pig which I constructed after I came back home.

Securing proper feed ingredients, especially proteins like soybeans, is very challenging. No farmer is planting soybeans in our town. I thought it’s an opportunity for farmers. Soybeans are very rare and expensive. They are four times the price of corn per kilogram. Now I am trying to convince some farmers to plant soybeans for me. The animal source protein from fish is available because we have very wide coastal areas to catch fish. We produce a lot of fish in my community. I buy fish from the neighboring prefecture of Cagayan, mostly dried fish head. I dry it under the sun, grind it, and it is fishmeal already. Sometimes I use coconut pulp too when I make coconut oil as a replacement for soybeans.

Soybeans growing around the fishpond / Drying fish heads in the sun

A Long Road to the Old Community

I always travel to visit my old community in Dulao, Lagawe, Ifugao. Although it's the farthest from the town, it is accessible today by car through a very rugged, quite dangerous road (especially during the rainy season). I visit our cattle farm mainly to bring trees such as coconut and other seedlings for planting. Right now, I am doing repairs and maintenance of old fences, mostly destroyed by wildfires during the summer season.

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Old fences and grazing land, burned by wildfire

ISIS to farmers - Training Former Rebels

Last year, before the year ended, I was contracted by the UN-FAO Mindanao Office to conduct a three-week training session on organic farming in three Muslim provinces in Mindanao. The long time Muslim rebels in Mindanao signed a peace accord with former president Duterte, creating the Bangsa Moro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao - BARMM.

Organic farming training in Mindanao

I was re-elected for my second term as chairman of the board for the Wigan Settlers Multipurpose Cooperative, my Sending Body to ARI. Due to COVID-19 and a power struggle among the officers in the past, my organization is struggling. Our goal is to diversify our activities to include marketing of our members’ products. Our cooperative wants to move to production of, not only fish, but crops, livestock, and fertilizer. So, we are sending one member, Ricky, to ARI for Training. I was also appointed by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to the Barangay Council of my community, so I am working with the government too.

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