Trike driver is now hailed best backyard gardener

MANDAUE CITY - Jesus Cortes, a father of two boys from Zone 4 in the village of Canduman here, previously worked as a tricycle driver and despite his meager earnings, he was able to provide for his family. But that all changed when the government imposed a lockdown at the end of March last year to contain the spread of the deadly Covid-19 disease.

Former tricycle driver-turned-backyard gardener Jesus Cortes waters his vegetables grown in discarded plastic water containers in Mandaue City in Cebu province.

 

Cortes was left jobless and no money for food. His only livelihood was gone because all public transportation had been suspended. With no means of income to feed his family, Cortes joined the “Sugbusog” program that Governor Gwendolyn Garcia introduced in April that year to help Cebuanos weather the economic shock brought about by the health crisis.

 

“Nagtuo ko sa pandemic maglisud ko pero tungod sa pagpananum, wa ko nagtuo nga diri diay maayo diay ko sa pagpananom. Dako kaayong natabang nako si Gov. Gwen kay kini iyang project dako kaayo nakong pasalamat nga nahimo ni iyang project. Pasalamat gyud kos Sugbusog kay kog wala ni ang Sugnusog di ko mahimong ing-ani. Kay tungod sa Sugbusog nangita kog paagi nga mahimo nako, kay wala na gud koy drive,” Cortes said.

 

Sugbusog is a vegetable gardening competition, a flagship program of the Cebu provincial government, which aims to inspire households to be productive amid the pandemic while promoting health regimen.

 

And soon enough, Cortes was hailed as the provincial winner in the first round of Sugbusog contest held last year after the Provincial Agriculture’s Office, which is the program implementer, distributed seeds to municipal and city agriculturist office for their constituents to get for free.

 

This year, during its second round, the Provincial Government set aside P1 million in funds for Cebu’s six component cities and one independent city and 44 towns, and another P500,000 to each village to establish or develop their own nurseries and initiate the Sugbusog program. Households that want to join the program can go to the town or barangay nurseries to ask for seedlings for free.

 

During the second round of the competition, Cortes was again hailed as municipal winner in Mandaue City for the “household containerized” category and eventually won in anew in the (district level) competition at the 6th District. He is now vying for the top prize in the provincial level.

 

Using his cash prize from last year, Cortes said he expanded his household garden from 100 square meters to 150 square meters now. He even grows green, leafy vegetables, spices and medicinal or herbal plants.

 

“Gituyo gyud na nako ang herbal kay kung masakit ta, simbako masakit ta, lisod kaayo ang panahon run. Di ta magsalig og botika. Naa koy lain-lain diha og mahilantana ta, labad ulo, ubohon, kompleto kos herbal nga kung kita masakit di ta magsalig, naa tay makuha,” he said.

 

Cortes said he uses aquaponics and practices vermicomposting and also raises native chickens. His efforts have garnered a lot of public attention.

 

Garcia also praised Cortes’ gardening determination, saying he serves as an inspiration to many other Cebuanos.

 

“Atong pag-Round 1, gusto nako mutan-aw pero wa gyud ko kakita og panahon, pero karun nalipay gyud kaayo ko nga nakaanhi kay nanglimbawot akong balahibo ganina pa nag tan-aw niining paningkamot. Di lang sa iyang paningkamot, naay creativity. Nigawas ang iyang innovation sa gamay kaayo nga luna mahimo nga makabutang og daghan kaayo nga utanon. Salamat gyud kaayo kay ikaw maoy naka-inspire sa kadaghanan sa mga Sugbuanon,” she said.

 

Cortes said the secret to his healthy plants is the soil. He uses a mix of rice hull, garden soil and compost. He also waters them daily. Maintaining the garden is a family effort, he said. His wife and his two children also help him.

 

Despite the size of his garden, Cortes said he is able to maximize space since he uses containers to hold his plants. “Ako gyud gikuan nga sa usa ka container musod og daghan. Parihas aning lettuce, musud og 10. Depende nimu,” he said, adding that one of his containers even holds two kinds of plants.

 

He said the Sugbusog program has enabled him to earn extra income by selling vegetables. He uses the proceeds to buy their basic needs. “Ako panginabuhi na gyud ning akoa, dili na gyud ni tanom-tanom,” he said, adding, the Sugbusog program has also opened new opportunities for him since schools, churches and even village officials have invited him to conduct a demonstration on gardening.

 

Cortes said he also sells seedlings and a variety of vegetable seeds. (Mylen P. Manto. Cebu Examiner contributed to this report.)

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