Mango tree for sale; rice planting season

Huge, old mango tree for sale

We are selling this huge mango tree in the farm in Bugallon, Pangasinan. It should be at least 100 years old. It has been producing less and less fruits (if the fruits survive the annual pest, "kurikong manga"), some branches are dying or dead, they just break and fall down. Before other diseases will cause more internal rot inside this huge tree, we are selling it to furniture-makers.

How big in terms of diameter at breast height (dbh), I don't know, I did not bring a measurement device, but it would require about three men to hug the tree. Below, our farm caretakers, Nong Endring Paragas and his son, Danny.

There are many huge branches at the top, but some of them are already dead/rotting and some are dying, can no longer sustain even few leaves.

About 11 or 12 years ago, we also cut a huge, old and decaying mango tree in the farm. This is our dinning table in the house made from that mango tree. About 2 inches thick.

The wooden desk made from some big branches of that tree. If there are buyers interested for that lone mango tree, please email me at noysky_oplasky@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Rice planting season

I visited the farm last Sunday, July 12. Here is the rice field in front of my treehouse, being tilled by our long time caretaker, Nong Endring Paragas. To save money, he and some rice farmers just spread the rice seeds randomly.

Advantage is that they save on the cost of labor planting. Disadvantages are (a) this requires more seeds, (b) grasses and weeds can grow simultaneously with the young rice plants, and (c) more difficult to remove weeds later that compete for soil nutrients and sunlight for the crops.

Below, this is outside the farm. Another rice field in front of the house of Nong Endring's son, Danny, who also helps in the farm. The women in the photo (with umbrellas) are uprooting the young rice, bundle them, to be transported to nearby rice fields for planting with equal spaces in between them.

Another side, just beside Danny's house. The south west monsoon (aka "Habagat") has resulted in nine days and nights of almost continuous rains in western Pangasinan-Zambales and nearby provinces.

Another set of rice fields, near our farm. Lots of water.

A mama carabao and her few months old kid. A few farmers still use farm animals to till the soil. This is non-costly of course but work is slow. One hand tractor can do work of perhaps 5 carabaos.

Above are among the sights that I enjoy whenever I visit the farm.
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See also:
Vietnam rice terraces, April 03, 2013
Around My Treehouse, May 02, 2013 
Maya Bird as Rice Pest, May 05, 2014
Fields of gold, harvested, March 02, 2015

Farm and Treehouse, Bugallon

My treehouse is now 11 years old. Two-storey, all wood except the roof, perched on a big and live  mahogany tree. The trunk on the ground  and 2nd floor gets bigger and fatter while the roof is rising, every year.

The trees around the treehouse are getting bigger and taller too, some have been harvested already and younger trees beside them grow bigger and taller. Photos taken last January 24, 2015, by my sis in law, Baby.

Our youngest visitor from Manila, few months old Yoshi, a cousin of  Elle and Bien.

With Ate Elle and his Mama Jonjee.



They walked at a nearby creek, still within the farm.
And the mahogany area.

Yoshi seems to be enjoying his small, wild discoveries in the water.

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See also:
Trees in our Farm, Bugallon, Pangasinan, September 07, 2012

Trees in Our Farm, Part 2, February 16, 2013

My Treehouse, Versions 2002 vs. 2014, April 25, 2014

Terraces in the Farm, December 08, 2014

Mt. Zion Chapel and Retreat House

Mt. Zion has a chapel and spiritual retreat house. It is on a big hill but not so high. The resident priest and brothers hold a weekly mass there on Sunday morning, and on certain occasions. Bien and Elle posing near the altar.

Behind the chapel is a wide sala that also functions as a big meeting room. It is surrounded by various paintings and sculptures.

Among the paintings on the wall.

The various sculptures, most are made of wood, some of marble or other materials.

I presume most of these were donated by various supporters of the church. Or were collected from other churches.

The resident priest there is Fr. Albert, he is a fellow Ilongo. He comes from Cabatuan, Iloilo. This was taken after the mass, and we said ba-bye. We stayed at the dorm or retreat house the night before because we were 7 and we could not fit at the farm caretaker's house.

We occupied two rooms. Elle visiting her Tita Baby's room. The hallway with Fr. Albert. He does not charge per room fee, so we only gave a donation to the church, which he hesitantly accepted. There were no other guests that night. But on certain occasions like at least once a monthly retreat recollections, Holy Week, Christmas season, the facility is full of guests and visitors.

The long chairs in the chapel are made of thick and old wood, "antiq"(?) materials.
Thanks again, Fr. Albert for accommodating us that night. We will come back, with other friends and guests.

* See also Mt. Zion, Bugallon Pangasinan

Mt. Zion, Bugallon Pangasinan

More than two weeks ago, I brought again my family to the Millora Farm in Brgy. Laguit Padilla, Bugallon, Pangasinan. My wife's younger sister joined. Just next to the farm is "Mt. Zion Pilgrim Mountain" owned and developed by one religious congregation. They have large than life statues of the 14 stations of the cross. Below is Station 1, "The Last Supper". My family with me.

The distance between stations is about 25 meters perhaps. This place attracts hundreds, perhaps thousands, of visitors during the Holy Week.

The last and 14th station is on top  of a hill. It can be a difficult and a bit steep climb by foot.

We did not walk of course, my old but reliable pick up can  climb it easily. Elle Marie with her Tita Baby. Our caretaker Danny Paragas also joined with his two kids.

There is a 360 deg view on top of that hill. Below, top view is towards Lingayen Gulf and the sea. Lower two photos are towards the uplands.

The public forest land is generally denuded of big trees. Only small, regenerating trees, grasses and vines thrive here. There is annual grassfire, plus intrusion by small illegal logging for firewood, lumber and charcoal making.

Across this river is another barangay of Bugallon. I noticed there is a newly-constructed dam, it's good. It should be able to irrigate rice fields and vegetable farms below.

* See also Western Pangasinan, April 18, 2006

Terraces in the Farm

Building new stone terraces or expanding the existing ones is my hobby when I go to the farm in Bugallon, Pangasinan. It's called the Millora farm, an agro-forestry project. Below, terraces near my treehouse, photos taken March 2014.

Below, photos taken last July 2014. This area is also near my treehouse.

Here, photos taken in August 2014.

Below, photos taken last October. Before and after clearing the grasses, raising the height of the terrace.

Another before and after shots, taken only last month.

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See also:

Trees in our Farm, Bugallon, Pangasinan, September 07, 2012

Trees in Our Farm, Part 2, February 16, 2013

My Treehouse in the Farm, Bugallon, Pangasinan, April 11, 2014

http://sustaindevelopment.blogspot.com/

My Treehouse, Versions 2002 vs. 2004

This is the original treehouse in the farm, just a small elevated veranda perched on a lone mahogany tree. Photo taken September 2002. The mahogany trees near the treehouse were small then.

On January 2004, I decided to dismantle it, as my architect friend from UP, Clifford Espinosa, has a good design for a bigger, two-storey treehouse to be perched on the same big mahogany tree. Cliff gave that favor for free, jamming at tagay lang kapalit. Super thanks, once again, Cliff.

The house was finished around March 2004. Last March 2014 or exactly 10 years after, the house got a facelift, the decaying bamboo floor were all replaced. A few changes in the 2nd floor was introduced. The treehouse as of March 2014, below. The surrounding mahogany trees are much bigger. The really big ones have been harvested last January this year.

The small treehouse then was supported by four braces only to stabilize it. The roof was nipa.

It has no toilet then, guests (females especially) must go down (notice the small wooden stairs). Male guests can pee on the rice plants below, if they were not in the mood to go up and down the treehouse. :-) 

On the left and right sides of the treehouse then was sloping. When the new treehouse was built in 2004, the sloping sides have been terraced.

The current treehouse is heavy, there are many posts supporting it, aside from the main tree where it is perched and locked.

The old treehouse from a distance.

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Laguit Padilla Waterfalls, Bugallon, Pangasinan

About 45 minutes walk from our farm in Brgy. Laguit Padilla, Bugallon, Pangasinan, is the sole waterfalls in the municipality, aka "Besay Falls" by the locals. It's tall, perhaps around 40 meters high.

I brought some friends to the farm in October 2002. Then our caretaker guided us to the waterfalls.

Blurred photo (scanned from the hard copy), from left: Ozone Azanza, Grace Alindogan, me, Carlo Borlaza. October is still rainy season, so the river bed of this waterfalls was clean, no lumot, the water was clear.

Ozone jumped, I "kicked" him from behind :-) 

The water was deep too.

This photo is from a blog post, Besay, a beauty yet to be discovered, dated January 9, 2014. The author wrote, "it’s actually a hidden beauty in the mountains west of Bugallon, it is not yet developed and very people had been to this place."   

Well, not exactly. This waterfalls is famous among barangay residents, also with many municipal residents. During the four-days holiday of the Holy Week each year, this place attracts hundreds of visitors coming from many places. Some come from Manila, Dagupan, Lingayen, etc.

The last time I visited this waterfalls was around 8-10 years ago, or longer. I heard that the volume of the waterfalls is decreased due to diversion of some water to the barangay nursery and tree planting. I just hope that the municipal government will improve this place.

See also, Majayjay Waterfalls, Laguna, 1994, April 24, 2014

My Treehouse in the Farm, Bugallon, Pangasinan

My treehouse, built around March 2004 or 10 years ago, has experienced a major facelift last month. Here is how it looks now, when I visited the farm two weeks ago.

And how it looked as of February 2014. The old cogon roof on the second floor facing the rice field has been replaced by iron sheets.

The slatted bamboo floor have been replaced with wood, from slabs of big mahogany trees that were harvested two months ago. Now, view from below, from another side of the house.

The extension on the left side of the second floor.

And the extension on the right side.

The slatted bamboo as flooring has been replaced by wood, about 1/3 x 4 inches, from mahogany slabs. Note new branches and leaves sprouting out of the trunk.

Another view of the new flooring on the second floor.

View of the rice field from the second floor.

The extension on the ground floor.

Before: old and decaying slabs behind our rotary club banner during my term as Club President, RY 2006-07.

Now.

The toilet on the ground floor.

Thanks to Sid, our carpenter for seven days. He was assisted by our caretakers Nong Endring and Danny Paragas, and Boknoy.