Stay Home: A Farmer's Perspective

The Malagos Garden Resort started from the initiative of our founders, Roberto Puentespina and Charita Puentespina. From here, Ms. Charita Puentespina, a farmer by heart and act cultivated the land and planted various coconut trees, coffee beans, bananas, and the likes. After which, she began nurturing and growing orchids in the land. From here on, Malagos Garden Resort, one of Davao’s best resorts, has been known. We started from the initiative of one local farmer and have been growing with the help of other local farmers since then. 

The onset of the pandemic affected all of us in many ways. But one that has been severely hit is us local farmers. For years, we have been relying on our crops as our main source of income. We have been doing our best to serve nothing but the freshest and top quality homegrown produce for everyone. The series of lockdowns took us by surprise. It is during this time that we decided to innovate our way around this. The Malagos Homegrown Produce budded last March and has been an online avenue for local farmers in Malagos to sell produce online. 

Locally grown food tastes better and healthier. Unlike other foods who have to spend time in transit in order to be sold, locally grown foods are fresh from the farm produce. The farm to table initiative is one way to make sure you know where your food comes from. Everytime you buy locally grown food, you also ensure that the food you are eating stays healthy because it stays packed with the intended vitamins and minerals your body needs to have. 

Locally grown food helps build communities. When buying directly from local farmers, you are building relationships with the locals while helping support local farmers who are providing for you as much as we are providing for our families. On top of this, most local farmers will most definitely buy from other locals too. Thus building and strengthening the economy and interconnectivity in our place too. 

Locally grown food is good for the environment. These foods are good for sustainability and the lands too. Good local farmers make sure that the land is well kept with minimal, if any, usage of chemicals and fertilizers. These practices are beneficial in giving natural habitats for wildlife. The more you support the plight of local farmers, more and more will not be giving up their lands for urbanization. With this you can help in ensuring local farmers’ livelihood for the year to come. 

These days, more than anything we have to support each other. Support us local farmers through buying local and in turn, we help you stay home and stay homegrown with our local produce. Now more than ever, we have to be at the peak of our health. The virus is getting stronger by the day and we have to take care of ourselves too.So for today, may you always remember to do little things with a cause. Shop at the Malagos Homegrown Produce and see that your small act can do so much. Keep safe!