Ben Lao and his organic farm
ORGANIC farming in the country has become the trend for healthier lifestyle.
Although the local farming community has not embraced organic farming totally yet because of its high production costs, awareness on the benefits of chemical-free by-products has made people more conscious of health.
Going all natural in agriculture may be unworkable for some but not to farmer-scientist Benjamin R. Lao who has become Philippines’ biggest exporter of coconut syrup to the United States.
As owner and manager of Lao Integrated Farms in Barangay Eman in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, he produces healthier alternative sweeteners like coco sugar, coco honey, and coco sap drink known for their supposedly lower glycemic index.
This 57-year-old multi-awarded farmer turned entrepreneur formed Lao Integrated Farms in 2009 to market the coconut syrup with brand “Donnabelle”, a combination of her two daughters’ name.
From then on, he produces products all made from organic farming. Aside from his coconut-based major products, he also has ice cream using goat’s milk with flavors such as moringa, turmeric, durian, and sour sop; mangosteen tea, lemon grass tea, turmeric tea, among others.
Some of his awards include Most Outstanding Coconut Farmer of the Philippines in 2008, Productivity Olympics National Winner and Micro Entrepreneur of the Year Presidential Award in 2009, Bank of the Philippine Islands Business Excellence Award in 2010, National Winner of the Gawad Saka Agri-Achiever on Organic Farming in 2011.
His is but one of many rags to riches story. He recalls walking two kilometers to get to his school during his basic education as a son of a farmer.
He got his Political Science degree at the erstwhile International Harvardian University. He served as councilor and eventually became vice mayor of Bansalan in the 1980s.
He also became the director of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation in Davao City. His passion, however, was the land. From the barren five-hectare land he inherited in 1988, Lao recalls that the farm had no income at all and there were no roads seven years ago.
“I never thought that one day it will be what it is now,” he said. He started with five hectares with a few hundred coconut trees. He planted fruit trees and raised goats. He planted nitrogen-rich shrubs and made sure that organic agriculture becomes real in his own land. He reconditioned the soil using vermicasts or worm castings.
Seedlings are totally free from synthetic inputs. As the first Philippine company to export coconut syrup to the United States, Lao, with almost hundred workers in the farm now, developed later coconut sap-based teriyaki sauce for export to Germany and Australia.
He partnered with the Department of Science and Technology to further farming technologies. Because of his hard work, he obtained international organic certifications from Ecocert SA France and the US Department of Agriculture allowing his products to carry organic label in Europe and America.
He helped his co-farmers maximize income opportunities, urging them to explore other products that can be made out of coconut trees aside from copra.
“A farmer must not rely on a single crop or production,” he said.
Lao is also the producer of organic turmeric (luyangdilaw) tea known to prevent cancer, relieve arthritis, control diabetes, reduce cholesterol level, boost immune system, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and others.
Lao’s products have been distributed in some parts in the country but the main shop of Donnabelle, an organic bakery, is in Digos City.
Healthy lifestyle advocates from different cities and municipalities have been wanting to get Lao’s products conveniently but Lao has not opened major shops yet.
In Davao City, Donnabelle will be opened soon along Mt. Apo Street. He has a Bagobo Village inside his farm where he helps the indigenous people make money and raise capital.
He also has scholars who are now in college.
His company pays 50 percent of the water used in three neighboring barangays. Organic farming is easier said than done but with Lao who is more than willing to steer its positive results to fight the chemical-laden foods that we commonly have, healthy living will be popular again.