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Displaced Aetas place hope in watermelons
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BOTOLAN, ZAMBALES—The Aetas of Baquillan resettlement are said to be raising some of the sweetest honeydew and watermelon in the country thanks to a livelihood program designed to help displaced minorities due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo more than a decade ago.
Recently, Botolan Mayor Rogelio Yap, through the Municipal Agriculture Office launched the “Binhi Program,” a livelihood program, which provides the minorities of Botolan, seedlings of watermelon, camote (sweet potato), gabi, bananas and squash for upland planting.
At least 3,000 Aeta families live at the Baquilan resettlement, which is situated in Barangay Burgos, five kilometers away from Botolan, Zambales. After 10 years of hardship away from the mountain and the continuing lahar mudflow, the Aetas, once jungle hunters, were able to survive again through upland farming.
Municipal Agriculturist Dionisio Galeng said most of the seedlings are the watermelon of different varieties including La Mallorca, a small sized, yellow flesh variety, the Sugar Baby, green rounded watermelon with red flesh, and the oversized, oblong-shaped, red flesh Sweet Sixteen variety.
Galeng said 60 Aeta farmers became initial beneficiaries of the watermelon seeds. The Department of Agriculture hopes to include another 30 beneficiaries early next year.
The Aetas started planting the watermelon during the last rainy season because there was no other means of irrigating the mountain area but rainwater. In November, the Aetas made their first harvest.
All harvested watermelons were gathered in the “Bagsakan Station,” a trading center located at the entrance of the resettlement area. The municipal government constructed the station to help the native in their trading.
Galeng said watermelon harvest this year was abundant, thus, because of limited space in the trading center; most of the watermelon yields were displayed along the highway.
Rodrigo Ramos, 46, an Aeta farmer, planted the “Sugar Baby” variety and was able to harvest 5-weapon carrier load of watermelon. Each weapon carrier can load about 400 to 500 pieces of watermelon.