Organic Farmers Practice Permaculture in Silang, Cavite

Aerial view of the vegetable garden. Photo by Jabez Flores

After spending a week in Visayas (Antique and Cebu), the team went to Silang, Cavite to visit an organic farm called Kai Farms. Hidden on top of the cool foggy mountains of Cavite, the farm is well-known to backyard gardeners and organic farming enthusiasts. By the way, the road going to the farm is quite challenging due to construction, we wouldn't suggest visiting on a rainy day! Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Thomas Caristea (or Kuya Thom), the farm's 'earth leader'--he supervises a team of around 13 farmers. He led us to his brother's house where we would stay for the next three days since the farm does not have accommodations...yet. After settling in, he brought us to the farm which was just a few minutes walk from the house. 

Kuya Thom being interviewed. Photo by Jabez Flores

Kuya Thom introduced us to the farmers and the two newly hired young agriculturists, Yancy and Camiel. It was only their third day in the farm. The group was offered some tea and we had a long chat in the gazebo before we started the tour.

Rolled 'saba' banana leaves to be used as seed packets. Photo by Jabez Flores

During the tour, we noticed that the farmers were rolling leaves of bananas into small seedling containers. They told us that they no longer use plastic in the farm that's why they came up with the banana packets. After visiting ten permaculture sites, this was the first time we saw this being practiced.

The farm was a textbook example of a permaculture design--small and compact, integrated and stacked, and zoned clearly according to use and function. As for gathering data, it was challenging for us because so many things are planted in very tight spaces. Which is thrilling, actually.

Young agriculturists, Camiel and Yancy, rolling banana leaves. Photo by Jabez Flores

On our last day, the owner, Karla Delgado, visited the farm to pick up vegetable deliveries together with her friends, Asha and Lourdes Villaraza. We had the chance to see how the vegetables were being packed using banana leaves. Then we all had a wonderful lunch together. 

We would like to say thank you to Amena Bal for connecting us with Karla and Kuya Thom. We hope you would be at the farm next time! Thank you also to Karla, Kuya Thom, and the rest of the staff for accommodating us for three days.

The vlog episode for Kai Farms will premier at 8 PM on YouTube and Facebook on February 14--Valentine's Day!

A garden salad harvested fresh from the farm. Photo by Jabez Flores

A Permaculture Design from Cebu City to Carcar

The main building at the Nature Sanctuary designed by Joel Lee. Photo by Jabez Flores

From Alpas Resort in Antique, the team took a flight to Cebu via Iloilo to check out a permaculture design on a scale that's unlike anything we have experienced from the past eight trips. Originally, our intention was to visit just one farm in Carcar City because we only had three days to do our data gathering. But our respondent, Edna Lee, insisted that we also take a look at their projects in Cebu City so that we can understand the full extent of their permaculture design. We agreed to the proposal knowing that permaculture design is more than just farming. We wanted to see the entire system--how things fit in and how each component works...plus we didn't pay for anything! Thank you! 

The West Gorordo Hotel frontage featuring various plants, vegetables, a pond, and a meandering driveway. Photo by Jabez Flores

We spent our first night at West Gorordo Hotel--the first of three permaculture-inspired hotels in Cebu City. In the morning, the staff gave us an orientation and a tour of the hotel and its permaculture design features (which we will feature on our YouTube channel soon!). It has a library and an art gallery called the Museum of Naive Art, featuring the works of artist, Paulina Constancia Lee, sister of Edna. Next, we went to the Mayflower Inn--one of the oldest buildings in the city and lastly, to Elicon House where we met Edna for the first time. We had a quick lunch and headed straight to Carcar City with her to visit The Justice German Lee Jr. Nature Sanctuary (or Nature Sanctuary for short. German Lee Jr. is the name of their father).

The front desk and the staff of the Mayflower Inn. Photo by Dada Mercado

The bicycle museum at the Elicon House. Photo by Dada Mercado

It was here where we met Joel Lee, Edna's older brother, a veteran permaculture designer and one of the very first students at Cabiokid along with his sister. The Nature Sanctuary is situated in a dense beach forest with half of the property dedicated to mangrove conservation. We would spend the next two days in this place gathering data and understanding the design philosophy behind the site and its relationship with the three hotels in Cebu City. Edna and Joel definitely shared a lot to us and we're now in the process of analyzing the data that we have. It's a huge project but we're happy to see a design that goes beyond the boundaries of a backyard farm. 

The vlog episode for Cebu City will premier on February 7 and Carcar City on February 12. 

Special thanks to Edna and Joel for being such gracious hosts! See you soon.

  

Developing a Transdiciplinary Research Methodology for Documenting and Studying Permaculture Designs*

*ongoing research

Jabez Joshua Flores

Ara Kathleen Bagunu

Criselda Dorothi Mercado

Permaculture is a holistic system of design that encompasses many disciplines in the natural and social sciences.  Originally intended by its founders, Mollison and Holmgren (1978), as an alternative to large-scale, monocropped agricultural systems, permaculture has evolved over the years into an international social movement and design philosophy for a sustainable and eco-centric way of life.

But because of the diversity of topics and complex nature of permaculture as a design discipline, formal research on the subject matter has been overlooked in the academe for many years. The current interest in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research by the fields of environmental science and agroecology has paved the way for researchers to have a more holistic scientific paradigm of systems-thinking. This paradigm can be used in the study of permaculture design. 

What exactly is being studied in a permaculture design? Biodiversity? Food systems? Socio-economic relations? Or socio-political structures? The research aims to give focus on what to look for in a permaculture site by providing a methodological framework on how to observe, document, and gather data on the dynamic multicomponent and multifunctional nature of a permaculture design.  

Mainstreaming Permaculture Practices using the Video Blog (vlog) Format *

Interviewing Edu Foronda at Jubileeville, Bay, Laguna. Photo by Criselda Dorothi Mercado

*ongoing research

Jabez Joshua Flores

Ara Kathleen Bagunu

Criselda Dorothi Mercado

Brian Sulicipan

Jim Leandro Cano

According to the ‘Digital in 2017 Global Overview’ (reported by ABS-CBN News), Filipinos average about 4.17 hours per day online. And around 60 million people or 58% of the total population are active social media users. Websites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube has provided permaculture designers with an accessible platform to congregate, exchange ideas, and form communities. The video blog, or vlog, is a popular form of shareable online content in recent years. Vlogs are short, visually appealing, and offers a personal account of a specific experience.

At Glinoga Organic Farm. Photo by Brian Sulicipan

In this study, vlogs will be used to communicate permaculture as a concept for sustainable agriculture, food security, and an eco-friendly lifestyle. The content of the vlogs will address the following questions: Who practices permaculture?  Where are permaculture sites located? What are the objectives of the design? What are the key design components and how do they interact with each other? And how does design contribute to food security?

The research team is composed of five members: a lead vlog host equipped with a mobile phone and monopod; two secondary mobile phone cameras, GoPro, and digital camera; a drone operator; and a main cameraman. Sixteen (16) vlog episodes will be uploaded between January and February 2019. Audience feedback and engagement will be measured and analyzed.  

Presented our methodology on permaculture vlogging during the Environmental Communication parallel session at the 1st International Conference and 8th of Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association of Development Communication Educators and Practitioners (ADCEP). The theme for this year is "Devcom in borderless societies"
#ADCEP2018 Photo by Catherine Bucu-Flores

Successful "Permaculture in Sixty Minutes" Sessions @ Sierreza

The first session last October 27 had eight participants from Metro Manila and Laguna.

Last October 27 and November 24, the PRPH team conducted quick permaculture workshops for the casual backyard gardener called "Permaculture in Sixty Minutes." The objective of the workshop was to create interest in the practice of permaculture, especially to those who plan to take a full PDC course in the future. The workshop is a knowledge-sharing and fund-raising activity to support the work of the team and also promote the "zero-waste" store concept practiced by Sierreza. Thank you to all the participants who joined us, it was our pleasure to meet you all and engage in meaningful conversations. We hope you have already applied what you learned in your daily life!

We are planning to make "Sixty Minutes" a regular event but our schedule is full this month. We hope to resume by January 2019. We will keep you posted on our Facebook page.

The morning session last November 24 had three participants coming all the way from Taguig, Metro Manila and Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The afternoon session last November 24 only had one participant but we met new friends from the other table!

PRPH Interview with Dito Sa Laguna

The PRPH team (L-R: Ara Bagunu, Dada Mercado, Jabez Flores with host, Chad Roble) at the set of Dito Sa Laguna. Photo from the Dito Sa Laguna Facebook page.

Two months ago, the Permaculture Research PH (PRPH) team was interviewed by Dito Sa Laguna--a local TV show showcasing development-related work in Los Banos and surrounding communities. 

The team discussed what permaculture is all about; how to apply it in daily life; and the challenges of conducting research on such a multifaceted topic. This was the team's first exposure to a mainstream audience. 

The show is produced by the College of Development Communication-UPLB and airs every Saturday, 10 AM on Community Cable Vision Corp. Channel 8. 

Watch the full episode here by clicking the link: https://www.facebook.com/DitoSaLaguna/videos/2182797071994505/

Special thanks to Enimal for our t-shirts and Kayu for our wooden sunglasses! Support local! 

Welcome to Bukid ni Bogs

by Bogs Castro
Farmer, Peace Builder, Music and Arts Advocate

Bukid ni Bogs (BnB) is a PermaFarm based in Dumingag Zamboanga del Sur run by no other than the PermaTito himself Bogs Castro. Apart from being an organic farmer, he also works with the LGU of Dumingag as a music, arts and culture advocate since February of 2018. The inspiration behind BnB is simple - compassion. 

Bogs was introduced to organic farming and permaculture when he met Mrs. Elgyn Pacalioga of Umaleng Farm, the wife of Jun Pacalioga who started the Genuine People's Agenda revolution in Dumingag back in 2007. This collaborative endeavour provided the foundation that helped save the Dumingagnons from poverty, hunger and sickness. A monumental movement and success story that continues to gain recognition from all over the world. 

The organic practice and culture of interconnectedness has been the backbone of BnB ever since it was established last March 2018. Dedicated to spread awareness and inspiration, BnB promotes a culture of energy exchange where people who visit the farm can gain knowledge and experience about organic farming, permaculture, organic soap making and meditation in exchange for anything the visitor feels his/her time in the farm is worth. Everything is free, even the seeds, because the farm believes that seeds come from nature and should be enjoyed and cultivated by all. 

True to the farms advocacy of promoting fair share, they provide additional livelihood opportunities for our local growers through the handmade organic bath bars that BnB and Umaleng Farm is producing and now distributing all over the country. All of the organic ingredients that are used in the soap come from the farms in Zamboanga del Sur. With more than 50 resellers from every corner of the Philippines, it would seem that the farm's goal of providing an affordable and eco-friendly bath for all the Filipinos will be realized soon. Bukid ni Bogs is still in its early stages, but Bogs believes that there's no rush in promoting a sustainable lifestyle. Slow is still progress as long as it's moving forward. And to continue learning and growing each day, in the space between no longer and not yet. 

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Have a permaculture story to share? E-mail us at permacultureresearchph@gmail.com (150-300 words only with photos or videos). Thank you!

Using Drones for Permaculture Research

In this video recorded in Rome, Italy, YPARD Philippines representative and Permaculture Research PH drone operator, Jim Leandro Cano, talks to FarmingFirst TV about using drone technology for studying permaculture systems. Jim joined the team in our trips to Cabiokid Foundation Inc. in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, and in Tara Farms and Jubileeville in Bay, Laguna. He will visit The Justice German Lee Jr. Nature Sanctuary in Carcar City, Cebu in December. He uses a DJI Spark drone.

DJI Spark drone photo of a permaculture site called Tara Farms in Bay, Laguna. Photo by Jim Cano.

Escape to Antique

View of the sea, the house, the garden, and the restaurant at Alpas. Photo by Dada Mercado.

First of all, our trips to 12 permaculture sites around the country is finally over! We've been on the road since August 31. For the next 20 days we will be in our "office" processing all the data we have collected. There's quite a lot. And we're excited to work on this phase of the project. Plus we have to catch up with the blogs, there's 5 more site including this one. It's just about sharing our experiences, no scientific data to share yet. You have to wait for that in 2019!

We went to Antique via Iloilo last October 15-16. It was all our first time in this place, specifically in Tobias Fornier (formerly Dau). Our Antique respondents, Kim and Ken, have been helpful with promoting our research endeavor on social media in the months leading to this visit. Prior to this trip, we haven't been to a permaculture site on a beach! It was either in the middle of a rice field or a peri-urban area.

We arrived safely in a place called Alpas. Super thanks to Kim for making all the arrangements. Alpas is Kim and Ken's project to provide people with a place where they can just be themselves and experience the peaceful beach, good food, and great company...and also the cute dogs. When we got there, the couple and their staff were working on their all-bamboo restaurant which, by the way, will open on December 1! So if you're around the area, be sure to give them a visit and experience Ken's cooking. 

Studying this site was our closest to having a vacation. The pace of life was slow and relaxed. True to its name, Alpas, it was a place to get away and be free. Maybe the sight of the sea helped us relax. We toured the small town of Tobias Fornier, ate local food, walked on the beach, played with the dogs, did some hiking, and data gathering, of course. 

The town is an agricultural community. People here are either farmers or fishermen. But only a handful practice organic farming. So hopefully Kim and Ken would be able to influence the community by making Alpas a source of inspiration and ideas. They've been here for only a year but we love their energy, enthusiasm, and hope for the local community.  Wishing you all the best!

We would also like to say thanks to Feedspot for compiling all the best permaculture blogs around the world. We're happy we landed at number 26 out of 50 blogs! So we would like to thank all our followers on Facebook and Instagram, our subscribers, and our readers here on Blogger. We're hoping to post at least 1 blog article a week to generate more content on the local permaculture movement.

If you're a permaculture designer from the Philippines, please do send us your story at permacultureresearchph.blogspot.com. Thank you!

Fishing boats docked on the beach. Photo by Jabez Flores.

Permaculture in the City

The eco-house and it's open-air dining area. Photo by Jabez Flores

All of the permculture sites we've been to so far are in rural areas. This gave people a wrong impression that permaculture design can only be applied in rural farms. On the contrary, the Eco-house in Marikina, Metro Manila is not a rural farm. It's not big and it's in the city! 

Located in a 250 square meter residential lot, the Eco-house is the home of veteran permaculture designer and educator, Bert Peeters--a respected figure in the Philippine permaculture movement. And true to its permaculture design, the multi-purpose structure also houses the Philippine Permaculture Association (PPA) head office, a bamboo bike workshop, and a backyard garden. 

During our short visit in the eco-house, we were able to talk to the PPA staff and talk about food and the permaculture movement in the Philippines. 

We would like to thank Bert and the PPA team; to Sandino and Olga for touring us around the house and showing us its design features. Looking forward to see you guys in the 2nd Philippine Permaculture Convergence! 

Sandino Guinto and Olga Marquez of PPA photo by Dada Mercado

Aloha from Palawan!

Photo by Dada Mercado

We've been on the road since early October, I didn't have time to write a blog about our Palawan trip. But now I have a couple of hours write a short piece before we leave for Zamboanga del Sur later this morning. 

Oh yes, Puerto Princesa, Palawan (finally)! We were greeted by the friendly staff of Aloha House when we arrived then we were introduced to Keith Mikkelson. He was teaching a vermiculture class at the moment. 

Aloha House, a Christian ministry, is the first orphanage in Puerto Princesa. The urban farm design grew out of the need to have healthy and nutritious food for the kids and the staff. Eventually, the property was transformed into a 2800 square meter foodscape. Everywhere you look there's plants, trees, vegetables, and even livestock! The property was so dense with activity one would be confused where to look first.

The highlight was the aquaponics system that Keith designed using permaculture principles. We noticed that he was very methodical in how he grows his crops. His activities and experiments are all well-documented and he is very generous in sharing what he knows. 

He operates Aloha House together with his wife, Narcy, Aside from being an orphanage and urban farm, Aloha House is also a bed and breakfast where visitors can stay and eat good food. 

A 40-minute drive from Aloha House is another property called Aloha Ranch and Organic Farm, the site of his eco-village project. It's still in a work in progress but a lot of things are happening there like this rammed earth house that they are making (see photo below).

Keith and Narcy are quite well-known in Puerto Princesa for their social and environmental advocacy. We wish them all the best and we hope to visit again soon!

Want to visit them? Checkout the links below:

Aloha House

Aloha Natural Farm - Palawan - Philippines

Aloha House and Organic Farm

You can download Keith's book, Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics, for free by clicking the link below:

Free e-book

The PRPH team with Keith at Aloha Ranch and Organic Farm. Photo by Keith Mikkelson.

Permaculture in Sixty Minutes

"Permaculture in Sixty Minutes" is a casual conversation on what permaculture is all about and how you can immediately apply it once you get home.

It is also our way of sharing to the public our learnings and experiences in the field.

The activity will serve as a good appetizer if ever you plan to take a full 7-day Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course in the future. There will be one in Bay, Laguna in November 8-14, see link below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/565385380562897/

To be more fruitful, only 10 slots will be available per session (first 10 FB confirmations!). But don't worry, we plan to do this activity on a regular basis (on Saturdays) so more people can start practicing permaculture design in their living and work spaces. 

REGISTER HERE: https://www.facebook.com/events/154860398785338/

Special thanks to Sierreza - Los Baños Community-Supported Agriculture for providing a venue plus food and drinks for the event.

Proceeds will be donated to Permaculture Research PH (PRPH) to fund more research on permaculture designs in the Philippines. 

To know more about (PRPH), please visit our website at http://permacultureresearchph.blogspot.com/

If you want to donate to our research, you can visit our crowdfunding campaign here: https://gogetfunding.com/designing-food-security/

Lorenza's Garden & Food Forest Farm - Isabela's Hidden Gem

Photo by Jabez Flores (Shot by DJI Ryze Tello)

After 11 days of rest (we had to reschedule a couple of our trips due to Typhoon Ompong), the PRPH team was on the road once again, this time travelling to a start-up permaculture farm in San Manuel, Isabela. Joining us for this trip is Erickson Tabayag, a birder and graduate student from SESAM, UPLB.

Lorenza's Garden & Food Forest Farm is a unique study site for the research because work in the farm just began this year (2018). Compared to the first four sites we visited, this is a very young design with small projects peppered here and there--a vegetable garden, a peanut patch, a small house, a nursery, etc. Though the obvious advantage of this place is its location: upland with a nice view of a lake; a thick forest edge protecting the perimeter of the property; a small creek trickling below; and and a rich biodiversity of plants and animals (Erickson was able to ID at least 10 endemic species of birds during our first day in the farm). And the farm is conveniently in the middle of a sloping forest clearing!  

Blue-headed Fantail (Rhipidura cyaniceps) spotted in the farm. Photo by Erickson Tabayag

Enrico Navea, a graduate of the basic and advanced Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course at Cabiokid Foundation (2017), is the designer of the property. The overall theme of the design is DIY EVERYTHING! From their house to the garden to the food they eat, the plan was to really do everything by hand and learn as many skills as possible (as evidenced by his NC-II in Organic Agriculture and Food Processing to go along with his PDC certificates).

We finished early with our data gathering so we volunteered to help with some chores around the farm. We mulched some raised beds using bamboo leaves and cogon and also constructed a berm made out of branches and banana trunks. Enrico also asked us to plant tree seedlings before we left as part of his advocacy to reforest the entire property. He named each seedling after each PRPH team member! 

We would like to extend our thanks to Enrico for sharing his life in the farm with us! For the full story, you have to wait for the vlog in 2019! But we will post original and exclusive content on our Facebook and Instagram pages every now and then. Please follow us at @permacultureresearchph.

Enrico showing the team around the farm as Jabez does his vlog while Brian shoots his documentary film.

Home-scale Permaculture Design in Jubileeville, Bay, Laguna

A small fishpond serves as a habitat for diverse flora and fauna.

The second and last site of our Laguna leg is in Jubileeville, Bay. Unlike the 3 previous permaculture projects, the Bonita-Foronda household is an example of minimal work, home-scale permaculture designed for a small family of three and a household of around 5 people. 

Perennials were their primary long-term design investments (most of the trees were planted by Edu's father-in-law) but for the meantime they benefit from the land by foraging berries, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. They also have a small vegetable garden and fish pond in Zone 2 and a series of swales in Zones 3 & 4 designed to control erosion, catch water, and slow down the flow of water before it heads out to the nearby creek. 

Though Edu hopes to spend more time improving the site to fully sustain his family, the current design (4 years since his PDC in Cabiokid) is still able to produce food with minimal work. Thank you for sharing your home (and your swimming pool!) with us! We wish you more success.

A series of swales designed to catch and store water in the ground.

Tara Farms - Home of the Nu Wave Farmers and the Baeboys

An herb garden in Zone 2 provides herbs for their bottled sun-dried tomatoes.

Tara Farms is the first permaculture site of our Laguna leg. Founded in the 1970s by the Sandoval Family, the farm is now managed by Paulo Sandoval (a 3rd generation Sandoval) of the Nu Wave Farmers together with his uncle, and also organic pig raiser and chef, OJ Gomez. 

The permaculture site serves as the home base for "Baeboys" and venue for the Farmers' Field School for sustainable pig production of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). Tara Farms is also home to the Nu Wave Farmers, an agri-youth movement co-founded by Paulo. 

Tara Farms will host a permaculture design certificate (PDC) course in November in cooperation with the Philippine Permaculture Association as a prelude to the 2nd National Philippine Permaculture Convergence to be held in UPLB.

Organic native pigs became the focal point of their design system upon its introduction last year.

Cabiokid - A Permaculture Learning Site in Nueva Ecija

Aerial photo of Cabiokid by Jim Cano using a DJI Spark drone. Follow him on Instagram at @canospark

Cabiokid, the site where many permaculture designers in the Philippines first learned about permaculture design. Most of our respondents for the research took their Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) here. 

It's hard to imagine that this dense patch of land is located right in the middle of hectares and hectares of rice fields. The contrast in the landscape is very striking (see the photo above). You can definitely see how a permaculture design differs from a monocropped farm.  Cabiokid's integrated design features perennial crops, fruit trees, livestock, aquaculture, an organic garden, a bamboo workshop and guest houses made from materials sourced onsite. 

If you want to know what permaculture is all about, this is one of the first places you should visit. It's a great place to learn about organic agriculture, Filipino food, culture, and values, ecology, and the environment. 

Many thanks to Luzviminda Lopez for taking care of us while we were there. The team enjoyed the place, the food, and the company! 

All the best for Cabiokid. We hope to do more research in the future!

Visit their website here. And follow them on Facebook.

Cabiokid will appear in Episode 2 of our PRPH Vlog in 2019. 

Photo by Dada Mercado using a Ryze Tello drone by DJI.

Permaculture Research PH Vlog Series [Teaser Video 1]

Ito ang Pilipinas na hindi ko nakikita Ito ang Pilipinas na hindi pinag-uusapan Hindi nababalita Hindi nakukuwento Hindi pinapansin Magaling ang Pilipino Naniniwala ako At lahat ng kelangan natin ay nandito Ang permaculture ay hindi bagong konsepto Alam ko Marunong ka nito Marunong tayo nito Dahil lahat ng kailangan natin Ay nandito. Clips from our trips to Pitogo, Quezon; Cabiao, Nueva Ecija; and Bay, Laguna. Thanks to Bittie and Weng Glinoga of Glinoga Organic Farm; Luzviminda Lopez of Cabiokid Foundation Inc; Paulo Sandoval of Tara Farms; and Edu Forona from Jubileeville. Special thanks to the Philippine Permaculture Association, Nu Wave Farmers, Kayu, Enimal, and our crowdfunding platform, Go Get Funding. If you feel compelled to help our cause please click this link: https://gogetfunding.com/designing-fo... Any amount will help our research for years to come! See you soon, Marikina, Isabela, Mt. Province, Antique, Cebu, La Union, and Zamboanga del Sur! Music: Axletree - Leaned My Back Against an Oak After the Water is Wide (freemusicarchive.org) Video footage from Ara Bagunu, Dada Mercado, Michael Reyes, Jabez Flores

Let's Go, Pitogo!

​Aug. 31 - Sept. 2.

Some brief reflections: 

• Permaculture is not just about farming...it's a life you live. It's not just about the application of knowledge but the internalization of values.
• The designer and the design have a close relationship. Through experience and observation, the design evolves through time. 
• People are part of the design. Every living thing is part of the design. Even typhoons are a welcome part of life. 
• Nature has a way of organizing itself and the designer must understand how nature works. 
• Permaculture design "follows the water". Where there's water, there's life. 
• Permaculture is planned "katam" or "katamaran" in Filipino. Once the system is in place, there isn't much work to do. 

• Glinoga Organic Farm opened our eyes to a lot of things. We don't even know where to start. Food is so abundant and creativity is overflowing. And the people in the farm really know what they're doing. 
• Thank you to our gracious hosts, Nenieveh Fortun Glinoga and Bittie Glinoga and the staff for taking care of our team. This was a truly memorable experience for us. 
• Watch out for PRPH Vlog Episode 1: Glinoga Organic Farm on January 2019. 
• Our full report will be available by 2019. 
• Support our team by donating any amount to our Gogetfunding campaign: https://gogetfunding.com/designing-food-security/ 
• Visit our official blog for more information about the initiative: http://permacultureresearchph.blogspot.com/​

Learning Along the Way

August 23

We wanted to test our methodology in an area that's completely unknown to us. Good thing Dax Olfindo of Dream Agritech Consultancy recommended us to meet up with permaculture designer, Joana Tan who is planning to setup a potential permaculture site in Sulpoc, Tanauan.

As always, we discovered some minor glitches in our methodology. We also forgot to bring some materials. By the way, this is our sampling methodology for the inventory of biotic system components. For other system components such as abiotic, manmade, technological, cultural, and socio-economic, we will do a full inventory of the site or sites, depending on the extent of the design.

We're planning to do one more pre-test before we head out to our first site on August 31.

Website: http://permacultureresearchph.blogspo...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permaculture...

Crowdfunding: https://gogetfunding.com/designing-fo...

Music: Christian Bjoerklund - Hallon

Setting up sampling plots in a farm property in Tanauan (August 21)

August 21 (video)

We used PVC pipes, plastic straw, and rubber bands to create visible markers for our sampling plots.

Pre-test near the Fertility Tree (August 17)

August 17 (video)

We practiced identifying biotic components in two randomly sampled 25 sqm sampling plots in the garden area of the Agronomy building. The plot was then partitioned into 1 sqm quadrats to create a 5x5 matrix. The columns are labeled with a corresponding letter while the rows are labled with a number. A quadrat or cell is then located using the column-row address (parang spreadsheet sa MS Excel!).

In the actual data gathering in permaculture sites, a 1 ha (10,000 sqm) property will be divided into a quadrant with an area of 2500 sqm each. Ten 25 sqm plots will be randomly sampled from each quadrant and then partitioned into 1 sqm quadrats for the inventory of biotic components.