People call her Nanay Medios. A tiny woman in her 70's, Remedios Panganiban is an elder of the 120 members of the indigenous people's community in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental. She was wearing one of her best dresses that day; there was a farmer's forum and along with the other members of the Irrigators' Association, she was excited to meet the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Sec. Proceso Alcala.
Sitting beside NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel, who was also patiently waiting for the DA secretary, she told her own story:
"Nalipay gid kami nga may irigasyon na kami (we are very happy to have irrigation)", she said. "Sang may irigasyon na dire, nakakaon nag gid man kami sang kan-on. Sang una talagsa lang kami gakaon kan-on, kalabanan root crops lang pero subong nga may irigasyon na, pirme na kami gakaon sang kan-on (When we had the irrigation, we were finally able to eat rice. Before, we seldom eat rice, we eat root crops more often, but now that there is irrigation, we eat rice all the time)."
Rice is the staple food in the country and it had been a scarce resource to them until they had irrigation facilities.
"Kanami sang pagbag-o dire sa amon nga lugar sa Brgy. Bunga! (The change here in Brgy. Bunga is wonderful!)" She said. "Sang may irigasyon na kami, nagdamo na patubas ang amon humay, ti pirme na lang kami gakaon kan-on (When we had the irrigation, our rice production have increased and so we can eat rice more frequently)", she added. She was also happy to report that they are now able to offer rice to their visitors.
Adm. Nangel asked her, "Pag maayos na ang irigasyon at na kumpleto na, ano ang gusto nyong itanim, palay o sugarcane (If irrigation facilities will improve and facilities will be completed, what do you prefer to plant, rice or sugarcane?"
To which, Nanay Medios immediately answered, "humay (rice)!".
Negros Occidental is known as a major producer of sugarcane. But Nanay Medios believes that most of them will transfer to rice production if irrigation facilities will improve and expand. "Hambal sang iban, pag maayos na ang irigasyon, magtransfer na sa palay, kasi ang tubo, ilang buwan pa ang hihintayin bago magkapera (other have said that they will transfer to rice production if the irrigation facilities are completed because in sugarcane production, one has to wait longer months before you earn from it.)"
She told the Administrator that they were provided with irrigation facilities only in 1983 when roads have been concretized. However, Nanay Medios said that only about 30% of their area is irrigated and that most of them still use the ever reliable carabao to till their land. It was something the Administrator took note of. Equipment and machineries in the farm is critical to rice production.
Nanay Medios has three children. All of them had graduated only from high school but Nanay Medios is proud of what she had managed to accomplish for her children. She recalls struggling for the baon (allowance) of her children for school until they were able to have access to irrigation. "Sang una sang wala pa irigasyon te indi kami kapanguma, wala ko ipabalon sa kabataan ko. Sang may irigasyon na, may ipabalon na ko sa ila amo na katapos sila sang high school (Before, when there was no irrigation, we cannot plant rice and so I don't have money to give to my children for their school allowance. But since we had irrigation, I was able to give them money and so they were able to finish high school), she explains.
At her age, no one would think Nanay Medios still tills the land. "Nanghagbas pa ko kaina sang aga sa kilid kahon (I cleared off the grasses in the farm early this morning)!", she proudly exclaims. "Kon wala ko gaubra, galuya lawas ko, pero kon makaubra na ko, maayo na ang pamatyag ko (If I do not work, my body gets weak, but if I work, I begin to feel better)". She is expecting to harvest her produce in October, in time for her birthday. "I'll be 79 years old", she happily said.
As the emcee announced the arrival of Sec. Alcala, Nanay Medios stood up and got ready. Disappearing through the crowd, she was found later at the hall's entrance, beside the DA Secretary. Without waiting for the program to start, she took advantage of the opportunity and thanked the Secretary for how the DA and NIA had changed their lives.
