MANOBO-OWNED COCONUT FARM RECOVERED FROM DEFORESTATION AND IS NOW A THRIVING FARM BUSINESS

MANY COCONUT PLANTATIONS were greatly affected during the decline of the coconut industry in Quezon years back, And to cope, many farmers were forced to cut down their coconut trees to produce charcoal and coconut lumber instead of copra. Unfortunately, Glinoga Organic farm (GOF) was one of the areas that was denuded because of this.

Glinoga Organic farm is a 25 hectare land in Quezon owned by Nenieveh Glinoga, a Manobo farmer and a retired nurse.

Now, 11 hectares of the farm is devoted to organic farming. GOF remains a coconut plantation, but now it is diversified with other crops such as fruits and veggies, rice, and adlai and at the same time, integrated with farm animals like poultry and livestock.

A long time before GOF was formed, Glinoga’s grandmother managed to make the farm a productive coconut plantation and orchard, but when she passed away, the farm was run by a land tenant.

GOF is situated in an undeveloped barangay with limited access roads and before you arrive at the farm, you’ll need to have a 15-minute boat ride. The farm’s inaccessibility comes with an advantage of it being protected from pollutants. With the nearby river that meets the farm’s forest, it also carries a huge potential for several farm activities. To date, one of the activities that GOF offers to guests is a wellness program where the community is taught about the different medicinal herbs available on the farm.