A Childhood of Resourcefulness
Growing up, money was difficult, and resourcefulness was key to making ends meet in Padada. I often worked odd jobs like shining shoes or selling newspapers. However, one thing I will always be grateful for is that we had a large backyard. This meant we had land to make the most of.
The Value of Fresh, Homegrown Produce
In our backyards, we grew vegetables. We had some malunggay, alugbati, camote tops, okra, and eggplants. These veggies were easy to grow and were our staples.
Whatever we harvested, we cooked and ate. We also share some with our neighbors. That access to fresh produce, literally at our doorstep, is something I definitely miss now that I am living in the metropole.
Turning Excess Harvest into Profit
One season, we had an exceptional harvest of sponge gourds, known as sikwa in Bisaya and patola in Tagalog. They grew particularly well, yielding more than we could consume. We also had extra harvests from the other vegetables in our gardem. To prevent the excess harvest from going to waste, we decided to try selling some of the produce to a vegetable vendor at the town’s wet market. Gathering as much sikwa and other vegetables as I could carry, I went to the market to offer them for sale.
A Life-Changing Lesson at the Palengke
I remember feeling embarrassed presenting our sikwa for sale, but I went for it. To my surprise, Manang Salud (Salmorin?) – the vendor/owner of the market stall was happy and bought everything I brought, encouraging me to return the next time we harvest.
I forgot how much she paid for everything, but I will never forget how ecstatic I felt making money from vegetables we grew ourselves. More than the money I got, it opened my eyes to trading opportunities in our local palengke.
What selling vegetables we grew in our garden taught me was that if you were resourceful and diligent enough, and made the most of what you had, you would never go hungry – in fact, you can even make a little bit of money, too!
