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PAPAYAYO. Oliver Cariaga Millet at his Nangalisan Papaya Farm in Laoag City. (Lei Adriano) |
LAOAG CITY—Oliver Cariaga Millet, 46, of Brgy. Nangalisan, this city dreamed of becoming a computer expert and he did. For 19 years, or from 1995 to 2014, he was employed at the provincial government of Ilocos Norte as he hopped from one office to another.
But when his six-year old youngest daughter Orivell was born with down syndrome, he opted to become his personal caretaker while his wife, who is also a provincial government employee, goes to the office.
While taking care of Orie, Orivell's nickname, planting and harvesting papaya also excite him the most. In fact, papaya has become a favorite fruit of the family.
According to manongOliver, one of his daughters is often constipated so he thought of growing papaya which is widely known as a remedy for constipation.
“It all started as a hobby but when I saw a papaya producer’s success in YouTube, I was inspired to venture into papaya farming,” he said when this writer visited his farm.
With a total of 8,800 square meter farm lot that he rents from the owners, he said being a "papayayo" (the term he calls himself as a part-time papaya farmer and caretaker to Orie) gives him so much joy and self-fulfillment in life.
At present, he maintains more or less 600 papaya trees which are on fruiting stage. Others are in plastic mulch and about to bear fruit. Some are on seedbeds being prepared for transplanting in order to have a supply all year round. Other farmers and plant hobbyists also buy seedlings from him for added income.
As one of the largest papaya producers in the province, he said he is happy to share his pesticide-free papaya harvest to public and private hospitals, public markets and other government offices as well as the empanada vendors in Laoag and Batac who regularly buy from him at a farm gate price of PHP25 per kilo.
In time of COVID-19, he came to realize that sustainable farming is the new norm and the main secret to success is to love what you do and to share it with abundance.
At the Nangalisan papaya farm which is just a stone throw away from his residence, loyal papaya customers and traders reach out to him as he produces the best varieties—sweet, virus-resistant and sturdy with good agricultural practices.
When visiting his farm, be ready when he says, “pick at your own risk” with a smile. As to the writer’s experience, she harvested ripe papayas more than what she can handle. Thanks to manong Oliver and friends, it served well its purpose.