Early, on the 25th of July, I (Analyn) and Phady, set out on our field trip to Sto. Niño, Tanjay, our biggest area in Negros Oriental. The weather was gloomy when we left the office in Dumaguete but thankfully after a 4-hour bus ride and a short ride on a motorcycle, it did not rain until we had arrived at our field worker Helma’s home. We were warmly greeted on arrival by Helma and her family. Since it was already past 12 noon, we decided to have our lunch first. Phady and I had brought a “baon” but we didn’t refuse the vegetable soup Helma had kindly prepared for us. It was indeed delicious with vegetables freshly picked from her family yard.

 

Soon after, Phady and Helma went out to visit our current sugarcane project loan beneficiaries to gather information from those who had recently had harvests. I stayed behind to conduct my interviews of five repeat loan applicants all seated on a wooden bench outside Helma’s home. Since they were all engaged in sugarcane farming, I did a group interview. Chrystal Sebomit (35), the subject of this proposal, was one of these applicants. She had received a loan in December 2023 to buy sugarcane fertiliser and the loan was fully repaid.

 

Chrystal is married to Jonnifer (37) and they have three children, Jencris (13), Crizy Jean (10) and Sarah Jean (6). Jonnifer earns a living from working in construction and as a sugarcane farm labourer. Chrystal joins her husband in the fields when workers are needed to do weeding and planting; the couple earn a combined average income of 6,000 pesos ($105) a month.

 

The couple owns a 2-hectare land which they obtained from a government land reform program. One-hectare of it is cultivated with sugarcane and this is a vital source of income for the family. The last sugarcane harvest was in June and it gave the couple a net income of 40,000 pesos ($700) after deducting their expenses. With the proceeds, the couple bought 6 sacks of rice, school supplies for their children and paid for a long awaited electricity connection at home.

 

The couple are keen to cultivate their remaining 1-hectare land thus making for 2 hectares coming under cultivation. Chrystal is applying for a loan to cover the expenses that will be incurred, specifically: the purchase of 24 sacks of fertiliser for a two-time application of the whole area and the hiring of four labourers who will help the couple with weeding and planting. There will be no need to buy sugarcane points as Chrystal and Jonnifer have gathered enough points from their own farm and from working on other farms. 

 

Chrystal is hoping to realise a harvest of 100 tons of cane in ten months time. After the deduction of her cultivation expenses and the repaying of the PSHF loan, she hopes to realise a net income of 80,000 pesos ($1,400) from her two hectares of sugarcane planted land. 

 

It has been a pleasure meeting Chrystal and the other repeat loan applicants again today and I wish them all well with their sugarcane farming. After they had all left, Phady and I had an unexpected development - heavy seasonal rain which prevented us from returning to the main road to catch the bus back to Dumaguete so we availed of Helma’s kind hospitality and spent the night in her home.

 

 

Analyn T. Gallibot

PSHF Negros Oriental

August 2025