Early, on the 9th of October, I (Analyn) and Phady, set out on a field trip to Mabinay, a town in the province of Negros Oriental and where PSHF has been operating since 2016. It is a 3-hour bus journey from Dumaguete to the barangay of Paniabonan where we disembark; Lydia, our local field worker, is waiting for us on the roadside with two extra umbrellas in hand. She leads us along the edges of several houses to the home of her 80-year-old sister Vicenta and just as we arrive, it starts to pour with rain. 

 

We are warmly greeted by Vicenta and the applicants who are sitting on a wooden bench in the porch. We thank Vicenta for allowing us to gather at her house. Due to the noise of the heavy rain, we wait for a few minutes for it to ease before Phady starts her orientation. There are 8 applicants, seven of whom are new applicants and one is seeking a second loan. I assign two new applicants for Phady to interview and the others will be interviewed in a group by me.

 

Antonieta Rabong (60), the subject of this proposal, is one of the new applicants. She is 

married to Rutillo Sr. (60) and they have 7 children aged 14 to 32 years old. The three eldest are now married and living separately and the four youngest are all in school. Gilbert (22) is a 4th year college student studying for a teaching degree, Rutillo Jr. (20) is also taking Education and is in his 2nd year, John Mark (18) is in his first year of college studying for a degree in Agriculture and Gabriel (14) is in grade 9. It is important to note that all four boys are in state academic institutions and do not pay tuition fees.

 

Antonieta has a small-sari shop which gives her an average monthly income of 3,000 pesos ($50). She also raises livestock for sale such as chickens and goats. As for Rutillo Sr., he works as a carpenter and farm labourer, depending on job availability and he earns 7,000 pesos ($120) a month. The couple’s combined income is enough to cover day to day needs including the children’s school allowances but it can be a struggle to fund miscellaneous fees and school projects.  

 

The Rabong couple own a one and a quarter hectare plot of land which has been idle for two years because they have not had the money to pay for the expenses of cultivating it. Antonieta was happy to learn about PSHF livelihood assistance and she is now applying for a loan to venture into sugarcane farming. The loan will be used to buy 12,500 sugarcane points, 10 sacks of fertiliser and to pay the wages of the three labourers who will help her and Rutillo Sr. with weeding and planting. The crop will be ready for harvesting in ten months’ time.

 

With enough fertiliser, Antonieta is hopeful that her farm can reach its full potential and yield 90 tons of cane. After deducting her expenses, she hopes to be left with a net profit of 60,000 pesos ($875). This additional income will be most helpful for the family especially with the children’s education. Gilbert will be graduating next year and is expected to have higher expenses in his final year.

 

We in the PSHF are happy to be helping Antonieta and we wish her every success in her sugarcane farming venture.

 

 

Analyn T. Gallibot

PSHF Negros Oriental

October 2025