Green convert shuns ‘kainginero’ past
HEN RENE “Tatay Ite” Vendiola saw the photos of trees lost to illegal logging and “kaingin,” he made a silent promise to create a mini-forest to give back what he took away when he was into slash-and-burn farming.
WHe has kept his vow—and more.
Vendiola set up Liptong Woodland in Bacong town in Negros Oriental, which is home to native tree species and other local wildlife. He is also implementing a 100-hectare reforestation project with the municipality and has played a significant role in crafting a municipal ordinance that illegalizes the hunting of wildlife.
For his contributions to the environment, Vendiola was given the Exemplary Individual award during the 5th Triennial Awards of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi), besting two priests, a peace advocate and a former scoutmaster.
Rafi honors individuals and institutions which have made exemplary contributions to their communities in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, which provides financial and developmental services to the poor, won as outstanding institution.
“It never crossed my mind that I will be recognized be- cause of what I am doing. In fact, I do not have knowledge about awards. I used to think it was just for the famous persons,” Vendiola said.
Lack of education
He acknowledged that he used to practice kaingin but didn’t know it was harmful to the environment. “It was not because I hated the environment. It was because I was not educated about it,” he said.
When Vendiola dropped out of high school in 1972 upon the declaration of martial law, he decided to go home to Sta. Catalina town in Negros Oriental to till his parents’ land. Early on, his only option was to become a farmer like his parents.
“I was already OK with farming so when classes resumed in December 1972, I did not bother to go back,” he said.
At 22, he got married. He and his wife, Lolita, were forced to move to Bacong when government soldiers and communist rebels clashed in Sta. Catalina in 1986.
“I told my wife it was better to raise our children in a peaceful place and teach them the values of hard work and perseverance there,” he said. The couple have two sons, Lenard and Levi.
Like other farmers in Bacong, Vendiola would cut and burn the trees to clear the fields for planting chayote, ginger, eggplant, okra and other vegetables.
He didn’t realize the destructive effects of the agricultural practice until he attended a seminar- workshop on reforestration in 2005 in Baybay City in Leyte.
He was shown photos of flooding in the lowland areas after trees in the mountains were felled. He saw how landslides as a result of kaingin claimed the lives of many people.
“I suddenly realized how important trees were and how lucky I am to live in a place where trees are abundant,” said Vendiola, now 59.
When he went back to Bacong, he converted the 1-hectare land he inherited from his parents into a mini-forest that would serve as a “living laboratory” for people to learn about nature and biodiversity. A month after the seminar, he put up Liptong Woodland in Barangay Liptong.
Now, the small forest is home to endemic and native trees, such as “yakal,” “almon,” “apitong,” narra, “kamagong” and “lauaan,” and to native insects, birds and other endemic plants.
The 5th Triennial Award has inspired him to pursue a plan to build a nursery for native trees and ensure a supply of native tree species to be shared with other institutions and organizations.
“If these trees are here, we can be assured that birds, butterflies and plants will be here, too. This is what I always tell the people who come and attend tree-planting activities,” he said.
Fifteen “rambutan” and 300 “lanzones” trees can also be found in the forest. He sells most of the fruits in the market.
For close to seven years now, Liptong Woodland has been the site of tours, discussions and exposure trips.
Self-taught taxonomist
Vendiola is still a farmer and a guide to mountaineers. His wife sells native delicacies and other food items. His family continues to live a simple life.
He remains passionate about the environment. He reads books and memorizes the scientific names of trees and birds.
“My other job as a mountain guide allowed me to meet different people, mostly mountaineers who are very passionate about taking care of the environment. I learned about conserving the environment from them,” Vendiola said.
Recognizing his vast knowledge of trees, environmentalists have called him a self-taught dendrologist and taxonomist.
“Trees breathe life. We owe so much to them. They give us fruits, medicines, shade. What did we give to them? If we take care of our trees, they will continue to take care of us,” Vendiola stressed.