MEET THE HEROES OF PALAWAN’S UP-ANDCOMING WHOLESOME GOODS SECTOR TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KATHERINE JACK
A world away from the hustle and bustle of modern living, the far-flung island of Palawan is fertile ground for organic innovation. I traveled in and around the capital, Puerto Princesa City, to see the range of organic businesses that are taking root here, and to meet the people responsible for the growth of this exciting new industry.
ALL-NATURAL BEAUTY
Says Jet Sales who runs Lawiswis Organics, a company that produces soaps, oils, lotions and other wellness products: “The term in Tagalog refers to the gentle rustling of the wind through the trees — to me it speaks of healing.” We sit outside his beautiful hillside retreat in Irawan. Originally from Bacolod, Sales worked as an architect in Manila before moving to Palawan in 2004. “I fell in love with the place just standing here and listening to the sounds of nature,” he recounts. “I knew it was somewhere I would be able to live and work while keeping in touch with the natural environment.”
Lawiswis grew out of Sales’s concern as a husband and father. “I was looking for natural alternatives to the mainstream products my wife and children were using on their hair and skin.” His search soon turned into an all consuming passion. “My friends started calling me ‘the mad scientist’,” he jokes. He spent three years devising formulas for soaps, body scrubs, shampoos, conditioners and even toothpaste, made primarily from plants growing in his well-tended garden.
In 2007, Sales launched the Lawiswis brand and sold products in Palawan and Boracay. “My essential ingredients are wild honey, coco-milk, coco-sap vinegar, beeswax and neem,” he explains. “Many people have never heard of neem but in India it’s a cure-all tree.”
Lawiswis soaps range from traditional honey and coco-milk to avocado, papaya and coffee and green tea. The highly popular, Ultima — one of Sales’ definitive blends — combats skin damage from UV rays and pollution. Though the forest-clad hillside where he lives inspires relaxation, he is rarely still. “Lawiswis is my life. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” Lawiswis Organics, Iratag, Irawan, Puerto Princesa, tel: +63 (920) 299 0956, email: thegardenssecret@ yahoo.com, thegardenssecret. multiply.com
GROWING FOOD, HEALING BODIES
Sylvia Pendon runs the Salad Bowl Food Nook, a small eatery and organic store in San Jose Market.
“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food,” she says, quoting the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. At 83 years old, Sylvia is an inspiration to all those seeking health and longevity. “I am so passionate about my work. I never want to retire,” she says as she prunes her extensive herb garden. Sylvia describes the human immune system as part of our “doctor within,” nourished by the food that we eat. “We are not living in an ideal world,” she says, “Our goal is to make the immune system as strong as possible through nutrition.”
The Salad Bowl Food Nook contains a wide range of organic vegetables, fruits and herbs with medicinal properties — from periwinkle for diabetes to red radish for gallstones. “People come here seeking alternative medicines and through my reading and research, I usually suggest remedies for their problems,” she says. She offers a range of fruit vinegars and salad dressings. Banagar, vinegar made from native pakel bananas, can replenish nutrients that have been depleted by caffeine and alcohol. Also available are herbal teas, salad dressings with raw honey and curry berry and pickled vegetables.
Sylvia plans to set up a center providing nutritional guidance and inexpensive organic food for the elderly. “The food you eat can be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. My passion is to teach people how to live a long life full of vitality.” Salad Bowl Food Nook, San Jose Market, Puerto Princesa City, tel: +63 (929) 241 7762
FOR THE LOVE OF CHILDREN
Keith and Narcy Mikkelson run Aloha House, an orphanage and organic farm in Santa Monica. “We get interns from a variety of backgrounds from all over the Philippines. Hands-on experience is the best way to learn about organic farming,” says Keith. The Mikkelsons moved to Palawan in 1998 to set up a home for orphans, and from here grew the organic farm. “It is our way of supplying fresh, nutritious food to the young children in our care,” explains Keith. Aloha House also offers training for mothers in crisis — empowering them to improve the quality of their lives. Visitors will see how a natural farming system can be both profitable and sustainable. Through their community-supported agriculture program, they supply weekly boxes of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and salad to customers all around Puerto Princesa. Aloha House, Mitra Road, Santa Monica, Puerto Princesa City, tel: +63 (48) 434 6011, 723 1605, email: mik@mozcom. com, www.alohahouse.org
WHAT IS ORGANIC?
There are around 35,000 organic farms in the Philippines that produce fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, rice, muscovado sugar, coconut oil and honey. The word “organic” is defined by law, and products labeled as such must meet strict standards, such as:
■ Farmers aim to develop a balanced living soil
■ The use of artificial chemical fertilizers and pesticides is severely restricted
■ Farmers use crop rotation and other natural methods to increase soil fertility
■ Animals are kept in natural, free-range conditions and are not routinely given drugs and antibiotics
■ Farmers control animal health problems through preventative methods such as routinely moving them to fresh pasture
Source: The Soil Association (www.soilassociation.org) and the International Trade Centre (www.intracen.org)
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Simon and Jennifer Gill run Bountiful Harvest, an inspiring organic farm and rural development center in Barangay Sicsican. “Upland farmers are frequently told that slash and burn methods are wrong yet they are rarely shown alternatives,” explains Simon. “Bountiful Harvest demonstrates how to farm organically and sustainably in a variety of situations.” The Gill’s farm, situated next to the southern highway, includes lowlying areas as well as steep hillsides. “This means that we can demonstrate both lowland and upland farming techniques,” says Simon. “Initially, many people were skeptical about organic farming — especially if they had been used to artificial fertilizers and pest controls. But once they see our healthy crops and livestock they are astonished.” Simon and Jennifer accept visitors to their farm and also run special organic farming courses and workshops. Bountiful Harvest, Km 8, National Highway, Barangay Sicsican, Puerto Princesa City, tel: +63 (917) 849 2911, email: bountifulhrd@yahoo.com.ph
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