“I am grateful to the Department of Agriculture for allowing me to join training and teaching me new and efficient methods in agriculture,” she shared.
She developed a routine of waking up as early as 3 a.m. even before the rooster crows, to hike to Mount Manliko to tend to her crops and vegetables.
As the years passed, Estrella developed a dedication and sacrifice in her work that led to the expansion of her farm to three hectares. She achieved remarkable yields by employing organic and integrated farming methods, earning profits from her rice, vegetables, and hog raising.
Today, she boasted of a return on investment as she earned P80,000 per hectare of rice in 2023, while her vegetables earned around P171,000.
With the combined income from planting, aquaculture, and animal poultry, she received a total revenue of P300,000.
This year, Estrella tried to innovate so her crops wouldgrow better. She uses compost and fish amino acids as alternative fertilizers, stating, “I took left-over catch from local fishermen. With biodegradable materials from my farm, I created a compost pit for organic farming that will fertilize and revitalize the soil for healthy-grown vegetables and crops.”
Estrella also made innovations on her farm, such as the rainwater collector that can be used to water her crops during the dry season. Lately, she is using it as a fishpond to maximize the utilization of the innovation.
Grateful for her blessings, she also donates 100 fingerlings to the town’s fishpond school project.
Currently, Estrella and her family manage three branches of “Sonia Store" that sell crops and farm products. This served as an indicator that she contributed to the local economy by supplying goods to the island town of Socorro.
