A Walk in the Clouds

High up in the mountains, ensconced between towering heights is a valley called Atok, a municipality of the province of Benguet. Reaching the place is literally a walk in the clouds, as going up about 8,400 feet above sea level, one passes miles and miles of fog-enclosed streets, with visibility to as near as five meters on an early afternoon.

From Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, Atok is about a two and a half-hour fast drive by an experienced driver. It is not an easy cruise, as the trails are steep, narrow (buses also ply this route), slippery, and winding along the mountain curves. There was even a tunnel carved on one mountainside just to make it passable. But it was one thrill ride, though, for in some parts, the bottom of the cliff could not be seen even if you look down from the edge of it! We passed by strawberry plantations and several greenhouses of flowers and vegetables, and even caught wisps of stinky chicken dung from depots where they are kept. Chicken dung is abundant in this area as it is mixed with weeds for use as compost material.

One good thing about the trip is that the roads are well paved. It was only about two kilometers up to our destination where the ride became bumpy. Nevertheless, we didn't mind a little shaking, as our eyes feasted on the verdant mountainscape around us.

All around us were countless terraced land laden with neatly lined vegetables, such as lettuce of different varieties, carrots, and potatoes, while squash and chayote just thrived wildly and abundantly on the side of the road. We were told that anyone can just pick the wild veggies along the side of the road, and if you get lucky, you might have enough to sell down Baguio City and earn some extra buck. Additionally, we were drawn to the white calla lilies, the violet agapanthus, and white Shasta daisies that stand as attractive plot markers to the vegetable beds.

At this point, it was already a slow ride, as the road was getting steep and rough, but one that allowed us to enjoy the sights. As we were nearing a residential area, children in colorful winter clothing and rubber boots, ran alongside us, their cold-beaten cheeks and noses red, and their smiles, beaming.

Finally, we met our hosts-the members of the Mountain Bloom Mutipurpose Cooperative, all growers of special cut flowers, such as carnations and some lisianthus. They toured us around their grow out areas, and there we were face to face with 24 varieties of carnations that have once been an imported commodity in the floral industry. As of last month, the cooperative has about 20 members and is still growing.

The flower plantations in Atok were only set up early this year, when these former vegetable farmers were encouraged to take a big leap to growing flowers after a fall in the market prices of lettuce. They were urged and provided with seedlings by mentor and guide, Prof. Faustino Hermano, who used to be with the Benguet State University. The professor was also instrumental in the organization of their cooperative, as the professor said that a cooperative would make the farmers' organization more credible, especially in securing bank loans. Five months later, the early planters were already able to market their flowers to Manila and to the Visayas.

The carnation seeds are imported from Holland and are propagated by the professor himself. When the seedlings are old enough, the farmers through the cooperative may order from the professor. We were informed that the entire cooperative could put out as much as 200 dozens of carnations weekly. Although the farmers would have to buy each of their seedlings, they would have enough return of investment as a single plant could live and yield flowers up to seven years with proper care. With every flower that is cut near the base, new lateral shoots will grow out and along with come new buds.

The cooperative though, is still working on their market base, as different places prefer different varieties. In Luzon, the demand is more on the standard single stem flowers, while in the Visayas, particularly Bacolod City, the orders are mostly for orange sprays. The group is still trying to determine the orders so that they can concentrate their production.

Early cropping of carnations saw a production with uneven growth. The heights of the plants differ and the farmers could not predict the date of harvest. But over the months, they were able to systematize their cropping to come up with regular growth and subsequently, regular harvests. At first their green houses only consisted of roofing over the plants, but they later found out that installing plastic walls prevents the moisture and fog, which is so dense and settles over the valley at any given time of the day, to enter the green houses and destroy the flowers.

The Atok valley is very conducive for carnations because of the altitude. While carnations may also produce flowers in low lands with temperatures that are relatively cool all year round, however, the flower do not come out as big as the ones grown in Atok. A single standard carnation here grows to about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, with stems as much 2 feet.

Although the farmers in Atok are still using chemical pesticides to prevent infestation, they are making their own fertilizers using Gro-bio, a compost activator in powdered form produced by bio-chemist Aidine Galvan. There is so much agricultural waste up here from vegetables and weeds that they have enough raw materials to convert into humus. Gro-bio hastens the composting process, thus the farmers can already utilize their compost in a short period of time.

After a short tour in the morning, we were treated to a lunch of boiled Benguet red rice, inadobong manok (native chicken cooked in soy sauce and vinegar), and pinikpikang manok (native chicken seared in its own feathers, thus retaining the aroma of burned hair, and stewed in a special sauce with potatoes). The meal was ended with sweetened potatoes and washed down with steaming kapeng barako (freshly brewed native coffee). Even the water is be-mineraled, taken straight from the mountain source.

In the afternoon, we continued the trek to more flower farms, even passing by muddy path walks, and collecting different kinds of wildflowers and cactuses. We were soon carrying bunches of planting material for Irises, Queen Anne's Lace, and Statice, which we hoped will survive in another mountainous place in Negros, but which falls way below Atok in altitude. The people we passed by also freely gave us potted cactus plants to bring back home.

Although tired from the cold weather, the bumpy ride, and the long trek up and down the slopes, our spirits were refreshed by the warmth of the people, the simple but sumptuous feast they laid for us, and of course, the beauty of the flowers that flourished so abundantly in this blessed paradise. But the trip to Atok wouldn't be complete without the novel things that we discovered along the way. Like a giant scavenger hunt, be on the look out for the little surprises along the way.