Likas-kayang Pagsasaka - Mga Kwento at Imahe ng Tagapagtaguyod ng Kalikasan: Grael Bomowey Mula sa Banga-an, Sagada

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The Climate Change Network for Community-based Initiatives was able to interview Grael Bomowey who is a practitioner of organic farming during one of the field visits as part of Gulay Pa More Sagada: Ikaduwa on June 12, 2026.

Located in Bang-an, Sagada, Mrs. Bomowey graciously toured CCNCI around her organic farm which is a compact expanse of land that houses different root crops that she sells to her clients online. She explains that a lot of the best practices she discovered came from trial and error with online platforms aiding her in garnering knowledge in the practice of organic farming.

Found within her household are pens caging different livestock where she sources materials for her organic compost. When asked about its benefits, Mrs. Bomowey gave a huge emphasis on the cost-effectiveness of organic farming stating that the rising prices of synthetic fertilizers and chemical inputs have taken a huge toll on the farmers of Sagada. With organic farming, she states she is able to be more cost-efficient with her produce and earn more for herself to feed her family.

She attributes the immense variety of her harvest to the care-free nature of organic farming. She explained her philosophy to organic farming in how it is a holistic food system that gives back to its practitioners. In the face of intensifying weather conditions brought by a worsening climate crisis, Mrs Bomowey stated that intense heat and heavy rains are a relatively new phenomenon experienced by farmers in Sagada.

Made much worse by the climate crisis, the intense heat in particular has severely affected the harvest of farmers. She explained that many of her neighboring fields were left with nothing to harvest due to the drought but her organic farm proved to be more resilient to heat due to the absence of chemicals in its soil that amplify heat.

When asked about the struggles of local farmers from Sagada in transitioning to organic farming she highlights that there is a lack of knowledge on the practice for rural organic farmers. Many farmers don’t even consider organic farming as an option primarily because an alternative was never presented. With the proliferation of government programs centered around chemical farming, the dominant narrative is centered around non-traditional practices.

Mrs. Grael Bomowey explains that in order to get people to transition, we must first arm our farmers with the technical knowledge of organic farming, we must present to them that this is a viable alternative to traditional farming which is destructive to the environment. Mrs. Bomowey advocates for organic farming for the sustenance of their families.

𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀 𝐒𝐀 𝐋𝐔𝐏𝐀!