“Every man should plant a tree, have a child, and write a book. These all live on after us, insuring a measure of immortality.” – Jose Marti, Cuban revolutionary.
My grandfather, Jose Cordero Piñol, a poor farmer who left his birthplace in Iloilo to find a better life in Mindanao, taught us a very important lesson in life – plant a tree, nurture it and never hurt it because it will benefit those who will come after you.
Today, 40 years after he passed on to the great beyond, the fruit trees that my grandfather planted from seeds he gathered are still bearing fruits enjoyed by his great-great grandchildren.
Every time the trees are full of fruits, we all remember him.
In my lifetime, I am fortunate to have met and known an old but affluent farmer in my province who really inspired me because of he anchored his life on tree planting – Honesto Cabacungan, Sr. of the town of Makilala.
“I have lived this long because everyday I wake up excited to see the trees that I have planted and check whether they have flowered. If they don’t bear fruits in my lifetime, surely they would for my grandchildren,” he told me when I asked him why he kept on planting trees even he would no longer be around to harvest the fruits.
The thought that his trees would connect him immortally to the next generation was what inspired him to plant more trees.
Up to the last days of his life, Honest Sr. kept on planting trees whose fruits his grandchildren are enjoying now.
Whether we plant trees or not, we will certainly die. But if we plant trees, we will leave behind monuments for our children and grandchildren to remember us by.
I have always loved planting trees. Twenty six years ago, I and my cousin, Neri, planted hundreds of Mahogany trees in the borderlines of my farm in Kidapawan City.
Today, we are harvesting the trees to build a farm house for my daughter, Dr. Maria Krista, and her family.
When my children were younger, the family marked their birthdays by planting trees in the farm. Today, the trees are towering.
I have not really counted the number of trees I have planted in my lifetime but this could be in the vicinity of about 10,000 and I have not cut down any of the natural growing trees in my farm which could be about a hundred years old.
Yesterday, I had another joyful day as I harvested the first fruit from out of the hundreds of Jackfruit which I planted three years ago.
An expert on Jackfruit propagation also taught me and several other farmers on how to properly graft the scions to produce more seedlings for planting.
At 65, I intend to plant more Jackfruit and Aromatic coconut because I am sure that my only grandchild, Duane, will certainly enjoy the fruits long after I am gone.
Just as I remember my grandfather, I know that Duane, his children and his grandchildren, will remember his grandfather who planted the trees whose fruits they would be enjoying.
This is how I would like my grandchildren to remember me, through living, flowering and fruiting trees rather than a cold marble slab etched with my name.
You wish your grandchildren to remember you? Plant a tree today. It is not too late.
(Video and photos of first harvest witnessed by visitors from Thailand by Joyce Tupas and Madel Gaspan, DA Region XII. )
https://www.facebook.com/100004041456946/videos/pcb.1649392485205451/1649347305209969
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