Young Ilokano farmer barters eggplant for school supplies

CRISNER Lagazo and a maruista exchanging deals at Eat Good Vibes Cafe in Laoag City on Monday. The young farmer bartered his long purple eggplant in exchange of school supplies to be distributed to Ilokano learners in the province. (Photo courtesy of Eat Good Vibes Cafe)

 

By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)

LAOAG CITY—A young farmer from Brgy. Sulbec, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte is bartering his freshly picked long purple eggplant in exchange for school supplies.

Through the Maru Barter Ilocos, an online community where more than 10,000 members offer their products or services in exchange for something but with no cash allowed for every successful deal, Crisner Lagazo thought of dealing his eggplant crops, which are abundant this rainy season.

Since Sunday evening, a photo of Mr. Lagazo’s eggplant plantation along with a tray of long purple eggplants has generated so many hits from the online barter community being administered by an inspiring young woman entrepreneur and owner of Eat Good Vibes Cafe in the city. For the convenience of the bartering community, Christine Joy Salvador offered her shop in downtown Laoag as drop in and drop off points for every successful deal.

For every kilo of Crisner's eggplant, the deal for every ‘maruista' (local term for a member of Maru Ilocos Barter) is to barter it with any school supplies such as a coupon bond, writing pad, pencil or ballpoint pen. The deal is open and the maruista decides for himself or herself how many school supplies would he/she be willing to barter for a kilo of eggplant.

Like Rina Peralta of Laoag City who made a deal for one kilo of eggplant in exchange for pencils and ballpoint pens, she said barter reminds her of the good old days when her family would trade their personal produce in exchange for something they need. In trying times like this, Ms. Peralta said she won’t mind giving more than the standard retail price for one kilo of eggplant which she can easily buy in market because barter is a means to exchange goods or personal services based on a voluntary decision.

"The price of the item is never a consideration when you want to help children in need,” she said in an interview.

Since the COVID-19 lockdown, bartering has become a byword in the Ilokano online community with a growing number of “maruistas” wanting to barter their personal belongings in exchange of food and other personal necessities among others.

For Mr. Lagazo, he said his harvest may just be so little but in this time of crisis, he wants to be of help to Ilocos children whom are close to his heart.

"It's a small thing but I hope this will inspire our children who may be distanced but hopefully they remain connected under our new normal," Mr. Lagazo said who is also a teacher by profession before he decided to work full time at the Crisner Integrated Farm and Learning Site which is now accredited by the Agriculture Training Institute.

His calling as a teacher, however, never stops as interested students and plant hobbyists visit him in his farm where he shows them actual organic and integrated farming practices.