He rented a mountain to raise 30 pigs and abandoned it for 5 years. One day he returned and froze at the sight of what was there…

For almost two months, he climbed the mountain every morning before dawn, carrying tools and supplies along the narrow path of land.

The neighbors would occasionally approach to watch him work, shaking their heads with curiosity and murmuring about the ambitious young farmer.

But Roger ignored his doubts and focused solely on finishing the pig pens before the rainy season arrived.

At the end of July, several robust corrals stood on the hillside, their roofs glistening in the afternoon sun as the breeze blew gently through the surrounding trees.

Roger installed this deep well pump so that the animals always had clean water, even during dry weeks.

One afternoon, standing on the hillside, he admired with pride the small farmhouse and imagined dozens of healthy pigs growing there.

The last step was to buy his first litter of piglets, which he acquired from a breeder who lived in a nearby town.

Treiпsta lechoпes chilloпes llegaroп eп Ѕп pequeqЅeño camióп, coп sus cúerpos rosados ​​пkυietos y cυriosos mieпtras Roger los gυiaba cυidadosameпste hacia los corrales.

That afternoon he called Marites from the mountain, his voice full of emotion and pride.

—Wait for me —he said confidently, while watching the little pigs explore their new home.

“Within a year, we will finally build our own house,” Roger promised, convinced of every word he uttered.

During the first few weeks, everything seemed to fit perfectly to his liking.

The lambs adapted quickly, feeding well and growing stronger day by day under Roger’s attentive care.

He would wake up before dawn to clean the corrals, refill the water tanks and mix the feed while the fresh mountain air enveloped the barn.

By mid-morning, the animals would calm down, giving Roger time to repair the fences or check the water pump.

Sometimes he sat on a wooden stool outside the corrals, calculating the profits in a small notebook.

If everything went according to plan, he calculated that the pigs could reach market weight in six months.

That would allow him to pay off the first part of his bank loan and, at the same time, save money for the future.

Roger felt hope for the first time in many years.

However, success stories rarely tell how quickly fortune can change.

One afternoon, a fellow farmer visited the mountain with worrying news that was spreading through the nearby provinces.

Cases of African swine fever had been detected in several areas of Luzon.