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…

He rented a mountain to raise 30 pigs, then abandoned it for 5 years; one day he returned and was frozen by what he saw…

In 2018, Rogelio “Roger” Satos, a determined farmer from Nueva Ecija, believed that the mountains surrounding Carragla could change his life and lift his family, who were struggling to get ahead, out of poverty.

Roger had grown up watching his parents struggle against endless economic difficulties, so when he learned that there was an empty hillside available to rent, he saw an opportunity instead of a risk.

The land was quiet, covered with tall grasses and scattered trees, far from the busy center of the city, but perfect for building a small farmhouse.

With a mixture of cautious emotion, Roger visited the zoo next to the landowner, Mag Tio, a friendly and affable farmer who had lived next to the mountain for decades.

Mag Tipo explained that nobody had used that part of the mountain for years because transporting supplies along the dirt road was difficult.

But Roger didn’t see twenty-seven. Instead, he saw space, fresh air, and a place where pigs could be raised without the overcrowding of urban farms.

After a week of reflection and conversations with his wife Marites, Roger signed a modest rental agreement for a part of the hillside.

That night he returned home with tired eyes but his heart full of hope, already imagining rows of pigpens and a promising future.

Marites watched him as he sketched plans on old paper, moving the pencil rapidly as he calculated feed costs, growth cycles, and anticipated market prices.

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Roger withdrew the small savings he had carefully accumulated over the years working odd jobs and construction contracts throughout the province.

Even that money wasn’t enough to get the farm going, so reluctantly he applied for a loan from the Lord Bank of the Philippines.

The approval came two weeks later, which brought relief, but also a great responsibility that would soon follow him everywhere.

With the funds already available, Roger began to buy materials: bamboo posts, galvanized roof sheets, cement blocks and pipes for a deep well system.