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Bohol’s 'mushroom queen': Reaping the fruits of fungi culture CEBU CITY – Rona Denque, the woman behind the success of the Green Thumb Farm in Corella town in the neighboring province of Bohol, is now figuratively and literally reaping the fruits of the fungi that she has been cultivating since a few years back. She considers fungi as her lucky charm in her now successful agri-entrepreneurship venture. Fungi often connote a negative meaning to some people, but for Denque, fungus is magical. Her fungi, the oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), has become the gem of the province of Bohol and Rona's venture into this earned her the acclamation as Bohol's "queen of cultured mushroom". Denque's love for farming developed during her childhood days. She recalled that during those times in Tagum City, Davao, where she was born, her parents believed she had a green thumb and often wanted her to take care of plants for them to grow. As an active zumba enthusiast, she then met a co-zumba attendee who introduced her to mushroom production after being trained by the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas' Bohol-Agricultural Promotion Center (DA-7 B-APC). Since then, her interest in mushrooms has kept burning. She owed it to being active in zumba, which she considered a blessing in disguise. In 2017, Denque officially
started her mushroom journey with a formal training on culture and production, which she attended at the DA-7 B-APC, after her trial and error self-learning from an online video. The actual hands-on learning she gained from the DA training has enriched her skills and knowledge in mushroom production. One of the significant lessons that she cannot forget is the proper way of using the media or substrate like the rice stalks or straws which must be well-sterilized in maintained medium fire for several hours. "The process is very tedious, much more when these straws are to be cooled down and filled into a fruiting bag for spawning and then placed in a dim area for them to germinate and grow," Denque said in a press release from DA-7 on Wednesday. All these she has to do for the love of mushrooms. And with passion, detemination, and support of her husband Jares, she learned to perfect the production and culture of mushrooms. Now, aside from the usual white mushroom, she and her husband also grow gray and pink ones. Even without an established market for their produce, this does not hinder them from continuously producing mushrooms. "When you start on something, never quit as this will be the secret to success," she shared. To enhance her mushroom
‘MUSHROOM QUEEN’. Agripreneur Rona Denque’s venture into fungi production has earned her the recognition as Bohol’s queen of cultured mushrooms. In 2017, she officially started her mushroom journey with a formal training on mushroom culture and production from the Department of Agriculture.
(Photos courtesy of Green Thumb Farm and DA-7)
enterprise (from production, processing, innovation, packaging, labelling, marketing to linkages), she attended various trainings and seminars offered by government agencies such as the DA, DA's Agricultural Training Institute-7 (DA ATI7), Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Science and Technology. She said these trainings have contributed to achieving a 99 percent success, allowing her to do the whole value chain almost perfectly. With this result, the Denque couple has expanded their mushroom farm as well as their markets from local to the international arena. Aside from the mushroom production, Denque has also been promoting healthy organic foods which gained her numerous recognitions. Aside from being named Bohol’s "queen of cultured mushrooms", she became president of the Bohol
Malabon food pantry: Compassion in action
HELPING THE NEEDY. People line up to get food items at the community pantry along Gov. PascualBaritan Road in Malabon City on Monday (April 19, 2021). The initiative was the brainchild of Malabon resident Nina Louise Tesorero and her friends who are behind ‘Project Pay it Forward’. (Photo courtesy of Nina Louise Tesorero) MANILA – Compassion and kindness know no boundaries. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic continues to cause a lot of economic dislocation and suffering among Filipinos, acts of kindness like the setting up food pantries, where hungry people can at least can get their basic needs for few days, is a sight to behold. In Malabon, a food pantry for needy city residents has been set up along Gov. Pascual-Baritan Road, near the Jose Rizal High School campus over the weekend. The initiative was the brainchild of Malabon resident Nina Louise Tesorero and her friends
who are also behind 'Project Pay it Forward'. Tesorero said they were inspired by the series of community pantries that were first set up in Quezon City and other parts of the country. Despite being busy with other projects tasked to help front-liners and tricycle and jeepney drivers who were affected by the pandemic, Tesorero said they decided to go ahead with their community pantry as they felt would be of big help to the people economically affected by Covid-19. "Tatlo po kami na bumubuo ng Project Pay it Forward, ang nag-o-organize ng community
United Mushroom Growers Association, and was featured as a "JuanaWonder" during the Women's Month Celebration and in the "Kalamay Express" YouTube channel. Amidst this pandemic, the Denques did not stop their passion for mushroom production. Blessings and opportunities came unexpectedly as they were able to purchase additional equipment for them to start their long dreamed Al Fresco Restaurant which they opened recently. The said restaurant is located in Corella with a "farm to table" concept and offers mushroom-based food choices and meat-free delectable dishes. Mushrooms are a rich source of protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. It is low in calories, fat-cholesterol-gluten free and very low in sodium. (PNA)
pantry sa Malabon. Tinutulungan din po ako ng parents ko and other relatives (There were three of us who set up Project Pay it Forward, which organized the community pantry in Malabon. My parents and other relatives help us in this initiative)," she added. Asked how long they are planning to operate the community pantry, Nina said they aim to continue it until this coming Sunday (April 25). Some 180 people have so far benefitted from this initiative. "At kung papalarin po, hanggang end of April (And if we will be lucky, until the end of April)," she added. As the virus of kindness also spreads, the friends of Tesorero's friends are also helping in their own way. When asked about the response of donors for the initiative, Nina said this has been proven overwhelmingly as a lot of people are giving donations. "Nakakataba po ng puso na ang dami pong sumasadya sa community pantry dito sa Malabon para sila po mismo yung magbaba ng donations nila. May mga donations ng isang plastic bag na extra food supplies nila, meron din pong bagong bili na sadya pong idu-donate, meron din pong mga nanghikayat pa ng iba para mas marami silang mabigay (The response has been very heartwarming. A lot of people are coming to Malabon to personally give their
donations. There are those giving plastic bags containing their extra food supplies, there are those giving newly bought food items. There are those convincing others to give more so that the needy will be helped)," she added. Donors are from all age groups, Tesorero said. "Hindi lang in-kind ang binibigay nila kundi may cash donation din (Donations are not only in-kind. Some are also giving cash as well), she added. Like other community pantries, the one in Malabon also observes the same rule of "getting only what you need" for beneficiaries and "giving according to your capacity" for donors. "Pero may mga instances po na kukuha sila ng one to two piece per item or more. Hindi na po namin pinipigilan, kasi po baka yun po talaga yung pangangailangan nila. Na totoo po talagang kapos sila at mahirap po ang buhay (But they are instances that some beneficiaries would get one to two or more items. We are not stopping them as we are thinking that they are really poor and in dire need)," Nina said. She said that the concept of the community food pantry is to take care and trust one another. "So instead po na sawayin sila, nire-remind lang po and then, nagiging okay naman po (So instead of scolding them, we remind them of (the take only what you need rule), then everything is okay again)," she added. (PNA)
