NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Batwan trees (Garcinia binucao) flourish, their fruit a prized ingredient in Negrense cuisine, in the hinterlands of Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental. Yet the farmers who gather this sought-after crop remain mired in poverty, forced to sell at cut-rate prices while middlemen reap the profits.
For years, Buenavista was known for conflict. Now, the fight has shifted – from armed struggle to economic survival. Farmers here battle for fair market access, their labor undervalued despite the region’s agricultural potential.
Batwan, a wild tree recognized by the Ark of Taste, an international catalog of endangered heritage foods, grows abundantly in the forests of Negros and Panay. A single productive tree can yield 50 to 100 kilograms of fruit every six months, with an estimated 5,000 trees spread across the islands.
The international catalog is maintained by Slow Food, a global movement that preserves traditional food systems, supports small farmers, and promotes sustainable, ethical agricultural practices worldwide.
In Sitio Balatogan, an Indigenous People (IP) community in southern Negros Occidental, batwan farming remains a way of life, even as growers see little return for their work.
“The price never goes up, unless it’s off-season. This is our livelihood, but we are the ones struggling,” said Randy Debaguio, a farmer and the IP chieftain of the community.
Market access issue
Despite its potential, farmers face significant challenges in profiting from batwan. Middlemen buy the fruit in bulk, transport it to major cities, and make large profits, while the farmers receive only a fraction of the value.
Unlike other crops that require extensive care, batwan trees grow naturally, and farmers collect the fruit by hand.
During the fruiting season, the community produces hundreds of gantang (about 2.8 kilograms). Yet farmers only earn P25 to P30 per gantang, while city markets sell batwan for P150 to P300 per kilo, Debaguio said.
With no direct access to buyers, farmers are forced to accept these meager rates. During peak season, unsold batwan often rot near their homes, he added.
As a recognized heritage food, batwan faces the risk of disappearing due to limited production and small-scale cultivation.
During off-season months, particularly in the middle of each year, batwan becomes scarce, and prices rise locally. However, by the time the fruit reaches urban centers, the price has often doubled or tripled.
Burdens
Debaguio cited the lack of farm-to-market roads, a problem he claims local officials only tackle during election seasons. Without proper infrastructure, farmers struggle to transport crops, limiting their ability to access better markets.
It takes at least two hours to reach Sitio Balatogan from the city proper on foot, navigating rugged mountain trails, steep inclines, and sharp descents.
Along the way, locals must cross a river and choose from several challenging routes, either through the rough terrain of Barangay Buenavista, the hinterlands of neighboring Kabankalan City, or a remote mountain barangay in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.
The government has yet to officially recognize Sitio Balatogan as an IP community, preventing them from accessing critical resources and assistance. However, the Ituman-Magahat-Bukidnon Asosasyon sa Balatogan, a registered association under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is seeking support from the government and other agencies.
“If we had support, we could receive better prices and not remain in poverty,” Debaguio said.
Needs intervention
Development worker Sybel Nobleza personally assessed the situation and emphasized the need for systemic change to support farmers in the hinterlands of Himamaylan.
“I observed a critical need for improved accessibility and greater empowerment for farmers in Sitio Balatogan. The community struggles to transport fresh produce due to poor road conditions and unreliable transportation,” she said.
She added, “Farmers miss economic opportunities because they lack control over pricing and access to post-harvest storage and processing facilities. Addressing these issues is crucial for the community’s sustainable development.”
Slow food advocate and entrepreneur Ramon Uy Jr. emphasized batwan’s significance as a souring agent widely used in Western Visayas cuisine and as an integral part of the region’s cultural heritage.
“We consider batwan the most important ingredient of Negros and Western Visayas. If we lose batwan, we lose our heritage and culture as well. That is why we must preserve it,” Uy told Rappler.
Uy emphasized that batwan producers aiming for commercialization must adhere to certain principles, ensuring that farmers cultivate it in a way that is “good, clean, and fair.”
This means cultivating it safely for consumers, growing it without harmful chemicals, and ensuring farmers receive fair compensation for their labor. “We can explore possible collaborations with them,” he said.
Until systemic changes take place, farmers in Sitio Balatogan will continue to endure a bitter irony: they will live surrounded by nature’s bounty but will struggle to make ends meet. – Rappler.com