Nganong mi-uso man ang plantito ug plantita?
Plantito and plantita are words associated with people who, during this time of Covid, find more avenues of happiness in their garden.
If there are many women who are good plantitas, there are also more men who are good plantitos.
Why the sudden emergence of the plantitos and plantitas? Perhaps, because of the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, people have diverted their negative feelings into what they believe is a good venture of focusing one’s energy – becoming plantitos and plantitas. In the process, the plantitos and plantitas are seeing that it is in greening, that they are able to give their contribution to ease the boredom of always staying at home. Moreover, they are convinced that while they are performing their role in cooling Mother Earth, their souls are also being nourished. Remember, seeing our plants healthy and smelling the sweet scent of our flowers uplift the spirit. Plants easily respond to our tender loving care.
Meet my friends Nito and Flor Cimafranca. They are both mga ballikbayan. After having having stayed in the U.S. for some time, they decided to come home and savor the beauty of Bohol. Now, they live in the center of the city. Despite their location, their beautiful home is still surrounded by plants and, of course, flowers. They have grown veggies for the table and their sisters’ table, too. They have pechay, atsal, talong, sibuyas in pots. Sus ug duol pa mi sigurado man gyud ming mabahinan sa ilang harvest. Flor’s ornamentals are branded, too. I’m sure she has milliona, rainforests, waves of love and cardboard, prayer plants, and so forth and so on. But long before, Flor already had a beautiful garden in her previous home in Taguihon. Tigpopo man gani mi sa iyang tambis. In Taguihon, she had a manicured garden, complete with coloured lights that would dance in the evening. Wala pai uso ang plantita ug plantito adtong panahona, and her garden and plants were something one could not live without.
Meet Inday Mendez Alas. She is the daughter of Nong Ite, (Graciano Mendez) and Nang Letty (Letecia Digal Mendez). Nong Ite is our partner in the greening project of our church environ. He has his mahogany trees, as well as the flowering ones, most prominent of which is the Jacaranda. Some of the seedlings he planted were brought from his travel in Australia while visiting his two children there: Mimi and Badz. Mimi is a nurse and Badz is an architect.
From our love of plants and our involvement in the greening project of our hometown, close friendship developed and this friendship are being extended to our children.
Inday Mendez Alas gifted me her book of reminiscence which she wrote during this Covid time. For remembering me, I’m very grateful. She declares that covid has unleashed the writer in her. I can lend you her book. Surely, it will bring you back to memory lane. That’s for sure.
One time, Ardy, Dory, Pumi, and I went on some kind of educational trip to as far as Carmen. In going there we went around Tagbilaran via Ubujan, Tiptip and Manga. We just felt fancy free. It was in that “tour” that we passed by a plant nursery, mostly of cacao, owned by a very gracious lady, Mrs. Ibanez. My bff must have her full name and our picture together. She gave us cacao seedlings without our paying for them. Supposedly, we were given 2 each, but Ardy, Dory and Pumi entrusted all the seedlings to me. Now they have grown and I have just harvested two cacao fruits. That was in the summer of 2018.
While waiting for September, I’ll be featuring friends who have become plantitas ug plantitos.