Guimaras farmer champions safe, sustainable food with GAP-Certified mango farm

Rosario Griesser, owner and manager of Guimaras Wonders Farm in Alaguisoc, Jordan, Guimaras transformed her once idle land into a productive and sustainable farm. Her 8-hectare land in Guimaras now grows 560 mango trees on seven hectares and various vegetables like cucumber, squash, ampalaya, opo, patola, and tomatoes in between the trees. One hectare is reserved for Philippine native trees.

Griesser started farming in July 2001. For the first six years, she practiced commercial farming. But in 2007, after attending a training from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas on natural farming, she shifted to more sustainable methods. Since then, she has continued learning through trainings from DA, DOST, and DTI.

One of her biggest goals was to get her farm certified under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). She said she wanted to make sure that the food she grows is safe—not only for her family and farm workers but also for her customers and the community.

With help from the DA Region 6 and the Guimaras Provincial Office for Agricultural Services (POAS), Griesser, her workers, and members of their cooperative attended an orientation on GAP. They learned the required standards and procedures, such as proper waste management, recordkeeping, the use of farm hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the safe and responsible use of farm chemicals. GAP requires that only registered pesticides are used, applied correctly, and recorded, with enough time before harvest to ensure food safety.

It took her three years to complete all the requirements because of limited manpower, but she stayed committed. Griesser personally checks if her workers are wearing their PPE and explains to them why it is important for their health and safety.

“Because of GAP, we learned to document all our farm activities. This helps us know if the farm is earning and if the food we produce is safe to eat,” she said.

Getting the GAP certification also helped them in exporting their mangoes. Griesser hopes that, with the support of the DA, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), they can soon enter the European market, especially in Italy.

Griesser’s experience proves that with patience, proper support, and continuous learning, farmers can succeed in practicing safe and sustainable farming.

She also encouraged other farmers to try GAP, noting that while the process can be challenging at first, support is available. “With DA and POAS’ help, I completed it. Now, more farmers see the benefits of safe products that sell faster and at better prices,” she concluded. For Griesser, it’s not just about her farm—it’s about building a safer, stronger farming community in Guimaras. ### Text by: Myleen S. Subang & Photos by: Myleen Subang & Cristine Lauresta