Alongside my effort to uplift the living condition of my people (The Province was ranked 74th in 1998 making it one of the poorest in the country. In 2004, North Cotabato jumped up the ladder to the 29th position of the more progressive localities in the Philippines.), I have also pursued my greatest passion – farming.

I was a journalist before I became an elected government official. I started working with Philippine media at the age of 18 until I decided to leave Manila and go home to the South to retire at age 38 in 1992.

At that time, I and my wife, Emily, had two daughters – Maria Krista and Josa Bernadette. A third child, a boy named Bernhart Immanuel, would come in 2002.

Coming home to the province of my birth, I decided to do what I have always dreamed of – go farming. I acquired a 10-hectare (20 acres) farm in the outskirts of the city of Kidapawan at the foot of the majestic Mt. Apo, the Philippines tallest mountain. I later expanded the farm to 16 hectares with the acquisition of a neighboring area.

In 1993 I planted tropical fruits, including the exotic Longkong Lanzones. Later, I started raising gamefowls using breeding stocks I acquired from the US. I started breeding such lines as Robby White Kelso, MacLean Hatch, Bates Grey, Travis Clark Spangled Kelso, Col. Givens Spangled Hatch, Dink Fair Sweater and Sweater-Roundhead.

Encouraged by the rise in prices of natural rubber (sp. Hevea Brasiliensis) in the world market, I embarked on a rubber nursery program and propagated rubber clones that promise higher yield and resistance to diseases.

I also tried to raise native goats but discarded the project because they did not yield as much meat as I expected. In 2003, however, a US-based acquaintance introduced me to the Boer Goats which led me to import one buck and four does.

I immediately liked the Boer Goats leading me to import additional stocks from different breeders in Northern California. Today, I have over 137 Boers (as of last count) whose quality is comparable to those found in the US.

I, my wife, Emily and our three children, welcome you to the Braveheart Farms!

(You can reach me through: braveheart_efp@yahoo.com)

    i! I’m Manny Piñol, the Vice Governor of North Cotabato (Pop. 1 million), one of the 80 provinces of the Philippines. I was elected Governor in 1998 after serving as mayor of my hometown, M’lang for three years. I have been reelected twice. Under Philippine laws, a local government official can only serve for three terms of three years each. My last term as Governor ended June 30, 2007, thus the decision to slide down to the position of Vice Governor.