WE ARE NOW OPEN!!
Last Saturday was the Opening of the Display Center or the Ora et Labora Family Association. Maybe you are wondering what Ora et Labora means?
Ora et labora (pray and work) is the well-known phrase that reflects the basic idea underlying the rule of monastic life, which was originally formulated by Saint Benedict of Nursia (around 480−547) and initially intended as an internal rule for the monks of Benedict's own monastery of Montecassino in Italy.
Link source: https://www.wdl.org/en/item/13467
The motto of the Benedictine sisters is to have time for prayer and time for work. It must be balanced that was what sister Aurora told me. The name of our display center is taken from that idea.
We display farming products, ornamentals, native dishes, and more.
The participants of the Association are the Benedictine scholars, parents of scholars, Benedictine Sisters, and interested individuals.
Early in the morning mom harvested her vegetables such as eggplant and Macalbar spinach because those are the only vegetables available in our garden. My mom repacked the veggies for half a kilo because I will sell the vegetables at the display center.
By 8:30 pm I was ready after household chores and feeding the animals. I'm ready to go to the display center. When I arrived I helped them in preparation because there was a blessing ceremony.
After the mass, I displayed my vegetables on the table. I am happy because immediately someone bought my vegetables he bought them all. My mom sold the veggies for a cheap price so it ran out right away.
The man said that the vegetable he bought from me he would also sell in his store. He is from Makangaw and one of the choir. And he told me on next Saturday if I have vegetables for sale he will buy them again.
In the opening or ribbon cutting of the new business, the foods will never be absent. We have a simple party or salo-salo. What I love the most is the Puto cheese and banana cake it's very tasty.
After the celebration, we helped to wash the dishes. The other scholars were the ones who put away the chairs, dried the plates, and arranged the cabinets. While the mothers are busy in the kitchen. I love it when people are helping each other because tasks are quickly finished by many helping hands.
Very few people attended because of the pandemic, no visitors came. Before the pandemic, there were many activities, there were "Masipag Festival"of farmers from other barangays and nearby provinces, they will display their products and many will also buy, especially when they are many visitors.
They also have seminars like making noodles, organic fertilizers, herbal medicines. There is also an organization of farmers the PASAD which helps them in their livelihood by raising goats, poultry, and cattle. They also have a seminar for Women's Empowerment.
That's all I remember they had many activities at that time it just stopped because of the pandemic. We missed the fun and joyful Christmas, fiestas, and festivals because the Benedictine High School Scholars and Philbert Scholars (were college students) are there to celebrate and they have a presentation too such as dance, singing, and drama.
We were all happy that we were slowly getting up. We hope that the former vigor will return through our support and cooperation. And hopefully, our display center will be successful. Also to help the parents to have extra income during the pandemic and especially they will not experience difficulty in selling their products.
Closing Thoughts
This coming Saturday I will be selling vegetables and ripe bananas and tomorrow we will get Bamboo Shoots from the farm to sell as well.
I plan to sell Turon and buko juice or maybe gulaman to have extra income. I hope our display center will grow and become successful.
Images source: Pixabay and Pixels
Ora et Labora