Roger withdrew the small savings he had carefully built during years of working odd jobs and construction contracts across the province.
He Rented a Mountain to Raise 30 Pigs, Then Abandoned It for 5 Years – One Day He Returned and Froze at What He Saw…
In 2018, Rogelio “Roger” Santos, a determined farmer from Nueva Ecija, believed the mountains above Carranglan could change his life and lift his struggling family out of poverty.
Roger had grown up watching his parents fight endless financial hardship, so when he heard about a vacant hillside available for rent, he saw opportunity instead of risk.
The land was quiet, covered with tall grasses and scattered trees, far from the busy town center, yet perfect for building a small piggery operation.
With cautious excitement, Roger visited the area with the landowner, Mang Tino, a gentle elderly farmer who had lived beside the mountain for decades.
Mang Tino explained that no one had used that part of the mountain for years because transporting supplies up the dirt road was difficult.
But Roger didn’t see inconvenience. Instead, he saw space, fresh air, and a place where pigs could grow without the crowding of town farms.
After a week of thinking and discussing with his wife Marites, Roger signed a modest rental agreement for a portion of the hillside.
He returned home that night with tired eyes but a hopeful heart, already imagining rows of pig pens and a future full of promise.
Marites watched him sketch plans on old paper, his pencil moving quickly as he calculated feed costs, growth cycles, and expected market prices.
They both knew the plan carried enormous risk, yet it also represented the first real chance they had to change their future.
Roger withdrew the small savings he had carefully built during years of working odd jobs and construction contracts across the province.
Even that money was not enough to start the farm, so he reluctantly applied for a loan from Land Bank of the Philippines.
The approval came two weeks later, bringing relief but also a heavy responsibility that would soon follow him everywhere.
With the funds ready, Roger began buying materials—bamboo posts, galvanized roofing sheets, cement blocks, and pipes for a deep well system.
For nearly two months he climbed the mountain every morning before sunrise, carrying tools and supplies along the narrow dirt path.
Neighbors occasionally stopped by to watch him work, shaking their heads with curiosity and whispering about the ambitious young farmer.
But Roger ignored their doubts, focusing only on finishing the pig pens before the rainy season arrived.
By late June, several sturdy pens stood on the hillside, their roofs shining under the afternoon sun while wind moved softly through surrounding trees.
Roger then installed a deep well pump so the animals would always have clean water, even during dry weeks.
Standing on the slope one evening, he looked proudly at the small farm and imagined dozens of healthy pigs growing there.
The final step was buying his first batch of piglets, which he purchased from a breeder several towns away.
Thirty squealing piglets arrived in a small truck, their pink bodies restless and curious as Roger carefully guided them into the pens.
That afternoon he called Marites from the mountain, his voice full of excitement and pride.
“Just wait for me,” he told her confidently, watching the piglets explore their new home.
“In one year, we’ll finally build our own house,” Roger promised, believing deeply in every word he spoke.
For the first few weeks, everything seemed to follow his plans perfectly.
The piglets adapted quickly, feeding well and growing stronger under Roger’s attentive care each day.
He woke before sunrise to clean the pens, refill water tanks, and mix feed while cool mountain air surrounded the farm.
By midmorning the animals would settle quietly, allowing Roger time to repair fences or check the water pump.
Sometimes he sat on a wooden stool outside the pens, calculating profits in a small notebook.
If everything continued smoothly, he estimated the pigs could reach market weight within six months.
That would allow him to pay the first portion of his bank loan while still saving money for the future.
Roger felt hopeful for the first time in many years.
However, success stories rarely tell how quickly fortunes can change.
One afternoon a fellow farmer visited the mountain with troubling news spreading across nearby provinces.
African swine fever had been detected in several parts of Luzon.\
At first Roger dismissed the warning, believing the outbreak would remain far from Carranglan.
But within weeks, panic began spreading among pig farmers throughout the region.
Local government announcements urged farmers to increase sanitation and monitor animals closely for symptoms.
Soon rumors became reality.
One nearby farm reported sick pigs that died suddenly without clear explanation.
Another farm lost nearly its entire herd within days.
Authorities began strict monitoring while veterinary teams investigated possible infections.
Fear slowly crept into Roger’s mind as he listened to these reports.
Then smoke appeared in distant valleys.
Farmers whose pigs tested positive had no choice but to burn entire pens to stop the virus.
Day after day, gray clouds drifted above the mountains as infected farms destroyed their animals.
The smell of smoke lingered in the air for weeks.
Marites grew increasingly anxious as she followed news reports and local warnings.
One evening she climbed the mountain to speak with Roger directly.
Standing beside the pig pens, she looked at the animals nervously.
“Let’s sell them while they’re still alive,” she pleaded quietly.
Roger shook his head immediately.
“If we panic now, we lose everything,” he insisted, trying to sound confident.
“This will pass. We only need to endure a little longer.”
Marites remained silent, though fear filled her eyes.
The following weeks became the hardest Roger had ever faced.
He disinfected equipment daily and limited visitors to prevent possible contamination.
Yet stress slowly consumed him.
Every cough from a pig, every small change in appetite made his heart race.
Sleep became difficult as worry kept him awake through long nights.
Meanwhile feed prices suddenly doubled because supply chains were disrupted across the region.
Roger’s carefully calculated budget began collapsing piece by piece.
The bank continued sending reminders about his loan payments.
Each phone call tightened the knot of pressure inside his chest.
Eventually exhaustion caught up with him.
After several sleepless nights, Roger collapsed from fatigue while working near the pens.
He was rushed to a hospital in Cabanatuan where doctors diagnosed extreme exhaustion and severe stress.
For over a month he remained away from the mountain, recovering slowly under his family’s care.
During that time he constantly imagined the pig farm falling apart.
When Roger finally returned to Carranglan, his fears were partly true.
Half of his pigs were already gone.
Some had died unexpectedly while others were sold cheaply just to reduce losses.
The remaining animals required expensive feed that Roger could barely afford.
Standing inside the quiet pig pens, he felt his dreams slipping away.
Rain hammered the metal roofs during many sleepless nights that followed.
Each storm sounded like a warning that his hard work was collapsing.
Roger sat alone beside the pens, staring at the remaining pigs.
He no longer felt the excitement he once carried up the mountain.
Instead, heavy silence surrounded him.
The phone rang again one evening.
Another creditor demanded payment.
Roger listened quietly before ending the call.
Then he slowly sat on the floor of the empty storage shed.
The rain outside grew louder against the roof.
He lowered his head and whispered softly to himself.
“I’m finished.”
The next morning, Roger made the most painful decision of his life.
He closed the piggery gates and walked toward Mang Tino’s small house.
Without many words, he handed the keys back to the old landowner.
Mang Tino looked at him with concern but said nothing.
Roger turned and walked down the mountain path slowly.
He did not look back even once.
For him, the farm was already gone.
The following years passed quietly.
Roger and Marites moved to Quezon City and found jobs in a small factory.
Their life was simple and stable, though far from the dreams he once imagined.
Whenever someone mentioned pig farming, Roger only smiled faintly.
“I just fed my money to the mountain,” he would say.
Five long years passed.
Then one unexpected phone call changed everything.
Early this year, Mang Tino contacted him again.
His voice trembled through the phone.
“Roger… you need to come back.”
“There’s something you must see at your old piggery.”
Roger felt confusion rising inside him.
He had not climbed that mountain for five years.
But something in Mang Tino’s tone felt urgent.
The next morning he began the journey back to Carranglan.
The dirt road leading to the mountain looked almost forgotten.
Grass had grown thick across the path.
Trees leaned over the road as if reclaiming the land.
Roger walked slowly, his chest tight with uncertainty.
What could possibly remain of the place he abandoned?
Had the pig pens collapsed long ago?
Perhaps only rusted roofs and broken fences remained.
The climb felt longer than he remembered.
Each step carried memories he had tried to forget.
Finally he reached the last curve before the farm.
Roger stopped suddenly.
His heart began beating faster.
Because what he saw ahead made him freeze completely.
The mountain he had abandoned…
now looked completely different.
Continue reading in Part 2…