Elderly, pwds get bananas from scammed farmer

BONTOC, Mountain Province — What started as a heartbreaking scam for a farmer from Paracelis ended in an unexpected act of generosity for the people of Bontoc.

Arvi Steve Baguingan, a hardworking farmer from Barangay Bananao, Paracelis, thought he had landed a big sale when a man posing as a buyer promised to purchase 2,000 kilos of his bananas.

The supposed deal required him to deliver the fruits to Candon City, Ilocos Sur earlier this week.

But when Baguingan arrived in Candon, his “buyer” vanished — unreachable by phone and nowhere to be found.

Not wanting his harvest to go to waste, Baguingan tried to salvage what he could. He sold most of the bananas in Candon City, Cervantes (Ilocos Sur), and Tadian (Mountain Province), managing to dispose of about 1,600 kilos, though at a much lower price.

That left him with 400 kilos of bananas. Bringing them back to Paracelis would only mean they’d spoil along the way, so Baguingan made a different choice — he decided to give them away.

With the help of a friend, he contacted the local government of Bontoc. He offered to donate the remaining bananas to senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the capital town of Mountain Province.

On delivery day, Baguingan turned over the bananas to Bontoc Mayor’s Office Executive Assistant II Francis Degay, along with representatives from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and other municipal departments.