Erstwhile model Ping Federis:
By Emily B. Bordado

She was once a famous model who was used to the glitz and glamour of the ramp and commercial modeling . Her face has graced the cover of many local and international magazines and newspapers and has been flashed a thousand times on TV as product endorser. Fe Ping Federis, the former svelte and stunning 5'7 tall beauty now lives a simple quiet life in Naga City. She is no longer the fashion icon many women look up to. She has a new a passion - cultivating the good earth and advocating healthy diet and healthful living through organic farming.

In the 70's and 80's she was a top model of the country and she had set her eyes to a modeling career in Europe had not fate intervened. She was supposed to join the group of top model designer Aureo Alonzo to a government sponsored tourism blitz in Europe to promote the Philippine fashion . But this dream fizzled out when people power occurred and the Marcoses were driven out of power.
She went back to Naga and tried to pursue a course in business administration in Ateneo de Naga but a bout with pulmonary embolism , a debilitating lung illness was prevented her from finishing the course and has changed the course of her life as she was forced to stay home most of the time. But it was during this time that she began to realize the importance of healthy living.

Today, she has taken over as administrator of the 40-hectare family estate in barangay Carangkang in Magarao, Camarines Sur. She has opted to go into organic vegetable farming to advocate a healthy diet not only for herself but for other consumers. Having went through the ordeal of battling with a debilitating lung illness she wants to raise the level of awareness of other people about healthful living.

While most of their estate are utilized for rice production , in 2004 , she started vegetable production in a 1,000 sq.meters of the vast estate. With the help of farm workers she planted a variety of vegetables: about 100 tomato plants, 100 pieces hot pepper, 100 pieces. eggplants, some cabbage, snap beans, spring onion (striped blue violet) squash and sweet potatoes. Her venture into organic vegetable production started when she began to realize the hazards of vegetables sprayed with too much. pesticides. She initially intended to produce vegetables for family consumption and for use in her restaurant and catering business she had ventured into. But having associated with vegetarians and fitness and wellness buffs she has decided to expand her production as her friends and associated began getting orders from her.

Her initial harvest of tomatoes yielded about 50 kilos tomatoes which she sold at P5.00 per kilo; 6 kilos hot pepper which she sold at Ps 5.00 per kilo. The initial harvest gave her a sense of satisfaction as for the first time she experienced the joy of reaping the fruit from the land through her own efforts. The second harvest even yielded more as she was able to harvest 100 kg. tomatoes.

Today, Ping has taken farming to heart . She has been attending seminars and trainings related to farming. As an organic farming advocate she uses organic matter to fertilize the vegetable crops and practices mulching using rice hull to cover the plant roots especially during. dry and hot days. She has been actively attending meetings of the Vegetable Board organized by the Department of Agriculture where she is the public information officer. At the same time she also sits as one of the board of directors of the Camarines Sur Agribusiness Chamber of Commerce. She goes to her farm regularly driving her blue Mercedes benz car- never mind if the road to the farm is so bumpy, dusty and sometimes muddy. But she hopes that one day a farm-to market road to link barangay Carangcang of Magarao to barangay Carolina of Naga City will be constructed not only to facilitate transport of farm products from her farm but most especially the produce of hundred other farmers in the area.

Perhaps only few people would recognize her now as her once slim figure has ballooned to 150 pounds - but the poise and grace are still there. And even if she is only in denim pants and simple polo tops sans make-up on her still beautiful face the dignified and regal manner she carries herself are still unmistakably trademarks of a ramp model. She still drives the blue Mercedes benz car, one of her treasured mementos of her glorious and glamorous days.

But she is more at peace with herself now that she is back to her roots and focused and committed in preparing for the future of her two kids who deserve the best - a secure future , a clean and safe environment and a healthy lifestyle and in the process she is also touching lives of people within her sphere as she advocates wellness and healthy living through organic farming.