About Lanie Bokashi

After working and living in the corporate world in Singapore for 16 years, Lanie Bokashi decided that she wanted to go back to her native country, the Philippines to start natural farming.

Lanie Bokashi is an advocate of Bokashi composting. Her journey began three years ago when she cultivated an organic farm in Nueva Ecija. Though the harvest was good, she realized that year after year, she will need to replace the organic fertilizers. Looking for a cost-effective solution, she tried vermiculture, but realized she was “scared of worms.”

Then someone suggested Bokashi. Using only the internet, she self-taught and gained the expertise through hands on experience and trial and error.

The challenge was to source the bran, which was usually imported and expensive. She decided to produce the bran herself using rice husk or “ipa”, usually discarded during the milling process. She also repurposed powdered sugar containers for her buckets.

The solution not only brought the price down but also helped farm workers find an alternative source of income.

– “Bokashi as a daily routine” –

Lanie plans to target mid to low income families and encourage them to compost. Her vision is “for every household to do Bokashi as a daily routine”. This is why she doesn’t hesitate to share her knowledge and holds regular seminars, despite holding down a regular job. She also sells the Bokashi starter kit at a minimal price.

She believes that waste segregation is not the final solution to the city’s garbage problem because food waste, in particular, are still being thrown using plastic bags.

She wants to find a way to collect the Bokashi compost from urban areas and distribute it back to the farms. She also wants to encourage people to start growing their own food.

Perlita Malic, Taguig City, attended one of Lanie’s seminars. She learned what she can do with household waste and plans to use the Bokashi compost fertilizer for her garden.