The ‘Carrot Man’ speaks: Jeyrick Sigmaton really is a sweetheart

At last, you can put a voice to the face. And oh what a face! It is the visage that launched tens of thousands of “likes.”

GMA 7 news magazine program “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” caught up with 21-year-old farm-worker “Carrot Man” Jeyrick Sigmaton, and during Sunday night's broadcast, the Barlig-Mountain Province native explained that he had no idea that the pictures of him lugging baskets of carrots had turned him into a social media phenom.

“Wala akong kaalam-alam na kumakalat na pala ‘yung picture ko sa Facebook. Tapos nu’ng pumunta kami sa lugar na may signal, du’n ko nalaman na may kumokontak pala sa akin na gusto akong ma-interview,” Sigmaton explained in a thickly accented voice.

He added that because of weak signals at their farm, he rarely has an opportunity to get on the Internet. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga nag-like at nag-share ng pictures ko. Dahil po sa kanila, kahit na simpleng tao ako, maraming nakakilala sa akin,” said Sigmaton.

Jeyrick is the the eldest among seven children. And because his family barely gets by on the money a farm-worker makes, he was forced to stop schooling after Grade 6. “Mahirap ang buhay dito sa amin kaya ako napilitang pumunta sa ibang bayan para mag-ipon,” he said. “Dahil kulang ang budget kaya tinutulungan ko ang mga magulang ko sa pag-aaral ng aking mga kapatid. Kung hindi ako magta-trabaho, wala kaming kakainin. Patambay-tambay ka lang.”

He is very devoted to his family, and his ambitions revolve around them. He wishes that life was a little easier for his parents and siblings, and that they own their own farm so they would no longer need to pay rent.

Jeyrick and his family are primarily rice farmers. But after the harvest, they turn to vegetable farming, and thus his association with carrots.

The Sigmatons are Igorots of the Ekachacran tribe, and Jeyrick si proud of his heritage. “Sobrang proud po ako na maging isang Igorot dahil kakaiba ang aming kultura at paniniwala. Proud din ako na nakilala ‘yung picture ko dahil du’n nagkaroon ulit ng interest ang mga tao sa Mountain Province at saka sa mga Igorot,” he added. — DVM, GMA News