Philippines: Aetas join ‘biotech revolution’ through Malunggay farming

BAMBAN, Tarlac – This once sleepy agricultural town will soon become a major supplier of raw materials to the booming natural ingredients industry in the world market with the launching of a government program which promotes the massive cultivation of the lowly Malunggay.
Agriculture undersecretary for field operations Segfredo Serrano and Secretary Domingo Panganiban, convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) together with local officials of the province and this town led last Friday’s launching of the program dubbed “Buklod-Serbisyo Para sa Katutubong Aeta”, a seminar on Malunggay farming.
The program aims to promote the massive cultivation of the nutritious vegetable to help fight hunger, poverty and malnutrition in the rural areas.
Alicia Ilaga, director of the DA Biotechnology Program Office (DA-BPO) said the program aims to empower the indigenous peoples of the town who can tap their vast ancestral lands, to make them more productive. The DA-BPO has been encouraging farmers to join the 21st century ‘biotech revolution’ by farming for natural ingredients.
Farming for their everyday food or sustenance is a way of life among Aetas. Usually, Aetas plant root crops like kamoteng ugat or sweet potato, kamoteng kahoy or cassava, papaya and banana, which they sell in the market or the town proper. This allows them to earn as much as P100 a day, says Barangay San Vicente Chairman Danilo Adrias, also an Aeta leader.
The launching of the program, a corroborative effort of various national and local government agencies led by the DA-BPO, was highlighted by the signing of a purchase agreement between the Maampat na Magbubukid ng Malunggay and SECURA International on Malunggay BIOCommerce, and the establishment of the Tarlac BIONet-BIOCommerce Information Resource Center, and a free dental and medical mission.
During the program, the DA through Director Joel Rudinas of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) distributed Malunggay seedlings to encourage farmers to join the program.
Under the purchasing agreement, SECURA will buy the seeds of Malunggay from the Aetas at P10 per kilo. SECURA turns the seed into pure oil. With the application of biotechnology, SECURA can product a litter of oil from less than three kilos of those oil-rich Malunggay seeds.
The Maampat na Magbubukid ng Malunggay, for its part, will plant Malunggay in their vast ancestral land, turning it into a Malunggay plantation for the purpose of supplying the seeds to SECURA alone.
Danilo Manayaga, president and chief executive officer of SECURA said a US biotechnology company is willing to buy as much Malunggay seed oil, which can well cover or require 500,000 hectares of land planted to the vegetable tree.
The program is being supported by the Provincial Government of Tarlac led by Governor Victor Yap, who vowed to help in the marketing aspect of Malunggay products and byproducts, with the establishment of an office under his office, in cooperation with the DA – Biotechnology Program Office and the private-sector led Biotechnology Information Organization Network or BIONet.
Around 3,000 Aeta families from 12 Aeta communities stand to benefit from the project following the signing of a purchasing agreement with Secura International Corp. a local biotechnology company which offers contract to grow the backyard vegetable tree, says Bamban town mayor Leonardo Anunciacion, who witnessed the signing of the purchasing agreement along with Ilaga.
Tarlac 3rd District Rep. Jeci Lapus also graced the occasion to show his support to the program.
He said the program will indeed be a big help to the Aetas, who suffer from extreme poverty despite having a vast ancestral land which they can turn into an agro-forestry plantation such as for the supply of Malunggay seed. (biolife news service)

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