PLANT Malunggay and help fight malnutrition and poverty.

This is the message of Department of Agriculture (DA) to urban dwellers as it launched its "Malunggay in the City," project in Barangay Dumoy, Davao City Thursday.

What's your take on the Mindanao crisis? Discuss views with other readers

The project is designed to empower poor households in the city and will be distributing at least 30,000 seedlings which they can plant in their backyards or any available land plot in their barangays.
To sustain the project, it will also establish eight nurseries in the barangay including provisions of farm inputs and gardening tools.

Scientifically called Moringa Oleifera lamk, growing Malunggay has been found as the cheaper way of fighting malnutrition since studies show that it is loaded with vitamins and minerals and so easy to grow as the tree can survive even in hostile terrain and needs practically little attention.

"An ounce of or 28- grams of uncooked leaves has 700 percent more Vitamin C in oranges, 400 percent higher than Vitamin A in carrots, twice the protein and four times the calcium found in milk and thrice the potassium in bananas," said DA regional executive director Roger Chio.

Aside from being use as vegetable, Chio said the tree's leaves, fruits, and seeds are also priced for its medicinal value and processed into capsule forms. The nutrients found in malunggay are highly in demand among pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies worldwide.

"(Oil from) Malunggay seed is a perfect substitute for olive oil while its trunk can be crushed and be used as organic fertilizer," he added.

Jennifer Tangonan, DA-High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) technical staff, said the planting of malunggay will be initially carried out in Barangay Dumoy as the community had already established its own vegetable gardening program.

"Barangay Dumoy had been growing indigenous vegetables for quite a long time. However, this is the first time that they will venture into Malunggay production both as source of nutritious food and additional income," Tangonan said.

Chio said those interested to tap the potentials of malunggay for medicinal and other uses can keep in touch with DA-Biotechnology Program which monitors all projects related to the development of agricultural biotechnology products.

The program reported that a scientific study discovered Malunggay could supply variety of substances needed by food processors, pharmaceutical industries and even corporations engaged in the manufacture of cosmetics.

The "Malunggay in the City" is a joint project of DA, Davao City Agriculture Office, DA-Biotechnology Program, and National Agribusiness Corporation.

For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo.

For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here.

(December 5, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.