Health benefits of dragon fruit

Monday, April 18, 2011

BURGOS, Ilocos Norte -- A four-day familiarization tour, sponsored by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte and Cebu Pacific Air, brought us, a group of journalists from the cities of Davao and Cebu, to the 10-hectare dragon fruit farm in this historic town.

Burgos, named after martyred priest Jose Burgos of the famous Gomburza, is the last town in the northwest corner of Ilocos Norte. It is where the historic Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as the Burgos Lighthouse, which was established during the Spanish Colonial times, is located.

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The town has identified dragon fruit, locally known as "saniata" that belongs to Cactaceae family, for its One-Town-One-Product (Otop) program, considering the crop can be grown and very adaptable in marginal upland areas and sand dunes.

It is called dragon fruit because it is covered by green-tipped overlapping scales and has bright pink to red color. It is sweet, juicy, crispy, and tastes like pear, kiwi, and watermelon.

Dragon fruit, known as pitahaya in Central and South America where it is native to, was introduced in the Philippines in 1900s through trading. This vine-like epiphytic cactus is also cultivated in Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Southeast China.

"Planting dragon fruit can mitigate climate change and an opportunity for the underutilized and idle areas to be converted into productive lands," Edita Dacuycuy told visiting journalists in an interview.

Editha, who graduated BS Psychology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in 1968, and husband Rodolfo own and manage the Refmad Farm, a dragon fruit plantation here.

The Dacuycuys started planting the dragon cactus in 2006 primarily for the production of fruits that could be of help to the couple's 31-year old daughter who is suffering from cerebral palsy.

"We were told and confirmed this when we researched through the Internet that dragon fruits have some medicinal properties," Edita said.

The fruits' health benefits made it more popular to Ilocanos and Filipinos in general, prompting the Dacuycuys to produce more fruits because of its market potential.

They started planting in a 1.5-hectare idle land here in 2006 and expanded the plantation to seven hectares at present.

"The total plantation area is 10 hectares, seven hectares of which are already planted," Edita said.

The fruits they produced go all the way to other areas in the country, including Davao City.

"Dizon Farms buys their dragon fruits from us. Just last week, they ordered some 150 kilos of dragon fruit," she said in the same interview on April 10.

Because of the bright prospects of dragon fruit, the Dacuycuys established a nursery to produce planting materials, which they can sell to those interested to venture into dragon fruit farming.

"For those who want to engage in dragon fruit farming, they can just inform us and we are very much willing to teach them the technology," Editha said.

She said an investor can easily get back of his investment in the second year because from the fruits alone, one can earn much as the fruit's price range from P200 to P250 a kilo.

From their seven-hectare plantation, they can harvest 10 to 12 metric tons in a year. They can harvest six to seven times since the start of the fruiting season each year.

Edita said it takes one month from flower bud formation before a fruit could be harvested. The flowers open 10 days after flower bud formation. It will also take 10 days for the fruits to develop and another 10 days to mature.

But aside from its economic benefits, dragon cactus has started to be recognized as a medicinal plant, making it a popular commodity in the country.

The dragon fruit, or the night blooming cactus because it flowers at night, has so many health benefits. Edita said the fruit is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytoalbumins, and is believed to prevent cancer.

It is found to enhance metabolism and improves memory, digestion and immune system. It also helps maintain clear vision, reduces fat, bad cholesterol, hypertension and blood glucose, strengthens bones and teeth development, promotes tissue development, improves appetite, moisturizes, prevents constipation and good for urinary tract infection, and smoothens skin, and is good for the liver.

"It's basically for total cleansing," Edita said, adding that dragon cactus has "zero waste."

Other than the flesh of the fruit, the unopened buds, dried flowers, and fruit skin can also be processed into food.

Editha said the unopened buds can be made into a delicious fresh salad. The dried flowers, on the other hand, can be cooked into lumpiang shanghai.

Likewise, the dried flowers can be used as an ingredient for sinigang na baboy or bulalo, which are cooked the traditional way. It can also be processed into delicious dragon balls (meatballs).

The fruit skin, Editha said, can also be cooked with malunggay leaves. It can also be processed into jam.