MANILA, 14 October 2007 — Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap is encouraging Overseas Filipino Workers to invest in agriculture and agribusiness because the results are “bountiful” and doors are open to them.
Yap said that business opportunities that overseas Filipinos could go into were showcased at the Agrilink Trade Fair at the World Trade Center in Roxas Boulevard last week.
He said the Department of Agriculture conceptualized the activity to showcase agricultural products that best exemplify the farmers’ harvest in the provinces.
This is in line with the Agriculture Department’s program to produce food for every Filipino table, he said.
He highlighted the issue of nutritious food that “does not have to be expensive or boring.”
He cited malunggay as among the crops that shows promise not only as an export crop but also a rich source of nutrients.
A report by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) cited recent findings from the Medical College in Kolkata, India, that among the different medicinal herbs that can be a potential source of anticancer compounds, only malunggay can help in the treatment of female reproductive disorders like epithelial ovarian cancer.
As noted by the study, the effectiveness of malunggay in the treatment of ovarian cancer is attributed to a combination of anti-tumor and hormonal properties that are found in the plant’s root bark extracts. As a green-leafy vegetable, malunggay was also found to contain phytochemicals that can prevent the development of cancer cells, it said.
Aside from cancer, the onset of other chronic diseases such as arthritis, heart complications and kidney diseases can be prevented because of malunggay’s potent antioxidants.
Malunggay is highly rich in vitamins A, C, and E, which combat free radicals that can impair the body’s metabolism and eventually cause cell death.
The study further said that malunggay also helps maintain good eyesight and facilitates digestion and bowel movement, and is used to cleanse wounds and ulcers, cure stomach aches, scurvy, asthma, earache and headaches.
Malunggay, also called the drumstick tree or horseradish tree and known to scientists as Moringa oleifera Lam, is also promoted as a medicinal plant by health officials, thus making the crop a potential income generator for farmers.
Secretary Yap said malunggay can be grown almost anywhere in the Philippines using seeds and cuttings.
Three months after germination, the young leaves can already be harvested, providing Filipino families a highly affordable and readily available source of vitamins, niacin, iron, calcium, and protein.
OFWs who are interested in agricltural technologies are encouraged to visit the DA’s offices, either in Manila or in regional and provincial centers.
Cooking Contest
Malunggay also took centerstage during the “Oh, My Gulay Cooking Contest” last month in Manila as part of Nutrition Month activities. Students from six competing high schools produced new recipes from malunggay and other vegetables that are “palatable, nutritious and cheap.”
One such recipe was the puto de malundanis concocted from galapong, malunggay, pandan and anis — all native ingredients which result came out to be a success.
Yap, who comes from a family of entrepreneurs, observed that the trend among the youth is to veer away from agriculture. “Ayaw na ng kabataan natin sa bukid, pero may kinabukasan sa agrikultura (Our youth no longer want to work in the field but there is future in agriculture),” he said.
