“Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn,” a saying goes.
On Thursday, up in the mountains of Murcia, Negros Occidental, I learned something new which could be replicated in Mindanao as we struggle to improve the lives of our people through sustainable development.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) team and a farmer leader from Bukidnon were led by Ramon Magsaysay 2011 Awardee Auke Idzenga to a mountain village to check on an 11-year-old Ram Pump System which provides water to farmer households in Sition Ananggue, Buenavista in Murcia town.
It was there where I discovered that the Ram Pump System does not just provide water to a village of about 45 households but livelihood and hope, as well.
The water from the Ram Pumps is used in the cultivation and processing of Lemon Grass, the lowly Tanglad, which is planted in the mountain village.
Instead of bringing down the harvested Lemon Grass, Auke and his Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc., established an Oil Processing Facility right in the village powered by burning bamboo or wood.
The Australian Government has extended a P1-M development assistance and the farmers are now building a concrete structure to serve as their processing facility, laboratory and office.
The farmers produce Lemon Grass Oil which is sold at P2,500 per liter and Hydrosol, healthy water produced during the distilling process, which is sold for P3,000 per plastic jar.
The Lemon Grass Oil is used as the main ingredient for massage oil and also for cooking and food flavoring.
The Hydrosol, on the other hand, could be mixed with natural water or coffee (I started doing it today).
It is said to be effective for “hydration, soothing inflammation, healing and regeneration, balancing sebum and astringing (astringing is constricting small blood vessels, it’s more commonly known as ‘toning’).”
Planting Lemon Grass up in the mountains also has environmental benefits because it prevents soil erosion since only the leaves are harvested.
Since the mother plants are allowed to ratoon or regrow, the roots hold the soil preventing soil erosion.
Auke, however, said that the lack of knowledge on the benefits of Lemon Grass Oil and Hydrosol prevents farmers from expanding because of its limited market.
“It’s a niche market so we could not expand because it would saturate the market and depress prices,” Auke said.
Given the needed exposure on its benefits and its contribution to environmental protection, I believe that Lemon Grass Oil and Hydrosol would gain popularity and create a bigger market.
I started it by buying two jars of Hydrosol which I hope to introduce to the Health-Conscious Market and I also brought with me four sacks of planting materials which the farmers sold for only P500 per sack.
With these materials, I will have enough “Tanglad” to make my Lechon Manok Pinoy more tasty and aromatic.
#TravelIsTheBestTeacher!
#FarmIsTheBestClassroom!
#LessonsFromTheMountains!
(Photos were taken by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Media Team in Sitio Ananggue, Buenavista, Murcia, Negros Occidental.)
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