Farmers in lahar-devastated areas in Central Luzon need not lose hope. They may plant malunggay on the fields laced with volcanic ash since the tree grows well on such soil.

This advice was made by a Filipino chemical engineer who has pioneered in farming for natural ingredients and who has contracted hundreds of farmers to produce tons and tons of malunggay seeds, leaves, fruits, bark and roots.
Engr. Danilo Manayaga, president of Secura International, Inc., said malunggay, better known as moringa in England and in much of the English-speaking world, said Central Luzon farmers can cash in on the demand for malunggay oil, considered as one of the healthiest oils in the planet.
"The seeds of malunggay, with the use of biotechnology, can produce pure oil which is low in trans fatty acids. Moringa, because of its low trans fatty acids, produces good blood cholesterol, which prevents cardiovascular disease," Manayaga said.

"Instead of leaving their lahar-devastated farms idle for a decade until such time the soil becomes fit for farming again, farmers can plant malunggay and become suppliers of natural ingredients in the world market," he adds.

Manayaga says malunggay, known as the poor man's vegetable, grows best in well-drained soil. The tree can also withstand drought.

Known as a miracle tree, malunggay gets minerals from the soil, converts them into nutrients needed by the body, like zinc and selenium that are essential to brain development.

"Usually, after volcanic eruptions, areas covered by lahar remain idle for years as most crops can not grow on sand, especially volcanic sand, because of the presence of toxic heavy metals," he said.

Malunggay tolerates such soil condition. It can be planted after a year or two, during which grass cleanses the lahar-laced soil.

Lahar areas in Zambales and Pampanga, he said, can be more productive if planted to malunggay since the leaves and fruits grow faster.

Manayaga's company is into the supply of natural ingredients to foreign firms. It is involved in the supply of malunggay seed oil, which is edible, and the processing of malunggay leaf powder.

The edible oil market, he said, is growing, because of the demand for a more healthy oil, especially for cooking and food processing or food manufacturing.

There is also an increasing demand for healthy oil for personal health care products, such as the virgin coconut oil, which has low trans fatty acids.
Unlike the ordinary coconut oil, which is hydrogenated oil that has high trans fatty acids, moringa oil is a vegetable oil with low trans fatty acids, much like olive oil but is a lot cheaper.

Hydrogenated oil produces bad cholesterol when used in high temperature cooking, thus increasing the chances of cardiovascular diseases.
In Europe, there's an increasing market demand for vegetable oil because of the demand for oil with low transfatty acids.

"In some European countries, labeling is required if the product is made from hydrogenated oil," he said. Hydrogenated oil comes from palm oil or coconut.

On account of its many agri-business potentials and economic benefits, the planting of malunggay, whether as a backyard vegetable for personal consumption or for commercial purposes, is being aggressively promoted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Biotechnology Program Office (BPO) under Director Alicia Ilaga.

After strategically positioning itself for the production of planting materials, having established malunggay nurseries in various parts of the country, the DA is now gearing up for the massive cultivation or commercial plantation of what is now described as "miracle tree" in areas where they grow best.