The “siling labuyo” or “larang inanis” in Kapampangan or hot chili can very well become a prize crop to help farmers earn good money from their agricultural activities as proven by Onofre Domingo, a farmer from Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya who benefits from his harvest of the crop.
Governor Lilia G. Pineda invited Domingo to teach the Aetas in Nabuclod, Floridablanca how to plant “siling labuyo”, as part of the terms of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) she signed with the local government of Dupax in early February during the Ibon-Ebun festival in Candaba town.
The MOA, Pineda explained, covers the exchange of technology among farmers “at ang pagdating ni G. Domingo upang turuan ang mga Aeta sa pagtatanim ng sili ay kasama sa napagkasunduan”.
The governor had the soil in Nabuclod tested and results showed that it is similar to the soil in Dupax and, therefore, is also conducive to the planting of the hot chili.
Domingo spoke on how he has gained economically from the sale of his siling labuyo harvest and told the Aetas who reside in the 5000 hectares of ancestral domain in Nabuclod that “kayo rin kikita ng malaki dito”.
The governor pushes for the initial planting of chili covering 10 hectares of the land and eventually expanding to planting other vegetable crops.
Referring to Dupax as a major supplier of vegetables to Metro Manila, “mga 70 percent ng gulay sa Maynila galing sa Dupax”, she expressed confidence that this can also be done in Pampanga, with the right direction and technology.
“Inumpisahan natin ito sa Nabuclod upang matulungan na rin ang ating mga kapatid na Aeta na magkaroon ng regular na kabuhayan.”
Domingo revealed that one sili plant usually produces one kilo of sili during daily harvests and this augurs well for profitable sales to pre-determined markets.
Another thing that the governor likes about sili is its potential for diversity, “yung hindi nabentang sili ay puedeng ilagay sa bote kasama ang suka at ipagbili bilang ibang produkto”.
Domingo added it may even be turned into powdered form and sold as another variant of the product.
“Nagsimula na ang pagtatanim ng sili sa Nabuclod at mananatili muna si G. Domingo dito upang antabayanan ang mga kapatid nating Aeta sa kanilang proyekto,” the governor said. (Eloisa P. Galang)
