Let's Develop the Less Popular Fruits in the Philippines

Let's Develop the Less Popular Fruits

in the Philippines

The truth is that, the typical fruit stand is a poor showroom of Philippine fruits. 

Dr. Abe V. Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Visit a fruit stand. There are many kinds of fruits coming from different parts of the Philippines. They have unique characteristics in taste, which can't be compared with imported fruits. They take us to a travelogue to their indigenous sources.

Lanzones from Paete, marang from South Cotabato, pomelo from Davao, manggang kalabao from Zambales, strawberry from Baguio, "Formosa" piña from  Bicol, durian from Maguindanao, dalangita from Cavite, pakwan from Candaba.

  

           Alagat (carabao teat fruit) - Uvaria rufa); bignay (Bugnay Ilk) - Antidesma bunius

Horticulture may have succeeded in acclimatizing several of these fruits outside of their indigenous origins, but these are inferior in taste and yield.

Today there is a proliferation of introduced fruits or fruits developed through hybridization. They have displaced many of our native varieties. But native chico is still sweeter than the ponderosa, native guava is sweeter and more aromatic than the guapple. The aroma of the apple mango is hardly traced to our carabao mango. And you can't make jams, jellies, pickles, wine and vinegar. from them. Or it would be quite expensive to do so. 

 Lubeg (Syzygium lineatum), locally known as Malubeg and Alebadu, Family Myrtaceae

The truth is that, the fruit stand is a poor showroom of Philippine fruits. There are a lot of fruits that are not so popular for certain reasons, among them their seasonal nature and "uneconomic" market value. Simply others have not been fully explored of their potential significance.

Author examines imported balimbing fruits in a supermarket in Metro Manila 

Here is a list of the minor fruits of the Philippines, often referred to as “promising fruits” because of their great potential in agriculture and industry, for both domestic and foreign markets.

1. Atis (Anona squamosa)

2. Avocado (Persia americana)

3. Balimbing (Averrhoa carambola)

4. Kamias (Averrhoa balimbi)

5. Caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito)

6. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

7. Chico (Manikara zapota syn., Achras zapota)

8. Duhat (Syzygium cumini)

9. Durian (Durio zibethinus)

10. Grapes (native) (Vitis vinifera)

               Macopa - Syzygium samarangense 

                                     (Family: Myrtaceae)

11. Guava (Psidium guajava)

12. Guyabano (Anona muricata)

13. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

14. Lanzones (Lansium domesticum)

15. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)

16. Pili (Canarium ovatum)

17. Rambutan (Nephalium appaceum)

18. Rimas (Artocarpus altilis)

19. Kamansi (A. camansi)

20. Santol (Sandoricum koetjape)

21. Sineguelas (Spondias purpurea)

22. Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)

23. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)

24. Tiessa (Poteria campechiana)

Here are other noteworthy fruits to develop.

25. Bago (Gnetum gnenum)

26. Bignay (Antidesma bunuis)

27. Biriba (Rollina deliciosa syn R. orthopetala)

28. Chico-Mamey (Pouteria sapota syn., Calocarpum sapota)

29. Datiles (Muntingia calabura)

30. Kalumpit (Terminalia microcarpa)

31. Kamachili (Pithecolobium dulce)

32. Kayam (Inocarpus eduluis)

33. Mabolo (Diospyrus blancoi)

34. Makopa (Syzygium samarangense)

35. Manzanitas (Ziziphus jujuba)

  

   

Top Left clockwise: Pomegranate, passion fruit, caimito or star apple,

 mulberry, limonsito*, bignay

36. Marang (Artocarpus pdoratoissima)

37. Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis)

38. Granadilla (Punica granatum)

39. Tampoy (Syzygium jambos), relative of duhat and macopa

40. Fig (Relative of Smyrna fig)

Many native fruits await inclusion in this list. There are those known only in a particular place, likely after their dialect names. There are species in the endangered list such as sapote, anonang (a relative of the atis), karamay and batocanag. Others are growing in the wild such as paho, a wild species of mango, awaiting to be discovered.

For entrepreneurs, it is an opportunity to popularize these fruits. To the environmentalists, help save them before they finally disappear. ~

*Triphasia trifolia is a species of Triphasia in the family Rutaceae, native to tropical southeastern Asia in Malaysia, the Philippines and possibly elsewhere. Triphasias are very close relatives of citrus.

Reference: Promising Fruits of the Philippines by Dr. Roberto E. Coronel, UPLB, Laguna.

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) Dr Abe V Rotor and Ms Melly C Tenorio. 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday