Jun Torres

Fifth-class town eyes title as Nueva Ecija’s ‘fruit basket’
By Magtanggol Vilar

LICAB, Nueva Ecija – This fifth-class town on its way to becoming the “Fruit Basket of Nueva Ecija.”

This goal was set by Mayor Willie Domingo several years ago, but its realization came about recently when he entered into an agreement with the country’s top pomologist, Bernie Dizon, on the supply of certified seedlings and technology.

Domingo said he intends to have each of the 11 villages in his town grow one crop of mango and other staple crops that would serve as a sort of “designer item.”

This is expected to produce income for the hard-working farmers in the town and establish a permanent, income-generating industry in his town.

Domingo said he is eyeing the lucrative international, domestic multiple-rooted fruit tree seedling market. “Who knows, we might yet make it Fruit basket of the Region,” he said.

He said that Dizon will supply the town with seedlings of various mango varieties such as Guimaras, Sweet Elena, Chocanan, Golden Queen, Eating Green, Nancocman, Harumanis or Millennium.

Domingo also opted for malunggay and ilang-ilang for their commercial value .

Mayor Domingo, a man who has his own mango symbology etched everywhere at his four-hectare farm in poblacion proper here, believes that there is big money in the culture and production of mango.

A visit to his farm indicates that Mayor Domingo savors everything and anything about mango. Etched in the middle of a swimming pool is the unmistakable shape of a mango. There’s a bust of a beautiful lady caressing a mango.

Aware of the notoriety that his town has gained in the past eight years as “a sort of wild west” as a result of the many unsolved killings and rampant violent incidents, Domingo wants a change of image.

Instead of a violent character, why not a venture that would require all hands toiling to make a clean-cut image, and so he thought of working along his lifetime fancy for mangoes, sweet and delicious mangoes.