SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC), Southeast Asia’s largest food and beverage conglomerate, will likely go into a massive propagation of the lowly malunggay—Moringa oleifera—as part of efforts to help government fight hunger and poverty.

The National Anti-Poverty Commission said SMC is now in the final stages of preparations to join the Ugnayan Laban sa Kahirapan program—a government-initiated poverty mitigation plan being put to work by the commission and the Luzon Urban Beltway.

“SMC is eyeing the massive propagation of the lowly malunggay, actually a wonder food and industrial plant, to generate jobs and economic activities in the countryside, [and] at the same time promote better nutrition,” said the commission’s lead convenor Domingo F. Panganiban.

Panganiban said SMC is preparing to go into planting malunggay in some 400,000 hectares of idle lands and hillsides in Negros, Tarlac and Pangasinan. He did not elaborate on a budget.

The commission chief said he met with SMC chairman, former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco, and local leaders recently in Bacolod, where he presented the potentials of  malunggay as food and industrial crop.

Panganiban, a former Agriculture Secretary, said the highly-nutritious malunggay leaves can be processed into powder that can be used as an additive to noodles and pan de sal, food products that are usually patronized by the poor.

“A cup of malunggay leaves is equivalent to three glasses of milk in terms of nutrition. The consumption of malunggay leaves can be a part of our school feeding program…” he said.

Panganiban noted that oil derived from mature malunggay seeds, is of higher quality and more expensive than olive oil. He said it can be used both as food oil and base in the manufacture of many products, including cosmetics, and as lubricant for delicate machines.

SMC has already sent a research and development officer to meet with the commission on prospects of joining project.

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SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC), Southeast Asia’s largest food and beverage conglomerate, will likely go into a massive propagation of the lowly malunggay—Moringa oleifera—as part of efforts to help government fight hunger and poverty.

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The Securities Regulation Code of 2000 has provisions on the powers and functions of the SEC to issue cease and desist orders (CDO) to prevent fraud or injury to the investing public (Section 5 (i) of the SRC) and to punish for contempt of the Commission, both direct and indirect, in accordance with the pertinent provisions of and penalties prescribed by the Rules of Court (Section 5 (j) of the SRC).