A ceremonial signing by Mayor Elmer C. Codilla and EDC Community Partnership department manager Emeliano Argoncillo highlighted the event.

Argoncillo explained that the Philippines only has at the most 300,000 ilang-ilang trees, most of which are found in Tarlac province and Central Luzon (10.15 percent). The number couldn’t supply Europe’s demand for essential oils for perfume. At least 1.8 million trees are needed to cope with the demand.

Under the program, each barangay will identify 3 to 6 hectares of suitable land to plant ilang-ilang. Argoncillo explained that three hectares can be planted with 1,000 ilang-ilang trees that will bear flowers after three to four years. However, full harvest can be expected when the tree reaches eight years.

Fresh ilang-ilang flowers sell for P8 a kilo while extracted oil is worth P8,000 per liter. This means that 100 trees can earn for the farmer P8,000 a month or P95,000 annually. About 1,000 trees can fetch P1.9 million annually. At 3 to 6 hectares per barangay, Kananga will soon have 69 to 115 hectares of ilang-ilang plantations, or a potential income of P44 million to P87 million annually by 2015 and beyond.

Present at the signing ceremony were Liga ng mga Barangay president Procesa T. Baguio, Department of Education Kananga District 1 supervisor Tita P. Alajas and District 2 principal in charge Wilfredo Marquez, Kananga National High School principal Julita Clavel and Lim-ao National High School principal Marcelo Refuerzo.

(Felix N. Codilla III)