MANILA, Philippines - This place used to be called Lupang Sinumpa or cursed land,” Guillermo “Jun” F. Saret, president of Leonie Agri Corp. (LAC), relates. “The soil was acidic and only talahib and cogon grass could grow here.” It seems difficult to imagine this so-called cursed land, since what you see now is verdant land, planted to native trees and herbal plants. The 42-hectare farm, which lies at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains in the town of Sta. Rosa in Nueva Ecija, was named after Leonora Pascual, former chairman of the board of Pascual Laboratories. “Her grandfather won the large tract of land in a cockfight (sabong),” Saret relates. “Our challenge was to restore and revive this barren land through organic and environment-friendly methods.”
The farmhands, who found a huge Bangkal tree within the property, knew that there was water to be found there. “The Bangkal tree has deep roots,” Saret explains. “Soon enough, small pools and ponds were created, and now, we have a man-made stream running through the property, which when completed will measure 1.2 kms.”
Saret quotes Isaiah 43:19, “I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Bible passages such as this can be found printed on signboards in different spots in the farm. “We dedicated the farm to God, and it has since been transformed into fertile and productive land,” says Saret, a charismatic Catholic. It is part of their corporate culture, he says. “We put God above all else. We always start work with prayer, and each one in the farm is given a chance to lead. Our ultimate boss is Jesus.”
The farmers, who used to earn daily wages, were transformed from lowly farmers to business partners. Alexander L. Parducho, LAC general manager, explains, “We subdivided the farm into one-hectare lots, with four workers responsible for each lot. Since they are paid based on their output, they are now more vigilant about the quality of their produce. We teach them organic farming, using non-chemical fertilizers and microbiotics, as well as intercropping for biodiversity and natural pest control.”
The LAC farm has been certified by the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines as the first organic farm in the country. It is a member of the Organic Producers Trade Association of the Philippines. In 2008, the Department of Agriculture’s Best Organic Farming Initiative in the Philippines (farmer category) was given to LAC farm.
Most of the land is planted to lagundi, a shrub whose leaves are harvested and used for their medicinal benefit. “Lagundi has been used traditionally as medicine for cough and asthma,” says Jericho Bayona, senior brand manager of Ascof, the natural cough medicine brand of Pascual Laboratories, which sources its raw materials from the farm.
The lagundi leaves are harvested and pre-processed right on the farm, in a modern facility which conforms to pharmaceutical manufacturing standards. The leaves undergo a careful process of washing using ozonized water (no chlorine), dripping and dehydration, oven-drying at low temperature, milling, sterilization using steam, and packaging. The manufacturing of phytomedicines (medicines using plants or parts of plants) is completed at Pascual Laboratories’ CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Processes) and ISO-certified facility in Bulacan. The stringent quality control methods meet the regulations of the Bureau of Food and Drugs and the World Health Organization.
In 1997, Pascual Laboratories won the Silver Award at the 25th International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products in Geneva, Switzerland for its pioneering herbal drug, Ascof (Lagundi). Ascof is the first herbal medicine licensed by PCHRD (Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.) Made from 100-percent natural lagundi leaves, Ascof is the leading phytomedicine in the Philippines today.
“Lagundi contains Chrysoplenol D, a muscle relaxant and anti-histamine, as well as Luteolin and Isoorientin, which are both anti-histamines. These natural substances make the lagundi leaf an effective remedy against cough and asthma by dissolving phlegm, improving breathing, and relieving allergy symptoms without causing harmful or uncomfortable side effects, making Ascof safe even for kids,” Bayona stresses.
Sambong, a shrub whose leaves have been used traditionally as a remedy for kidney stones and diuretic relief, is also planted in the farm, which supplies the raw material for Releaf (Sambong) tablets manufactured by Pascual Laboratories.
“We also grow organic vegetables, livestock, and even organic rice, which help augment the income of the farmers and their families. The organic produce is sold in SM stores such as Megamall. Among the regular customers are cancer survivors,” Parducho says. “We would like to expand to the communities in the area, provide livelihood, teach organic farming, and make idle land productive.”
* * *
Ascof is available in tablet, capsule, and syrup (menthol, ponkan, and strawberry flavors). It is distributed in leading drugstores and supermarkets nationwide. For more information, visit www.pascuallab.com.