ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 31 July) – It is ‘waktu bungang-kahuy’ (fruit season) on Jolo Island, the hub of exotic fruits in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The most popular of the seasonal fruits include the duyan (durian), marang, manggis (mangosteen) and buwahan (lanzones). Equally sumptuous but not as popular are some mango varieties like wanni and mampallam; atis (custard apple), santul (santol), tagbak, kilul (breadfruit), nangka’ (jackfruit), gandum (corn) and rambutan. Another marker for the season is the sweet fragrance of fruits filling homes, offices, marketplaces, and even the streets. Some say that even while approaching the seaport or taking off from the plane, one can already smell the perfumery of Jolo’s exotic fruits.
Bangsamoro Member of Parliament Atty. Nabil Tan reminisces on his Facebook page about how these fruits were traditionally sold in bunches and not by kilos, with everything being negotiable, a unique feature of buying and selling fruits that one can witness during the fruit season. If one is after quality, they should be ready to wake up early and trek to the ‘Tabu Sanaw’ (early morning market) after Fajr (pre-dusk) prayer. On the other hand, if one wants value for money, they should buy later in the afternoon or at night when sellers are ready to offer marked down prices for fully ripened fruits.
When the harvest becomes so abundant, the nearby islands begin to witness these fruits being traded and sold. Amin Abdulla Kibad, a columnist for the Tawi-Tawi Mirror, fondly recalls his younger days in Tandubas when the fruit supply from Jolo Island would reach them.
He opines that the taste of fruits from Jolo is so delicious that it has no parallel elsewhere. This is because the fruits are naturally ripened and are only harvested when they are ready to be eaten. For Marine Biology Professor Armina Aripin at Mindanao State University in Sanga-Sanga, it is all about the value for money. She recently purchased two ‘tumpuk’ (bunches) of sweet rambutan for P100. Interestingly, most of these exotic fruits are sold in Jolo for a fourth or even less of their price in the metro area.
For the Tausug, the diversity and volume of fruits available during the fruit season are a sign of continuing divine blessing on the people and their land. It is more enjoyable now with relative peace and order all over the island, which means landowners and farmers can visit and harvest their farms and produce with ease and under the cloak of safety. In the past decades, armed encounters between the Abu Sayyaf Group and the military have left many farms unreachable and fruits ripened and unharvested, resulting in great economic losses for the province.
In scientific terms, the richness of the island is attributed to its volcanic origin. According to the Global Volcanism Program of the US Smithsonian Institute, Jolo Island is adorned with numerous pyroclastic cones and craters, including Bud Dahu’ (Bud Dajo), a basaltic cinder cone that rises above an elevation of 600 meters. Other nearby cones, such as Matanding, Guimba, and Sungal[1], add to the island’s volcanic landscape. Additionally, several young volcanic vents can be found, like Mt. Dakula near Lake Panamao, and Bud Tumangtangis, which stands at an impressive 811 meters (above sea level), making it the highest point on the island[2].
Scientists explain that volcanic soil is particularly well-suited for cultivating exotic fruits due to its nutrient-rich, porous, and well-draining nature. The soil also has high moisture retention, falls within a neutral to slightly acidic pH range, and has low compaction and is free of toxins.
Moreover, the local farmers’ natural farming methods further enhance the favorable soil and environmental conditions on the island.
Even though local governments, line agencies, and entrepreneurs have been engaged in product development and value addition, the high spoilage during the fruit season can still be mitigated. The next challenge for Sulu is how to make the fruit season a year-long industry and a sustainable income source for farmers, like Davao’s durian and pomelo.
Towards this next challenge, there is a need for a more organized collaboration and business-like approach to decrease spoilage and support a sustainable fruit industry on Jolo Island. This long-term plan necessitates improvements in post-harvest infrastructure, including cold chain facilities, establishing efficient transportation and logistics, providing training and education on best practices in harvesting, handling, and storing fruits, implementing quality control and standards, promoting value addition and processing such as making fruit jams, juices, dried fruits, or other value-added products, which can extend the shelf life of fruits and provide alternative income streams for farmers. Additionally, it requires establishing market linkages, encouraging research and technology adoption, and implementing waste management practices that can turn fruit waste into bio-fertilizers.
Finally, in accordance with the Tausug tradition, before eating, they utter the phrase ‘Bismillah’ (In the name of God), and afterward, they say ‘Alhamdulillah’ (Praise be to God), both as gestures of gratitude for the divine’s yearly blessing of bungang-kahuy (fruits).
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Noor Saada is a Tausug of mixed ancestry—born in Jolo, Sulu, grew up in Tawi-Tawi, studied in Zamboanga and worked in Davao, Makati and Cotabato. He is a development worker and peace advocate, former Assistant Regional Secretary of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, currently working as an independent consultant and is a member of an insider-mediation group that aims to promote intra-Moro dialogue.)
