STA. BARBARA -The police here ended the International Women’s Month with a trainor’s training on making food products from the miracle-vegetable “malunggay”.

In line with its Integrated Transformation Program of the national police and Mayor Reynaldo Velasco’s 10-point progress agenda on Livelihood/Jobs Creation and Agricultural Productivity, the local police hosted the training on making pasta (noodle), empanada, and puto out of “malunggay”

Commissioner Deanna Lorenzana-Gregorio of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), who represents persons with disabilities (PWD) sector, came to teach the women here how to make food products out “malunggay”.

This is not the first time Gregorio came. Last November 2008 she led the conduct of the trainor’s training on bags and caskets making from old newspapers. Her family owns the legendary Lorins Patis, and she herself formulated Lorins vinegar. But her real passion is fighting poverty through teaching /pioneering livelihood ventures. Last UP Centennial (1908-2008) Celebration, Gregorio was awarded Most Outstanding Alumnae for Poverty Alleviation.

“I enjoy coming to this town because the women and PWDs are resourceful and very eager to learn. Plus, they have a very supportive mayor who champions agri-business and a police who are ever present,” Gregorio said.

Barangay Leet Kagawad Babes Montemayor here mobilized the collection of fresh malunggay leaves. The leaves were sun-dried for three days. On the day of the training, the dried malunggay leaves were powdered in a blender called “Vita Mix”. The powdered malunggay is mixed with flour, oil and salt and kneaded to form a greenish dough; later subjected to a pasta-maker to form different kinds of pasta such as fettuccini and spaghetti.

Such meals are a guaranteed source of protein, carbohydrates, beta-carotene, Vit A and C, iron and potassium.

Gregorio also taught the women how to make delicious pickles from ampalaya and sayote, and marmalades from various fruits. The training ended with a super healthy feast of malunggay carbonara, assorted pickles and tomato marmalade.

“The trained group resolved to push for malunggay products enterprise as a livelihood project. We are honored to be a part of this empowering process, that is, transforming this community towards peace and progress,” explained SupT. Eric Noble, the town police chief.

Mayor Reynaldo Velasco was pleased to hear about this inititative, he immediately approved the request for the needed equipment to jump-start the new enterprise.

“Malunggay pasta will top our menu for our feeding sessions (Feed and Read to Lead) to solve our micronutrient malnutrition problem. I am encouraging everyone to plant malunggay and let’s join the country’s malunggay revolution to end malnutrition,” Velasco remarked.