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The Philippine Star, Agriculture,
Sunday, April 24, 2005 |
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Where to get genuine Sweet Elena
seedlings |
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by Ramon Ma.
Epino |
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| The owners -
Nida Malabed, Lorna Cabanes, Leopoldo Cabanes -
pose in front of the 108-year-old mother tree
with Bernie Dizon (left) holding scion of Sweet
Elena and Justice Romeo Capulong (right) who
topworked his mango plants with Sweet Elena in
Palayan City, Nueva Ecija. |
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The claim
of several business enterprises and research institutions
that grafted Sweet Elena (Mangifera Indica) seedlings are
available from them. Is not true, according to pomologist
Bernie Dizon. Dizon operates a botanic fruit garden at the
Ninoy Wildlife parks, Diliman, Quezon City, where he is topworking some 1,000 Sweet Elena seedlings with other
superior strains for pest-and-disease-free seedlings with
superior fruiting quality.
Sweet Elena owner Nida Malabed, said she had designated only
Bernie Dizon as the exclusive propagator and distributor in
Metro Manila of grafted Sweet Elena seedlings aside from the
family nursery in Sabang, Sta. Cruz, Zambales.
In a letter to the Executive Director of the Bureau of
Plant Industry (BPI), Malabed stated: "As the legal and
registered owner of the Sweet Elena in the National Seed
Industry Council Registry No. NSIC-02-Mn-04 given Oct. 18,
2002 at the National Seed Quality Control Services, Diliman,
Quezon City.
"It is my responsibility to provide through Mr. Dizon,
the buying public with the genuine and real grafted Sweet
Elena Mango seedlings produced with the highest standard of
quality. I believe this can only be achieved if the grafted
Sweet Elena Mango Seedlings sold to the public are genuine
and of the best quality.
"I have not entered into any legally binding agreement
to co-produce grafted Sweet Elena seedlings with any
business establishments and research institution I,
therefore, seek your intervention regarding this matter.
Your intervention will put an end to the unlawful and
unauthorized proliferation and sales of grafted Sweet Elena
Mango seedlings by issuing a cease and desist order to all
business firms and institutions that are transacting
business in any form using the name of Sweet Elena.
In recent "Mango Pinaka Contest," Sweet Elena won-first
prize in three categories: Pinaka Malaki, Pinaka Matamis and
Best Quality. Aside from the 1995 World Guinness Book of
Record listed Zambales as producer of the sweetest mangoes
in the Philippines. Among them is the Sweet Elena.
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