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| Bugnay wine produced by Sunrise Agrarian Reform Community in Gattaran, Cagayan (North) |
When it comes to fruit wine, most of us
commonly think only of two kinds, that is, red grape wine or white grape wine.
Unfortunately, there are a lot more where fruit wines come from other than
grapes. Thus, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department ofTrade and Industry (DTI) in Cagayan province have teamed up to bring fruit wine
making technology to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) as a way of earing
additional income by processing commonly abundant and available fruits in their
localities into wines.
Scientific studies have shown that wines
from fruits are rich in antioxidants because they contain lots of vitamin A,
vitamin C and other minerals like calcium , iodine , zinc, manganese , selenium,
potassium, etc. Fruit wines have shown to help: (1) Prevent heart disease
because it contains phenolic compounds that have antioxidant properties. There
are also substances in fruit wine that inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in
the blood which means unblocked arteries and veins; (2) Promote better sleep
because of the presence of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and the
human body clock. People with Insomnia may want to drink fruit wine to have
better sleep; (3) Prevent Diabetes, due to the presence of Manganese which have
been shown to stabilize blood sugar in the body. It also helps against free
radical damage; (4) Control blood pressure because of its potassium and
melatonin content, in addition to its fiber content which helps clean up the
blood vessels by facilitating the removal of fat; (5) Inhibit cancer cells due
to its antioxidant properties, that is, there are compounds that hinder the
growth of cancer cells in the body; (6) Promote the formation of healthy gums,
increase endurance, etc., due to its high vitamin C content. It is also
believed that fruit wines have aphrodisiac properties.
Under the fruit wine making project, the
Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) in Cagayan province have
agreed to process and produce fruit-based wines for sale to the public bearing one
common label. This activity shall expand and increase the availability of fruit
wines in the province, presently dominated by the Bugnay Wine from Sunrise Agrarian Reform Community (Sunrise ARC)
in Gattaran, Cagayan. An Agrarian Reform Community
(ARC) is a barangay at the minimum or a cluster of contiguous barangays where
there is a critical mass of farmers and farm workers awaiting the full
implementation of agrarian reform. The farmers and the farm workers will anchor
the integrated development of the area.
