Genetics 101 By Doc Synan

Remember our interesting chat with Doc Synan during the inauguration of Milk Star Dairy Plant?

While on the way to Los Banos, we texted Doc Synan to ask if he was free to meet up with us after lunch.... he will be at PCARRD! Take note it was a non working holiday!

After all that Makapuno eating and talking, we grabbed a quick lunch by the pitstops along the highway. By 1pm or so, we were knocking at the door marked LIVESTOCK...and there began another round of banter and chitchat with the never tiring Doc Synan.

Genetics and animal behavior were topics he can't have enough of. No wonder, because that is really his specialization in school. Zac's original intention was talk to Doc Synan about goats, but the afternoon it went from goats, cattle, poultry...and of course Doc Synan had to end with his love, the Darags.

With all that passion shown, it does rub in...I want to go back now to my roots' hometown and try to recover some of the chickens that place is known for.

I will not deal on the "lectures" we got...I might end up preempting some articles meant to be written. Those things you can research about.

As Doc Synan brought us to the parking of PCARRD, I thanked him for seeing us on a holiday. He didn't go there to meet us. He just squeezed us in his overwork schedule.

THE dedication and passion of some of our public servants...you have to experience!

That we got this June 9, the declared Holiday to commemorate Independence Day.

Puro Makapuno

The trip to Los Banos was so short. That is how travel times are cut...with interesting conversations. With us was Linda Rillo, consultant for PhilHybrid and Zac Sarian.

The moment you get to the laboratory, you are requested to change footwear.

Puro Makapuno is the brand used for the Makapuno processed by PhilHybrid for the nuts they harvest.

The candies which were cooked with milk, cheese, sugar and Makapuno strings were sooooo far in taste and consistency than their Bulacan cousins. Newly harvested Makapuno nuts were opened for us to see and experience the taste of fresh ones. They need not be cooked in sugar as far as I am concerned. They are great to eat as is fresh.

After all the eating, we were invited to see the culture room where they do the embryo cultured seedlings they sell. We almost forgot what the trip was all about after all tasting.

Interesting how they can propagate Makapuno now, when before it was just an accident to encounter such nuts among bunches of coconuts. We got some seedlings to take home. The price of PHP650 each is not expensive....after all the steps PhilHybrid carefully work on, we have seen how they were able to have the seedlings available.

There is such a big demand for pure Makapuno in the food industry. Look into it if you have space to plant, can afford to sit on investment....hey, after 5yrs, you will harvest the nuts continuously.


The Makapuno strings we took home and sampled today are not all sugar and coconut as we get from the commercial brands we are so familiar with :)

With my seedlings...maybe I can have my own nuts in 3-4yrs.