According to the legend, the dragon fruit was created thousands of years ago by

fire breathing dragons. During a battle when the dragon breathed fire the last thing to
emerge would be the fruit. When the dragon was slain the fruit was collected by the
victorious soldiers and presented to the Emperor as a coveted treasure. The soldiers
would then butcher the dragon and eat the flesh. It was believed that those who feasted
on the flesh would be endowed with the strength
and ferocity of the dragon and that they too
would be coveted by the Emperor.

Compared to a dragon fruit, the Abulug

Dragon Fruit Producers Association (ADPA) which is
largely composed of women have their exotic
and colorful characteristics.

It could be that the story came into popular

folklore in a fascinating village of Sta. Rosa in a
costal 3rd class municipality of Abulug in the
province of Cagayan as a way of making this
strange looking fruit their own identity, symbolic of power, vitality and luck.

To know more about this life-changing livelihood, let us get acquainted with the
existence of the dragon fruit producers-processors and this magnificently flamboyant as
its mythical namesake. Behold, dragon fruit!

HOW THE PROJECT STARTED: ITS OBJECTIVES AND ITS STAKEHOLDERS

The Abulug Dragon Fruit

Producers’ Association was organized
under the auspices of the Local
Government Unit of Abulug – Public
Employment Service Office. It was
registered with the Department of
Labor and Employment with
Certificate of Registration Number
CAG 1522-2014 issued on November 3, 2014. At present, it has a total of 35 members.
 The municipality of Abulug is endowed with people nurtured by good culture
and values, hardworking, resourceful and resilient. It is blessed with immensely fertile
agricultural areas that have been utilized in rice and fruit production.
Barangay Sta. Rosa is situated in an
area that abounds with various fruits and fruit
plantation areas. Generally, farming is the source
of livelihood in this community. Specifically,
dragon fruit growing has become a promising
source of income for the people of Sta. Rosa.
Every household’s backyard has it. Gradually,
Abulug gained its popularity among Cagayanos
as one of the largest suppliers and growers of
dragon fruit in the province.
However, when the season of harvests arrives, the
abundance of fruits such as dragon fruit over runs the demand. A large percentage of
the produce are most often sold very cheap and or becomes spoiled. This prompted
the group