Sister Mary Cecilia Albea, SPC, of St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur in Bantay town sent us this picture of a prolific jackfruit tree in the garden of their convent planted by older Sisters of St. Paul some 40 years ago.

Sister Mary Cecilia relates: “We are now the ones enjoying the sweet fruits every year. What amazes me are the rare clusters of fruits, which come in twos, threes or even nines. They appear like giant grapes in cluster.”

The good sister hopes that her sharing the pictures (three) with us will catch our attention. She adds that she loves trees and various plants, having been from an agricultural town in Nueva Ecija. She is an environmentalist.

She wrote that she has been an avid reader of our column in Manila Bulletin. And she is most interested in the unique, wonderful agri-products coming from various places in the Philippines that we feature. And she wants to congratulate the gentleman-farmers and lady farmers for their ingenuity, industry and commitment. Truly, they are our new heroes, she concludes.