Canned ‘laing’ for export

LEGAZPI CITY – Mention "laing" and what instantaneously comes to mind is Bicolandia.

A delicacy among Bicolanos, and now also some lovers of Filipino ethnic foods, "laing" is a dish made of taro (gabi) leaves and stalks slowly cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with ginger and chili. This could, likewise, be mixed with shrimp, fish, or meat for a variation.

The nutritious canned product was developed by the Department of Science and Technology-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) through its Venture Financing Program.

Other DOST agencies–Industrial and Technology Development Institute (ITDI), Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), and Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) – also provided technical assistance in product development and packaging design.

Moreover, DOST intervention included acquisition of additional equipment, machinery, and other laboratory instruments for plant expansion to improve production of canned "laing" and other canned products such as "ginataang mais", banana blossom, "halo-halo" and mongo.

The canned products were presented to the public by the Moonbake, Inc., which adopted the technology, during an exhibit at the Casablanca Hotel here. The exhibit formed part of the celebration of National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) last July 21-26.

An S&T roadshow featuring successful small and medium enterprises (SMEs) assisted by DOST’s banner program Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP) preceded the NSTW celebration. The roadshow ran from San Pablo City (Laguna) to Quezon province, Camarines Sur and, finally, to Albay.

DOST officials led by Secretary Estrella Alabastro and Undersecretaries Flor Tesoro and Fortunato dela Peña, together with members of the media from Manila and the Bicol region and SMEs, took part in the weeklong activities.

To date, reported Moonbake, Inc., canned "laing" has passed international standard, making this enthic food available to Filipino communities in various parts of the world such the United States, Canada, the Middle East, Australia, Japan and Taiwan.

Moonbake told The STAR that the company now produces 145,000 canned products (primarily "laing") per month. At least 70-80 percent of the products are exported, it added. A can costs P21. – Rudy A. Fernandez