Getting There

From all indications and with support and encouragement of government, we would like to think that our food industry is getting–slowly–where it needs to be: right in the midst of the international market. Because we have some very competitive goods to offer.

CITEM and the Exports Promotions Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry held the annual Asian Ethnic Food Festival a fortnight ago at the World Trade Center and we saw the creativity, the innovative genius and the determination of local manufacturers to get into that rather elusive world market. Local consumers should also be encouraged to buy local.

It is amazing how these manufacturers have concocted a variety of products using indigenous raw materials. Take Giron Foods Inc. They have made kangkong into bottled atsara and interestingly enough have scoured the country for exotic and unique plants and fruits to use for making jams and juices. Ever heard of green talong? That is catmon from Mauban, Quezon, which Giron has made into jams. And liputi? That belongs to the duhat family, and is also a main element in their jams. Don’t worry about where to buy these, because they are in the course of making arrangements to have their products sold in supermarkets and other stores in the city.

Hito in oil? They have done that as well. That is from Nenita Farms, a member of the active Food Processors’ Association of Davao, which progressed from meat suppliers to canned and bottled food manufacturers. The hito sells at less than P50 a bottle.

Other Nenita products are vienna sausage, corned beef, luncheon meat and even cooked food such as pork and beef adobo, beef caldereta, mechado and lechon paksiw–all canned with long expiry dates. There are also shredded pork (bah hoo) and fish (hee so) which are ready to eat or to spread over lugao, stuffed into tomatoes or zucchini for baked appetizers. They cost P45 per pack of 100 gms. They have an outlet near Airport Road and will soon be in other stores.

The Mindanao Food Corporation exhibited a variety of seafood balls, egg rolls and crab delicacies under the brand names Sea Fare and Rose from Sun Gee, Sirawan Food Corporation. Consider their Salmon Twists at P131.50 a pack of 500 gms. They are sold at all SM supermarkets. These are ideal to add to your pancit palaman or to eat as appetizers which you can barbecue and serve with homemade sauces.

From the Visayas, Bacolod specifically, comes Jewel Tilapia, bred by the Domingo family. It is more fleshy, is sold frozen whole or fillet, seasoned like hamonado or marinated in herbs and spices, at P80 per pack.

We found the most delicious ube bars and fluffy ensaymadas with ube filling, from the booth of Malou’s Cakes and Nuts and Jammie’s. The yam concoction is most unique. It is a two-layered brownie type of sweet that has vanilla flavored cake as base for the ube. They sell this at P90 for a box of 12 pcs. and P180 for 24. Check your Christmas gift list and consult this bake shop for packs of bars and brownies (the Holiday Collection is really yummy), plus specialty cakes, among them Oreo and Double Fudge cakes. They are on Data Street in Quezon City.

To a lot of Filipinos, a cup of hot, rich chocolate is their wake-upper. An enterprising young man who grew up in Balayan, Batangas was brought up with this morning beverage. He saw its international potential and thus Cacao Filipina was born. The traditional tablia (choco balls) and powdered form are sold, attractively packaged in glass jars, crepe envelope, boxes and plastic bags. If you want authentic Batangas chocolate, this is your brand, from Julian Gourmet Corporation. From the group of importers we saw by this booth, we surmise Cacao Filipina is making a headway.

Cheers to the new Filipino Food "inventors"!! May their tribe increase!