Where Are the Buyers?

Midway through the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (tlrc) Trade Fair at the SM Megamall, the buyers (foreign) have not come. According to some of the sellers, they had better response last year. Hopefully by the time the exhibit ended, they would have been compensated (with orders) for they did their best in producing a wide selection of items from furniture to food, that could very well stand side by side with those of the rest of the world.

While we marvelled at the creativity and zeal of those who participated, we saw the need for better organization on the part of the organizer, namely tlrc. They could have advised the merchants to maximize their efforts by printing collaterals. Most of them do not even have product/price lists. No brochures were available, except for a few and a particular furniture store was left to someone who could not even give an interested customer any details about placing an order.

The show featured practically everything that Filipinos can make, a wide selection from Mindanao to Quezon City. We were impressed at the Ilocos Sur section, where we learned that the Multi-line Food Processing Plant has made it possible for farmers to find a wider market for their products that include dried fish, pickled fruits, longaniza and tocino, flaked (this is new) and powdered garlic plus dressed chicken. We got the popular traditional longaniza (Vigan brand) at P85 a pack of a dozen pieces and the small hamonado at P45. They sell bagnet at P280 a kilo. The only outlet of this in Manila is in the UP campus in Diliman.

Right beside it is the group called Ilocos chips, the newest being crispy sweet potato (camote) at P30 and P15 for the big and the small packs, respectively. Also from Ilocos Sur is the Three Sisters’ bibingka, which has the consistency of Chinese tikoy. This is sold at P80 for a small bilao and P90 for a box of 16 individual cakes.

From Daet in the Bicol region comes coco jam with pili nuts at P70 per bottle. We bought the atchara of green papaya at P65 a bottle. From Mindoro, we noted butter cookies, which they call Curioso, supposed to be their most famous product. It is also interesting how the Seakid company infused the teriyaki flavor in their crispy dilis, which come either plain or spicy. This is, at least, available in supermarkets in Manila.

The province of Quezon, the town of Lucban particularly, is also known for its longaniza. But they also have cookies and biscuits, some of which come from the Dealo family, who has had the business passed on from generation to generation. Their catch phrase is "Ang Tunay na Pinoy Biscuit" and among these are apas, broas, camachile, mamon tostado, señorita and uraro. No need to go to Lucban, for they have an outlet in BF Almanza, Las Piñas.

We also discovered the fresh and processed meat of Mother Earth Products, Inc. Actually, we have been curious about their store in BF Parañaque so we were glad we encountered them at the fair. They sell top sirloin at P280 a kilo, fillet mignon at P412 and boneless brisket at P145 a kilo. We were tempted and got their tocino longaniza and we do not regret it. In the same booth were Claude’s House Specialties, including pork adobo and beef salpicao plus bottled sauces. Other discoveries at the fair included muscovado rocks from Negros, which you can drop into your coffee or tea and DVF fresh carabao milk, sold in many outlets in Manila.

It is regrettable that most of the producers do not have outlets in Manila. Perhaps the tlrc can have a permanent showroom or a distribution outlet.

Speaking of entrepreneurs, we take our hat off to the Godiangco family whose small pan de sal outlet called Julie’s (started in Cebu) has expanded to more than 250 stores in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. Speaking of Cebu, the name of the restaurant where they serve Bangus with Coconut milk is Golden Cowrie.

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Lydia D. Castillo’s e-mail address: [email protected]