9th Philippine Food Expo

PCARRD features MS Tubongbanua’s products

By Niño Manaog

Regional Applied Communications

WESVARRDEC

During the 9th Philippine Food Expo held on February 24–28, 2010 at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, the mango processed products of Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Rebecca Tubongbanua, popularly known as McNester Food Products, were bannered for promotion by the Applied Communications Division (ACD) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

Themed “Building a Global Market through Quality Philippine Food Products,” the recent national product expo allowed for PCARRD’s ACD to highlight Technomart and feature the McNester’s Food products in its booth that carried the product lines of eight other consortia from all over the country.

These products included the muscovado of the Cotobato Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (CARRDEC), Pinoy fries of the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Programs (ViCARP), ubi powder of the Central Visayas Consortium for Integrated Regional Research and Development (CVCIRRD), Cordillera coffee of the Highland Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (HARRDEC) and coco sugar and syrup of the Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMARRDEC).

MCNESTER’S MANGO PRODUCTS INVADE MEGAMALL

At the 9th Philippine Food Expo, PCARRD featured along with 8 other consortia products MS Rebecca Tubongbanua’s processed mango products representing FITS OPA Guimaras, much to the delight of the buyers. Here, MS Tubongbanua mingled with potential markets and studied better approaches which she could use and apply for her bestselling products.

During the three-day fair, Tubongbanua manned her own products and through her mango dips, complemented the Pinoy fries of Vicarp who held a cooking demo for the fair’s guests. Based on the WESVARRDEC’s logs, most feedback on the mango sauce and ketchup were favorable.

Aside from attending a seminar on how to place products in the supermarkets, Tubongbanua also talked personally with her customers and even found from one particular buyer about the possibility of sugar-free dried mango. According to Tubongbanua, the buyer’s suggestion was enlightening even as she is open to producing a sugar-free processed mango products through experimenting the same in producing with mango leather.

Tubongbanua was also invited to speak before a producers’ group based in Quezon City. Though the sales did not meet her expectations, Tubongbanua considered the exposure helpful in opening her to more and bigger opportunities for research, expansion and growth.

In an e-mail to RAC Coordinator Cora Navarra, ACD Assistant Director Cesar Frias commended the exhibitors on the success of the event, stressing that business and market matches must all the more urge value-adding efforts to upscale production in order to meet additional customer’s demands.

MS Gumana, FITS Tubungan coco coir products featured in Iloilo HORTI 2010

By Niño Manaog

Regional Applied Communications

WESVARRDEC

SHOW YOUR COCONUT

Staff Raul Tamara of FITS Tubungan (foreground) is ready to receive guests at the WESVARRDEC booth showcasing coco coir products of their farmers center including fenders, doormats, textile geonets and plant hangers. WESVARRDEC sold a considerable amount of coco coir products and IEC materials in the ten-day sales.

To promote the farmers’ expertise and their products while being able to reach more clients, the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) joined the Iloilo HORTI 2010, a ten-day plant exhibition fair held March 15–24, 2010 at the PNB Covered Gymnasium, corner Valeria and General Luna Streets in Iloilo City.

COLLABORATORS ALL

HORTI 2010 featured substantial lectures on plant production including one on the benefits of herbal plants given by Bacolod City’s Evelyn Bautista of Mamabel’s (far right, top); staff from FITS Tubungan and New Lucena man and prepare the booth, ready and all-smiles in the name of collaboration and service.

In coordination with the West Visayas State University, its partner member agency, WESVARRDEC featured the tropical plants of Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Baltazar Gumana of the Farmer Information and Technological Services (FITS) Pavia and also carried the coco coir products of FITS Tubungan. Gumana’s stall featured ornamental plants, trees and flower arrangements while the WESVARRDEC booth featured FITS Tubungan’s product line which included plant hangers, fenders, textile geonets and doormats.

Aside from a number of information, education and communication (IEC) materials, the WESVARRDEC booth also carried the processed mango products of Rebecca Tubongbanua as an added feature of and in consonance with the consortium’s thrust to continually “serving farmers and researchers regionwide.”

Led by the Horticultural Development Cooperative of Iloilo City (HDCIC), Iloilo HORTI 2010 hosted a plants contest for participating horticulturists. Themed “Sa Horticulture, Winner Ka,” the event featured lectures on plants production, herbal tea preparation, organic farming practices and bonsai basics. MS Gumana himself lectured on flower and cut foliage production, to the benefit of the members of HDCIC and the general public.

Responding to the needs of the horticulturists, Baltazar Gumana, himself an HDCIC official, said the event sought to promote awareness to the public on the presence and the potential business ventures that people can get from horticulture.

Serving farmers & researchers regionwide

(Clockwise from top left) WESVARRDEC RAC Staff Niño Manaog answers queries of Calinog, Iloilo Vice-Mayor Josefina Saturnino; Staff Teresita Espinosa welcomes guests with a smile; a visitor is glued reading a coco coir production brochure; RAC Coordinator Cora Navarra updates with MS Gumana on the event; and RTG Staff Nicolas Banquero tries the chamomile tea after the lecture on herbal plants.