International food expo features MS Tubongbanua's mango processed products

Dr. Cora F. Navarra

RAC Coordinator

During the 2011 International Food Exhibits (IFEX) Philippines held May 12-14 at the SMX Mall of Asia in Pasay City, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) showcased the mango sauce and mango catsup of Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Rebecca Tubongbanua of the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC).

MS Tubongbanua belongs to the FITS OPA Guimaras, WESVARRDEC's partner member agency.

Other consortia products featured in the PCARRD-DOST booth were the pili oil and other pili-based food preparations from the Bicol Consortium of Agriculture Resources Research and Development (BCARRD); the coco sap sugar, coco sap syrup, frozen durian and durian jam of Southern Mindanao Agriculture Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMARRDEC); and the strawberry jam by Highlands Agriculture Resources Research and Development Consortium (HARRDEC).

During the exhibits, free tasting of the mango catsup, strawberry jam, durian jam, and coco sap syrup elicited positive responses from the visitors and generated some sales of the products.

IFEX also featured foreign-owned food products and technologies and equipment for food manufacturing and packaging.

Part of the exhibition was a mango- eat-all-you-can done across the three-day expo. Guimaras mango was ordered by the Center for International Trade and Exhibitions and Missions (CITEM), event's lead sponsor.

Complementing PCARRD’s TechnoMart, a modality that bridges S&T-based products from the consortia through business mentoring and market matching, this year's IFEX allowed for consortia's MSs to bring their S&T-based products to bigger markets.