The Official Publication of the Department of Trade and Industry-CAR
Dept. of Trade & Industry Cordillera Administrative Region Publisher
Editorial Board
Myrna P. Pablo Executive Editor
Carmelita C. Usman Managing Editor
Editorial Board: Arell F. Banez Renie M. Ramos Freda M. Gawisan Valentin A. Baguidudol Grace F. Baluyan Juliet P. Lucas Atty. Samuel D. Gallardo Remedios F. Magno Lino D. Cungihan
2
INSIDE In this issue‌. 3
Editorial
4-7
Abra :
8-9
Apayao :
10-14 Baguio-Benguet : 15
IP News
16-17 Ifugao : 18-19 Kalinga : 20-21 Mt. Province : 24-25 26-27 28
Abra’s Product Highlight: Talledo Veggie Noodles Miki/Veggie noodles production in Abra It is apparently phenomenal that the province of Abra is well supplied with “miki” noodles with its local producer –the Talledo’s Miki Commercial based in Barangay Mudiit, Dolores, Abra. As the owner and manager of the said firm, Mr. Arturo Talledo has been unwary of the painstaking efforts he has gone through as he tried to improve and develop his product line because he believes that in the race for quality, there is actually no finish line. And he has that fortitude of not fleeing from risk but rather facing it. With this, today, Talledo’s Miki Commercial has a sales of about 150,000.00 PhP monthly and has employed 13 regular workers . Talledo’s products are: Dried Miki Noodles (plain and with squash); Veggie Noodles (canton w/ squash). With the intervention of DTI, Talledo was exposed to marketing events such as provincial and regional fairs. Talledo’s miki products were likewise sold during the 2009 Food Caravan in Manila and the OLIF 2009. Packaging and label design were improved. Sticker label was launched during the conduct of IMPAKABSAT 2009 and the direct print in plastic packaging was launched during the Padaya 2010 Trade Fair. Also, through the intervention of DTI and DOST, Talledo was able to produce more product lines using other vegetables which are ampalaya, malunggay, camote and saluyot. With the acquisition of machineries and equipment, product quality was improved and the production volume has increased. (hallmark)
BIG SISTER VISITS SMALL SISTERS At least 4 handicraft producing groups in Apayao were beneficiaries of a product development consultation conducted in January 20, 2012 to February 3, 2012. Literally a big sister, Mrs. Soledad Valencia of the Binnadang Handicrafts based in Baguio City conducted on-site visits to the household producers of handicraft in Lower Apayao. In the group discussions, she painstakingly discussed the basics of engaging in handicraft production. Included in her discussions were the raw materials, attitude of the market, channels of distribution, pricing and many more matters relative to the whole operation of a handicraft business.
At present, the handicraft producers are busy executing the prototypes left for them to accomplish. Among those visited were the Asosasyon Dagiti Lumalaga ti Pudtol with their buri bags; Quirino RIC with their corn husk and recycled handicrafts, the Luna Weavers Association with their darumaka, nito & rattan basketry and the Bayong weavers of Marag. Due to in availability of the producers, she was not able to visit the water lily handicraft producers in Sta. Marcela. This Product Development and Consultation was made possible through the SPIN Program of the DTI. This is one of the counterparts of the department in the Project LEAH (Livelihood Enhancement Assistance to Households ) of Congressman Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang of the Lone District of Apayao. Francis Pacio
Flora, Apayao Streamlines Business Permit Issuance “We have achieved an average of eight minutes per business permit transaction” said Mayor Efren U. De San Jose of Flora, Apayao. This was at the culmination of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) aptly titled „Kayo ang Boss Ko‟ conducted in their municipality last January 1-30, 2012. According to Mrs. Erlinda C. Bagabay, the designated BPLO of the municipality, the BOSS was able to release more than 200 municipal business permits.
Soldedad Valencia giving a techno-demo in Marag Valley
“I did not come here as a buyer, I came here to teach you improve your products, production techniques and will assist you access more markets for your products” said Manang Soledad, as she is fondly called. So inspiring was her method of conducting the product development activity that most sessions extended even up to the wee hours in the evening. She even braved the rain and the dirt road through a motorcycle just to reach the bayong producers in the Marag Valley. “ Naka ay-ayat ti namay-an na, ket adu ti nasursuro mi keniana. Agyaman kami kaniana ken iti DTI iti daytoy nbga activity” ( Her method was very good and we learned a lot from her. We thank her and the DTI for opportunities like this) said Mrs. Araceli Juan, one of the weavers visited.
Applying the principles of the Business Processing & Licensing System, the Municipality of Flora devised a scheme where businessmen can process their municipal permits and other necessary permits in one setting. Their process has two stages, the preparatory and final stage. The preparatory stage was for the registrants to secure the supporting documents for their municipal permit. These include the Business Name Registration from the DTI, Fire Inspection permit from the BFP, sanitary Permit from the DOH, Certificate of TAX payment from the BIR, Weighing Scale Calibration among others. The second stage requires eight steps which start from the verification of documents, assessment of fees, payment of fees up to the actual printing and issuance of the Municipal Permit. It is in this second stage where the mayor started the time of business permit processing. He expressed his thanks to the participating agencies in the success of their recent BOSS and encouraged continuous support from all stakeholders, businessmen included.
This time around, more arrays of basic and prime commodities were made available by the distributors. A total sales of Php 241,480.00 was accounted. Noting the success of the two runs of Diskwento Caravan that were conducted in Itogon, some municipal officials are raising the idea that such activity will be a regular component of the Annual Foundation Day Celebration of Itogon, Benguet.
Diskwento Caravan, A Way to Convey Our Advocacy of Champion Business and Consumers Ralph B. Altiyen “When we do something, make sure it is felt�. This is the challenge raised by Sec. Gregory L. Domingo that all programs, services, and activities that Department of Trade and Industry will undertake and implement must have an impact on clients. Indeed, the constituents of Itogon, Benguet must have felt the value of the two Diskwento Caravans that were conducted in their locality that they are now requesting that it will be done regularly.
Local folks of Barangay Poblacion Itogon avails of a discounted goods during the caravan
And while consumers value the Diskwento as a chance to avail of discounted commodities right at their doorstep, the Distributors also enjoy the activity as an avenue to exercise their corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, the Department of Trade and Industry sees the activity as a concrete way to encourage and foster the so-called Public-Private Partnership. Partnership perhaps is the best strategy in bringing services of the government and private sector to the rural communities. As always defined and said, development is not the responsibility of only one sector but rather a multi-sectoral responsibility.
The DTI Baguio-Benguet Office facilitated a first run of Diskwento Caravan in Poblacion Itogon on August 19, 2011. The caravan is one among the various components of the Pangkabuhayan sa Barangayan Project, a project where various multi-stakeholders converged to bring their respective programs and services in the community. Despite being conducted at a Barangay level and with limited commodities to offer, a total sales of Php 54,377.50 was realized. The officials of Itogon have seen the impact of the activity that they formally requested the Department of Trade and Industry to conduct it again. But this time on a municipal level which was a component of their Foundation Day Celebration. The office obliged and the second run of Diskwento was conducted on December 14, 2011.
The distributors and partners who graced the invitation for the Diskwento Caravans are SUI Body Shop and General Merchandise, KM.6 General Merchandise, Tiongsan Harrison, National Food Authority, and Rising Sun Commercial.
DTI BENGUET ENDS THE YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE by ANDREA D. PALAEZ The provincial fourth quarter period was marked by a series of activities which emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination among provincial staff at all levels. The highlights of activities started with the agency’s enhanced participation during the Adivay Festival, Benguet province’s yearly celebration of its founding anniversary held on the 3rd and 4rth weeks of each November.
November also marked the inauguration of the multimillion peso Farmer’s Commodities and SME Center in Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet put up by a conglomeration of seven cooperatives in Benguet headed by the Cooperative Bank of Benguet. DTI-Benguet is once again tapped as one of its partners in matters relating to the SME Center. The SME Center includes a showroom for Cordillera products to be managed by the Benguet Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Initially, the Phil-export- CAR was offered a space to display their products. DTI-Benguet made its presence felt in the country side through the conduct of Diskwento Caravan at Poblacion, Itogon, Benguet. Retailers led by TiongSan Supermarket brought basic commodities literally to the doorsteps of residents of the area at wholesale prices on December 14, 2011 for its second leg. As a sidelight to the municipal sortie, Director Franklin Bonuan of the Cottage Industry Technology Center witnessed the turn-over of one unit high speed manual sewing machine donated by CITC to the Goldfield Weavers Association of Poblacion, Itogon acquired through representations by the DTI-Benguet office. The turn-over held on December 15, 2011 was witnessed by Hon. Mayor Oscar Camantiles and officers of the association.
Recipient - The Goldfield Weavers Association receives a high speed sewing machine from DTI and CITC through PD Freda Gawisan and Dir. Franklin Bonoan. The turn-over is witnessed by Itogon Mayor Oscar Camantiles. Through the funding of the Office of Benguet Congressman Ronald Cosalan, the benefits of free trade were disseminated to the constituents of Benguet through a seminar on DBFTA (Doing Business in Free Trade Areas) conducted at the Ben Palispis Hall, Provincial Capitol on November 22, 2011 participated by 160 representatives from the farming, cooperative, MSME and government sector. Speakers from BETP who facilitated the seminar focused on the benefits of free trade agreements as applied to the vegetable industry of Benguet. Apart from the DBFTA seminar, the veggienoodle cluster composed of six MSMEs and associations from Baguio City and Benguet occupied two booths during the Adivay agro-trade fair where they offered a variety of veggienoodle products and served steaming veggienoodle mami as well.
The common service facility will further enhance the implementation of DTI’s SPIN program for which the association is also a beneficiary. To cap the year’s accomplishment, a DTI Benguet technical staff in the person of Mr. Edwin Bagano Jr. was nominated to a foreign study grant under the JICA program. His application was approved and subsequently, he will travel to Tokyo, Japan to undergo a month long course in SME Development Policies starting January 9, 2012 – February 4, 2012. It has been a busy year for the provincial office made possible by enhanced networking activities by the provincial mancom and the funding and support from the regional office and other stakeholders.
A Story of Grit and Determination SME in Focus : BANAUE WOODCARVING SHOP Banaue, Ifugao was once a sleepy hamlet lulled by the cool breeze and heady scents originating from the rice terraces. But it suddenly roused to life the first time tourists started coming in during the early 80â€&#x;s. The steady increase in tourist arrivals has somehow impacted favorably on most local businesses such as those in the manufacture of souvenir products and those engaged in hotel and restaurant services. Banaue Woodcarving Shop This shop located at Paypayan, Banaue, Ifugao was one of the pioneering woodbased enterprises that cashed in on the growing tourism industry in Banaue. It was engaged in the manufacture and trade of woodcarved souvenir items like animal and human figurines, trays and bowls, and basketry. The business used to be managed by both husband and wife, but with the demise of her spouse, Mrs. Juanita G. Nagnot was left all alone to fend for herself, look after the family, and sustain the business. Obviously, she was able to surmount all the odds with flying colors and had even steered the business to where it is now. Back then when the commercialization of woodcarvings was gaining momentum, the business was doing well, but still, Mrs. Juanita Nagnot found it difficult to make both ends meet for her family as it was growing and expanding in numbers. Just how Mrs. Nagnot, unschooled and in want as she was then, made life easier for her brood now, makes one wonder. The General Manager’s Priceless Possession Her children, eleven (11) in all, have their own place under the sun. Almost all of them have gone to school and are now leading productive lives of their own. She has now an engineer, (3) pharmacists, a physical therapist, a teacher, and the rest are into the handicraft business like her. Two of the (4) remaining men in her life, her (4) sons, are still with her and have become handy in the business.
Breakthrough Encounters At the time she was desperately aiming at doubling her income, it was also the time the DTI Provincial Office of Ifugao was out promoting the maiden regional trade fair dubbed Encounter of the First Kind in Manila. The business got its breakthrough when it was invited by the DTI to participate in said exhibit, a DTI-CAR organized trade fair held at Hotel Nikko in Manila in 1991. This first exhibit that Mrs. Nagnot participated in led her to visit again the succeeding trade fairs where she met most of her current regular buyers. She is thankful to have been able to promote her products in the National Trade Fairs (NTF), Manila FAME – an international fair organized by CITEM, and the IMPAKABSAT Regional Trade Fairs held in Manila. Her participation to organized trade fairs culminated in her joining the voyage that went to Hawaii for the Buy Pinoy Trade Fair in 2006. When she got home from that trip abroad, Mrs. Nagnot, according to her daughter Emilia who went with her Mother to Hawaii , gifted one of her sons with a jeepney out of the amount she profited from the fair. Assistances Received During these marketing activities she participated in, she encountered institutional domestic buyers as well as foreign buyers who later on placed repeat orders, thus, making her busy for the rest of her life from 1992 onward. But it was not until after she received product development services from DTI where she got new, smaller sized and improved designs, a deviation from her traditional and bulky, gigantic life sized Indian products that she saw the business at its peak. To improve her management and entrepreneurial skills, she was encouraged to attend Exhibitors Advisory Courses where she or her representative learned the art of negotiation, how to attend trade fairs, basics of exporting, costing and pricing, among others.
Market and Marketing Practices Her market has expanded to include the export market. Now, she directly ships out her products to regular buyers in Holland and Hawaii. Likewise, the products she sells to Manila based exporters end up in the US, Chile, and Europe. Owing to her growing export market, she was forced to learn the ropes of exporting. It was good that during those times that orders were peaking up , most of her children have already graduated from school , thus, she had all the help needed, particularly on exports documentation. As orders grew, production capacity has not become a problem as she has, in time, earned enough for raw materials and labor payments. Aside from what it can produce on its own, the business acts as anchor to smaller businesses in the locality by consolidating their products as it similarly does to its sub-contractor groups in Banaue and elsewhere in the Province of Ifugao. The business consolidates the products, applies value adding finishing touches on the items before shipping these out. Through this big brother marketing scheme, Banaue Woodcarving Shop is able to sustain the employment and livelihood of those it directly impacts. Business Obstacles The ASEAN financial crisis in 1997 and the recent global financial crunch took a heavy toll on most businesses in Banaue, not sparing Banaue Woodcarving Shop. Other similar local enterprises have closed shop and some have diversified, but not Banaue Woodcarving Shop. According to Emilia Nagnot, one of the daughters who acts as marketing manager, the recent global recession has dampened the market, decreasing the purchasing power of her buyers, thus purchase orders were not as big as the business used to receive. Nevertheless, she is hopeful that the business will weather off these bad times as she helps consolidate the business. She now considers participating actively in domestic marketing activities. In fact she participated in the 2011 National Trade Fair held at the SM Mall of Asia and in the 2011 IMPAKABSAT Regional Trade Fair held last November. Strengths and Values Looking back, from a mere initial capital size of P0.05 in 1976, Banaue Woodcarving Shop has grown a hundredfold to P4.5 in total asset size as of date. The family has acquired (2) transport vehicles and motor cycles for mobility
and easy transport of products, and has put up a house big enough to accommodate the children and children‟s children, cousins, and production workers, and still has enough room left for production area and product show room. Her workforce totaling to (20) as of last count and the (4) sub-contractors group have only kind words about the general manager … Masipag, Mabait, Matatag at Matagumpay (MMMM). Her secrets? First, she knows how to look back to appreciate even the smallest act of kindness done to her that made a difference in her life. When asked if she may now forego all of DTI‟s services, particularly its trade fairs, for the reason that her business has already grown and can independently expand on its own, she said , “ Why should I? After all, I took my first exposure to the outside world when I first joined that trade fair at Hotel Nikko. I was one of the pioneers assisted by the DTI then,” she fondly recalled. True enough, there hangs on her wall till this day a faded poster of the 1996 Encounter II: First of Its Kind, as if to tell the world that this one thing, just like the previous encounters and trade fairs she attended, had opened doors for her to go places. Secondly, she knows how to reach out to the author of life. She once said “During times of hardship, don‟t give up. Look up to God for help, but help yourself also so that you will come out victorious . And that comes with a purpose, for God to use you more to spread his goodness to the others.”
The Ginamat Ginamat is the most popular Kalinga design and predominantly styled by the Lubuagan weavers. It is a twilled pattern weave decorated with silk embroidery. It’s geometric in nature, with the green and yellow colors portraying fertile mountains. The ginamat also speaks of the living waters in Kalinga, carried down by the currents of the Chico River. Today, Ginamat is universally chosen as the favorite ethnic accent for attires in weddings, pageants and scintillating occasions. The Inaglis “Inaglis” design was named after a Bontoc woman named Agnes who came to Lubuagan and taught the women how to weave. Her design eventually evolved into the “inaglis” design.
Kalinga Weaves Art & Culture For centuries, the tribal people of the Kalinga have hand-woven the rich tapestry of their culture and heritage into tight-weave designs we see today. And indeed, the native attires, costumes and accessories that we wear radiate the life and beauty of a culture that brings together the strands of history so that the weavers and their artistry are forever preserved through civilizations.
The Silanbituwon “Silanbituwon” design, prominently designed with “star-like” images on the cloth. When said in the Ilokano vernacular, we say “sinanbituin” or “star-like”. The cloth elaborately use black and red thread and the star design can either be in white or yellow gold.
Kalinga Weave Designs A lot has been said about the indigenous weaving of the Kalingas but little is known about the various weave designs and how they came about. Determined to identify & tell the story of each weave design, Noryn Bagano of the DTI-Kalinga seeks out Lourdes Taldiaw or more popularly known in the province of Kalinga as “Dumay”, a native of Lubuagan and renowned expert of Kalinga weaving. The interview with Dumay yielded a short but colorful description of each design and how each is inter-
The Kila-e “Kila-e” design is also one of the oldest weaving designs in Kalinga. This was named after an old man named “ka-e” whose favorite color is black. In honor of “ka-e”, the cloth prominently use black in creating the fine designs over the cloth.
The Nilabey
The Nilagtob
“Nilabey” design. This name suggests the process by which the woven cloth was made. Weavers normally weave the thread in cones, but this design is made with the thread in “labay” or plainly the thread is twilled in circle.
“Nilagtob” design is a popular design from Naneng, Tabuk. Sparkling and lively shade of red-orange is primarily used as the base color. Intricate geometric figures and shapes adorn the cloth in various colors of yellow, brown, white and green. Before the design is woven, the weaver performs a ritual in order to make the cloth sturdy and the threads intact.
The Gililing
The Bilaliktad “Bilaliktad” design, which by hearing the name alone will mean “baliktaran”. Designs are seen back to back on the cloth. The back to back design is popularly called the “silaksakaw” that came from the term “sakaw” and means handing the Kalinga heirloom. The normal base cloth is black, designed with handembroidered and intricate back-to-back linear figure.
The Binarangaw “Binarangaw” or Bilayakaw design is a popular “tapis” design of a tribe in Paracelis, similar to the design worn by Kalinga women from Tanudan, Kalinga. It is adorned by intricately embroidered geometric shapes and lines. Its main base color is blue.
“Gililing” design is a simple Kalinga weaving art. The cloth is worn as an every day wrap-around skirt “tapis” of old Kalinga women.
The Kilamkam
“Kilamkam” design is one of the oldest and most authentic designs of Kalinga woven cloth. The design came from the Kalinga term “kamkam” which means “picking up little by little”. The threads are placed in a stick and one by one picked up by the weaver. The design that comes out from this strongly suggests that the Kalinga weaver is creative. Way to go for the Kalinga weaving industry as the indigenous textile are now used in modern fashion as shown in a photo on the right.
IMPAKABSAT 2011, Showcasing the Best of the Cordillera The conduct of the 16th IMPAKABSAT has laid a milestone among region based trade fairs and the 2011 event at the Festival Mall in Muntinlupa City marked a tough record to beat. The recent Cordillera fair did not only surpass its previous record but it tripled its last mark to an all time high of P66.5 Million in total sales. Throughout the fair’s duration from November 12 to 20, products from the six provinces of CAR were shipped using varied transport modes from bus couriers, vans, trucks and even with a 4x4 SUV. Angie dela Cruz of Tartland Pasarabo recalled that shipment of her food products from Baguio to Muntinlupa were sent almost daily as incessant orders kept them busy up to the last day of the fair.
The center display at the IMPAKABSAT fair in Festival Mall
With a grand opening graced by national and local officials that included a governor, embassy officials and a celebrity who chairs the Optical Media Board, sales skyrocketed throughout the nine day fair. IMPAKABSAT has become an annual regional trade fair led by DTI-CAR since it started in 1991 after the July 16 “Killer Earthquake” that left the city of Baguio and nearby areas in shambles. The trade fair was an effort by the region’s trade and industry sector to boost economic activity, provide livelihood and find market to local products outside the region. Products enrolled under the One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) were among the items exhibited and the 2011 IMPAKABSAT also highlighted the participation of the Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Program (RuMEPP) and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) beneficiaries.
Cordi-Culturati: An indigenous performance by a group from Apayao captivated the audience moments before the cutting of the ribbon.
On-site Interview: Ifugao Governor Eugene Balitang answers questions from Manila based reporters after the launching.
Based on client survey conducted at the fair, producers prefer to participate in exhibits held in Manila because most buyers are based in the big city.
Abra’s Carlo Balneg with his fixed his smile as sales of his bamboo products soars
All smiles were spotted from these Apayao delegates when OMB Chair and former action star Ronnie Rickets entered the scene Veggie noodles are among the new products introduced during the fair
Radio Guesting: Entrepreneurs Soledad Valencia and Antuza Repalda together with RD Myrna Pablo are shown during a live program over DZBB with anchor Raul Virtudazo.
Prior to the event, publicity and media promotions were conducted starting from webposts, Invitations, press conference and press interviews.
CWM 2011 in Pictures
The 2011 launching of CWM activities among CAR’s CONSUMERNET members such as DENR, DPWH , DA-CHARMP, DOH, NFA, BFAR, DTI and other partners proved to be worth remembering with activities such as the Kapihan sa Baguio, hataw, market inspection, diskwento and cook fest.
Collaborating and working as a team makes the CONSUMERNET TWG members
On-the-spot meat inspection
Veggie Noodle Cookfest
Amidst the global concerns of climate change, increasing cost of fossil fuel and unabated environmental decay, every consumer can do their share of conservation by recycling used products and planting trees.
EARN WHILE YOU WAIT “This is a good activity because you learn and earn while you serve your sentence or wait for the outcome of your case”, said by Mr. Edgar Balanay, an inmate of the Bureau of ail Management and Penology (BMP) in Luna, Apayao. Handicraft weaving is introduced to the BJMP inmates by a collaboration of government assistances. Various skills trainings and entrepreneurial seminars were conducted to as start up activities. Last year, the BMP-Luna was enrolled by the Department of Trade and Industry to the Project LEAH of Congresswoman Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang of Apayao. Through this project, the BJMP inmates were provided hand tools necessary for their craft. They were also able to participate in a Product Development Clinic where Manila-based handicraft consolidators visited the province to conduct one on one market and product development sessions with selected handicraft producers, the BMP-Luna inmates included. Aside from this, their products were also displayed and sold in various Trade Fairs like the OTOP National Expo and the IMPAKABSAT Trade Fair. Since then, handicraft weaving became a common activity inside the BMP compound. The Jail guards purchase the raw materials and deduct the cost when the products are sold. Due to the diversified products and cooperative effort of the other agencies in promotion and marketing, the rattan handicraft of the BJMP-Luna is starting to be noticed. Arellano Tisong, another inmate-weaver said in vernacular, “nagpapasalamat ako sa mga tumutulong sa amin sa paggawa at pagtinda ng mga basket. Dati po kasi ay kami ang humihingi ng pera mula sa aming mga bisita, ngayon ay kami na ang nagbibigay sa aming mga pamilya”. (We are thankful to the agencies for their assistance in our weaving industry. Before this, we were the ones asking for money from our visitors, but now it is the other way around). SJO4 Donald Duldulao also said, “Boredom and idleness may cause quarrel among our inmates. Our work became easier with most of the inmates pre- occupied with their weaving” The stakeholders though, through DTI-Apayao Provincial Head, Mr. renie Ramos said that “ While we have already started at the right path, we are still in step one. There is a very long way to go before we can say that we have succeeded.”
To turn it to powder, the roasted rice was pounded with a mortar and pestle or ground up in a grinder. Then the rice coffee was added to boiling water.
Atty. Marvie M. Fulgencio
I do not know why people insist on calling it rice coffee. Unlike teas that are called teas even when they’re not made from tea plant, rice coffee is not even brewed like coffee. Perhaps it is due to the way it looks in addition as opposed to how it is made.
There is one thing about coffee that doesn’t sit well with people who don’t make a lot of money. It is expensive. It is always going to be expensive, more so, if you would consider the company, the ambiance, and of course the wi-fi.
Coffee ground from coffee beans is known world wide to be very expensive. This is the loop hole that the rice coffee has to take advantage of and which makes it a goldmine for profitable business.
FEATURE STORY: ROAST RICE COFFEE ON THE RISE
I was never really a coffee drinker until a few years ago when I badly wanted to grab a Starbucks planner and got hooked on soy milk coffee. My thinking is that I can make my coffee at home just the way I like it, without having to shell out a fortune. A few weeks ago, I stumbled on a cup of roast rice coffee in Benguet. It was unlike one of the run-of-the-mill coffee shops wanting a piece of the coffee culture boom. Here I met Theresa, a Benguet native who introduced me to roast rice coffee. Unlike other coffee, “the roast rice coffee is smooth and is not mapakla [not tart-y].” Having been raised from a family of farmers, she has seen the dismal performance of the rice industry in terms of return of investment. She has been a witness to many farmers getting discouraged in rice farming and switching to planting bananas and other cash crops. It was the rice farmers’ situation that she thought of finding other uses of rice aside from being our staple food – something that would add to the value of rice. It has also been her dream to produce rice-based products. According to Theresa, rice coffee has been in existence for a long time. It traces its roots all the way back to the World War II where people had to find methods of survival and rice coffee was one of the few viable options at that time. It was mainly taken by the Filipinos when Americans and the Japanese were fighting and used the Philippines as the battle ground. In this time, people got coffee either from the seeds of the ipilipil tree or from ground up roasted rice. The work was not all that complicated that is why it was seen as a solution by many. Rice was roasted by simply stirring it on a pan over an open flame and roasted under low fire until dark brown.
For the fiercest of coffee drinkers, every cup has a story. In this case, the story continues with the added health benefit of roast rice coffee. It is natural and contains no preservative. It contains lesser caffeine but a very rich source of antioxidants. Theresa added that rice coffee has anti-histamine benefits for people with allergies. She would recall each time her mother has an allergy attack, she drinks rice coffee and feels better afterwards. Even up to now, even if bed-ridden, she makes it a practice to drink a cup of rice coffee regularly. The product may not be new yet it is uncommon. Now, Theresa and her family uses red rice to make it more healthful. Meantime, Theresa and her husband are paying attention in growing rice organically. They do not use any chemical fertilizers and pesticides in growing their rice. Thus, they can claim that their rice coffee is made from organic rice. For the business people, this is the way to go.
DTI Conducts the First Veggie Noodle Cookfest in CAR In Celebration of Consumer Welfare Month Easter College Gymnasium, Guisad Rd., Baguio City
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – CAR conducted the first-ever Veggie Noodle Cookfest, in commemoration of the 2011 Consumer Welfare Month (CWM). The contest was held at the Easter College’s Hospitality and Management Laboratory on November 9, 2011 and featured eight contestants from three of the major schools offering hospitality, tourism and culinary management in Baguio City. The activity was conceived as a way of highlighting two major programs of the DTI; firstly, it hoped to promote locally-manufactured veggie noodles, a FLAGSHIP program of the region, as a commercially viable consumer item, suitable for production using indigenous vegetables. Second, the contest highlighted the theme of this year’s CWM commemoration, “Sapat, Ligtas as Abot-Kayang Pagkain Para Sa Lahat” by promoting consumer patronage to veggie noodles as an alternative to noodles that may have undergone more artificial processing. The University of the Cordilleras and Easter College each had three contestants from their schools, while Saint Louis University fielded two of its senior students. The contestants were given two hours to prepare three dishes - a hot- or cold appetizer, a main dish, and dessert – all incorporating veggie noodles as the primary ingredient. The dishes were to be judged based on Taste/Palatability (30%), Presentation and Plating (25%), Versatile use of the
A busy contestant adds a sachet of veggie noodle to his concoction during the First Veggie Noodle Cookfest held in CAR. Lower photo shows a noodle being used differently.
while Joseph Sib-aten expressed optimism in the success of the activity, considering the results he had adjudged. The First Veggie Noodle Cookfest was successfully implemented with the help of Easter College Hospitality and Management Department which provided the venue and MJ Gacad Incorporated that lent the LPG fuel
Judges Joseph Sib-aten, Napoleon Arrieta and Freda Gawisan carefully examine an entry during the plating presentation of the First Veggie Noodle Cookfest.
The Board of Judges were headed by Chef Napoleon Arrieta, Food and Beverages Director of the Baguio Country Club, and included as members Ms. Joelinda T. De Venecia of the Department of Agriculture – CAR Field Unit, Joseph Sab-It of the Baguio City School of Arts and Trade – TESDA, and Provincial Director Freda M. Gawisan of DTI-Benguet.
After a thorough review and inspection of the entries, the judges awarded Shelwyn Mark G. Garrido of Saint Louis University top honors for his entry, California Noodle Maki, Veggie Noodle Ravioli and Carrot Miki Basket con Fruit Mania. Coming in second and third was a tandem of students from the University of the Cordilleras, James Dave A. Reyes and Brent Dacquigan. Winners received medals and cash prizes of P4,000.00, P3,000.00 and P2,000.00 for first, second and third respectively, while their schools received trophies. Non-winning participants received certificates and consolation prizes. Guests lauded the inaugural contest, and expressed interest in assisting the DTI in future cookfests. Chef Arrieta promised to make representations with the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Baguio (HRAB) to align the activity with the standards established for culinary competitions in Luzon and nationwide,
Chef Napoleon Arrieta (right) of the Baguio Country Club, Chairman of the Board of Judges shares his insights on the dishes prepared by the contestants of the First Veggie Noodle Cookfest, held at the Easter School in Baguio City, November 9, 2011. A total of 24 dishes using veggie noodles as a primary ingredient were prepared by eight culinary students representing schools in the city of Baguio.
and two-burner stoves. DTI’s Business Development Division and Consumer Welfare and Trade Regulation Division collaborated in the conceptualization and implementation of the activity, which was recognized as an official part of the ConsumerNet – Cordillera’s CWM celebrations.
Brent Dacquigan (left) and James Dave A. Reyes (right) of the University of the Cordilleras flank the winner of the First Veggie Noodle Cookfest, Shelwyn Mark Garrido of Saint Louis University after the awarding ceremony.
SNAPSHOTS ATBP
Dolores Melong of Ifugao shows tinawon and maknongan rice varieties from Hungduan, ifugao during a 3-day Cordillera Organic Rice Festival held in Baguio City PIA photo
The promotion of Cordillera Festivals will not be complete without showcasing the primary OTOP products of the upland region. Photo shows officials from DOT and LGUs posing for posterity during a launching press conference. Food sufficiency - the conduct of Diskwento fairs in the City of Baguio and CAR provinces was substantiated with locally manufactures OTOP products
Weaving in the Cordillera is an age old tradition that is passed on from generations to generation. Successful enterprises such as Narda’s and the Easter Weaving Room proves that garments and accessories made from traditional hand woven cloths is not likely to be out fashioned.
Veggie noodles from the different food manufacturers in CAR had their products used as basic ingredient during the first inter school cook fest held in Baguio.
The Compliant Employee Award (Jerry B. Caday)
Award and recognition is one of the best way of encouraging and motivating an employee to comply and stand by the rules and policies of any office. Started in January 2011, the DTI Benguet office conducted a monthly search for the most Compliant Employee of the Month. At the end of the year, the employee who garnered the most number of awards during the monthly search will automatically be the recipient of the Compliant Employee of the Year Award. The program is more attractive if there is a corresponding material consideration involve. This is the reason why the Provincial Director and the two Division Heads agreed to shellout from their RATA the amount of seven thousand two hundred pesos (P7,200.00) for the reward of the Monthly Search Awardee amounting to Five hundred pesos (P500.00) and one thousand five hundred pesos (1,500.00) for the Annual Grand Winner.
The criteria on the monthly search includes Punctuality (i.e. tardiness and undertime) for 30 points, then another 30 points for the Best in Attendance (i.e. attendance to flag ceremony, attendance to CTS meetings and absenteeism), fifteen points for the submission of DTR and finally the last criteria which has the biggest share for 25 points is the monthly submission of accomplishment report. The main objective of the award system is to encourage full support of each staff on the rules and policies of the office and the timely submission of the all reporting requirements.
After one year of implementation, the result of the program is interesting to note that majority of the staff wants to be a winner. Timely submission of various reports improved significantly as compared to the previous years while majority in the office wanted to comply with various office rules as much as they can. Definitely, the program should continue and it would be interesting to see a tight competition among the staff for the year 2012.