How OFWs can come back to Philippines for good

from a report by Salve Duplito, ANC MANILA, Philippines - There’s been much ado about how Filipinos working overseas are putting our economy in a sweet spot. That is something the whole economy must applaud, but then at some point, the OFW must face his own economic mortality and ask: "Until when am I going to be a hero for everyone and start being a hero for myself?” Imelda Dagus started working in Yemen right after college as a flight attendant. She has worked and lived abroad for 25 years —more than half her life, far away from her home in Jolo, Sulu. This September, however, she is finally coming home. She reached out to entrepreneurship expert Chit Juan, who inspired her to expand her father’s coffee shop called Dennis’ Coffee Shop. She will leave a high-paying job in Oman in an oil and gas exploration company to promote Sulu coffee culture in Zamboanga, using her ancestral home as a venue for a unique coffee shop experience. In the process, she’s also providing employment and hope for her people in war-torn Jolo. Imelda is now an ambassador for entrepreneurship and financial literacy among OFWs. And she is pumped up for her new adventure. “I have found that bag of gold and I wanted to share it with friends, family, everybody. And what is surprising is that you start talking about these things, but nobody seemed to really believe. Like I found a bag of gold, would you like to share it with me? And nobody would… Come on. It’s just uh… Maybe you’re pulling our leg. But the truth is, that’s what I really feel. Like opening your eyes and knowing what this financial literacy is all about. It’s really a big thing to living your dreams," Dagus said. Dagus said she found it hard to come home because she was so distracted by the ease of living in first-world countries and shopping, among other things. “You see one bag, and then you like the color, you like the style, this year you see another color, at least two. And you don’t really think about it. So looking back, when I have realized what I have been doing in the past, I really consider myself you know, like, why did I act so stupidly before? My message is that I hope people will realize that this retail therapy is really something that OFWs must learn to control," she said. But all that changed when she started getting hooked on financial literacy in 2008 and realized that she had to build a roof while it wasn’t raining yet. "You don’t want to end one day, but of course, it’s an illusion. It will have to stop one day whether we like it or not. So to me, we might as well prepare for that," she said. Dagus bought five condominiums which is now valued at around P16 million. She also has savings in the bank for emergency funds, and a start-up capital of P2 million for her business. She has realized that she shouldn't have some of her money and properties, but now, she knows better. She lost money to scammers. One of whom was her downline in a network marketing business. But she refused to be defeated. She consistently saved money and was wise of her spending. Dagus' financial awakening allowed her to save and invest to provide additional income for herself and her family. She could have achieved so much more with a concrete strategy and financial plan but what she has done is already a major achievement. For overseas Filipinos who want to come home for good, find a way to do the following: 1. Have a clear mindset that the income will end at retirement age. First, have a clear mindset that one day, all of the things you enjoy will disappear. So you should prepare to come home as early as you can. "When you find that work abroad, it is the ultimate goal, because I think that is what the OFWs miss. They forget to do the exit plan. It’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve signed the contract abroad. This is it. This is the ultimate goal.’ And then they get trapped in that comfort zone if you will and never plan of coming back," Dagus said. 2. Prepare financially. Don’t just save. Invest your money. Learn about creating passive income. "Saving is not actually making your money grow, because you lose on inflation. If you save your P1,000 today, it will not be P1,000 in value tomorrow. So I think financially, Filipinos have also to prepare," she said. 3. Build the skills of an entrepreneur. "OFWs in particular should think of building a business back home instead of coming back and looking for another job, because you will definitely not get the kind of income that you earned overseas back in the Philippines," she said. Dagus said the truth is, most OFWs are afraid to leave their jobs and come home. However, OFWs should look beyond your current comfort zones. Coming home for good will turn from dream to reality only when you push yourself to make goals and move from wishful thinking into creating a concrete plan.

Business bustling in booming Philippines

MINORU SATAKE and YASUO AWAI, Nikkei staff writers Economic growth has been a boon to chains such as Uniqlo. MANILA/HONG KONG -- The Philippines is enjoying rapid growth after a long stretch of political turmoil and economic stagnation, and foreign companies are looking to take advantage of strong consumer spending while successful local businesses start to look abroad. Customers continue to flock to the Uniqlo store in the Mall of Asia near Manila even two years after its opening. In its 1,550 sq. meters of floor space, the store offers nearly the same T-shirts and other apparel as its counterparts in Japan. On weekends, it overflows with Filipino shoppers with clothing crammed into their baskets. The casual apparel chain, run by Japan's Fast Retailing, has opened 15 stores in the Philippines, chiefly around Manila, since moving into the market in 2012. It is enjoying brisk sales and aims to more than triple this network to 50 by 2015. And Japanese convenience store operator Lawson has set up a joint venture in the country with Puregold Price Club, which runs shopping centers and other facilities, and plans to open stores this year. Famous ramen chains such as Santouka and Ippudo have branched out into in the Philippines as well. From "sick man" to Asian miracle After the end of World War II, the country, once under U.S. administration, boasted one of Asia's leading economies. But the long-standing regime of Ferdinand Marcos crumbled in the 1980s, and coups and other developments threw the country's politics into disarray. Japanese companies fled amid deteriorating security, and an economic slump led to its labeling as "the sick man of Asia." The inauguration of the current administration under Benigno Aquino stabilized the country, allowing its potential to fully blossom. The Philippines has a population of around 100 million, with an average age of 23. Its gross domestic product growth is outstanding, reaching 7.2% last year. Per capita GDP is seen exceeding $3,000 next year, and the International Monetary Fund estimates that it will surpass Indonesia's in 2019. In fact, the title of one session at the World Economic Forum on East Asia, held in the Philippines in May, went so far as to call the country "the next Asian miracle." Its main growth driver is consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of GDP. For a long time, many Filipinos have worked abroad as maids, sailors or in other occupations. More than 10 million now live outside the country, and remittances from abroad swelled to $22.9 billion last year. This, combined with political and social stability, as well as the success of such policies as low interest rates, has lifted domestic demand even further. Retail giant SM Group is building a massive shopping center on Cebu, a famous resort destination. It will also expand into areas seen as less affluent, with plans to open four malls on the southern island of Mindanao, which has many poor residents. The problem is the sluggish manufacturing sector. The Department of Finance plans to hold a seminar in Japan as early as this fall to attract investment from Japanese businesses. Philippine companies on the rise A Jollibee location in Hong Kong's Central business district was nearly full Thursday afternoon. Businessmen in dress shirts were scattered among the Filipino women who made up 80% or so of the customers, chatting while eating hamburgers and spaghetti. "I like the golden-brown fried chicken," said one Hong Kong bank worker in his 30s. "I come a few times a week." Philippine fast-food chain operator Jollibee Foods runs some 2,800 stores worldwide, rivaling Japanese beef bowl company Yoshinoya Holdings. The key to its buildup is a food selection catering to local tastes. Although it is a burger chain, it also offers such items as spaghetti and Chickenjoy, a meal with fried chicken and rice, attracting a variety of customers. The slightly sweet seasoning is a hit with Filipinos, and it has been called one of the country's national foods. Jollibee is using its success at home to ramp up expansion abroad. It brought Chinese fast-food chain Yonghe King under its umbrella and is adding more stores there, and it has moved into Vietnam, Singapore, the U.S. and the Middle East as well. Its 588 stores outside the Philippines account for around 20% of the total, but Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong aims to raise this to 50%. Strong demand has helped the company grow at home, and it is making use of its know-how abroad. Filipinos working in other countries enjoy the chain's food, boosting its sales. Universal Robina, a snack and drink maker owned by the Gokongwei conglomerate, is building a $30 million snack plant in Myanmar. It has three factories in Vietnam, including one slated to come online this year, and facilities in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia as well. Brandy maker Emperador announced in May that it will purchase Scottish whisky distiller Whyte & Mackay for $725 million. The Philippine company makes and sells low-priced brandy domestically and is overwhelmingly popular with middle- and lower-class consumers, success that has helped it expand abroad.

New possibilities with Super Napier

by Zac Sarian An organic farming entrepreneur is excited about the new possibilities with the Pakchong 1, the Super Napier that was developed by Dr. Krailas Kyiothong of Thailand. The planting materials of this fast-growing and highly nutritious grass are now available in the Philippines and that’s what excites fellows with entrepreneurial mindset. One guy who is most excited is Ronald Costales of the Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna. Why? BIG PLANS WITH SUPER NAPIER BIG PLANS WITH SUPER NAPIER — Ronald Costales has big plans with Pakchong 1, the so-called Super Napier, which he has acquired lately. He intends to formulate fermented feeds out of Super Napure leaves and stems for feeding to organic pigs and chickens. He is also eyeing extracts from Super Napier as organic foliar fertilizer because this fast-growing grass contains 17 to 18 percent crude protein. Photo shows Costales with 10-days old Super Napier which he intercropped with Frillice lettuce to maximize production from precious farm space. He believes that with the super grass that contains 17 to 18 percent crude protein, it could significantly boost organic pig production not only for himself but also for other ordinary pig raisers. He said that Jess Domingo of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao, has already proven that growing organic hogs with fermented feeds that include even chopped water hyacinth can be profitable. Domingo has proven that he can make a profit of P5,550 per head of organically grown hogs in a growing period of 5.5 to 6 months during which the piglet will attain a weight of 90 kilos. An engineer who is adept at figures, Ronald has been making his own computations of feed formulations for fatteners, brood sow and piglets. He has come up with figures showing how much of Super Napier can substitute the costly soya and fish meal in formulated feeds. He is also now experimenting in making silage out of napier tops with the addition of molasses and effective microorganisms (EM). King Ranch has supplied him some napier tops. This early, Ronald is crafting schemes that could benefit not only himself but also other farmers who don’t have access to essential inputs in raising organic pigs. So he is going to grow Super Napier in big scale and make use of the biomass to produce fermented pig feed for sale to other farmers. JOINT VENTURE — One possibility is to have a joint venture with selected farmers. The farmer will be trained on the basics of raising organic pigs. The farmer will put up his own hog house similar to the system used by Ronald. One scheme could be this way. The farmer provides the hog house and labor. Ronald, on the other hand, provides the piglets with value indicated, and the feeds with the value also indicated. After the growing period of 5.5 to 6 months and the piglet has attained 90 kilos or thereabouts, Ronald will buy the fattened pig at the prevailing price in the market. From the total proceeds, the value of the piglet and the feeds is deducted. The remainder is then shared equally by Ronald and the farmer. MORE VARIANTS — Other variants are also possible. For instance, the farmer can put up his own housing, buy his own piglets and also buys the fermented feeds from Ronald. At harvest time, the farmer can sell his fattened hog to Ronald or to some other buyers. He is free to sell to any buyer. Farmers can also undergo training in organic hog production, including formulation of feeds. That way they can make additional profits for themselves if they formulate their own feeds. One advantage that Ronald will get from the increased interest in organic hog production is that he will be assured of adequate supply of organic pork that he can sell to his fast growing clients for organic farm produce in Metro Manila. ORGANIC CHICKENS, TOO — Ronald is also into the raising of organic eggs and poultry meat. And he is also excited in formulating fermented Super Napier for feeding his chickens. Currently, he raises a lot of native chickens. At the same time, he is producing the Sasso-type broilers and layers which he supplies to a well known distributor of organic foods and wellness products in Metro Manila. ORGANIC FOLIAR FERTILIZER, TOO — Ronald also sees the possibility of producing Super Napier extracts which will be used as fertilizer for his salad green crops like lettuce, arugula, French beans, Japanese cucumber and culinary herbs. Oh yes, there are a lot of possibilities with the Super Napier. And the above are just for organic farming. **** **** ****

This lady is passionate about stingless bees

by Zac Sarian Meet a lady who is a pioneer researcher on stingless bees, promoting the culture of the same as a source of income, especially among poor farmers in Bicol. She is Dr. Maria Dulce J. Mostoles, the director of the Regional Apiculture Center based at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) in Pili, Camarines Sur. Dr. Maria Dulce Mostoles Dr. Maria Dulce Mostoles is being congratulated by Dr. Emiliana Bernardo after she presented her prize-winning paper on Stingless Bees at a national scientific convetion in Cebu City. Her passion has been duly recognized. At the recent national scientific conference of the Pest Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP) in Cebu City last May 6-9, her presentation won the “Best Paper Award.” Stingless bees are native bees that are little known to many people. They produce less honey than the conventional Italian bees that are cultured worldwide but Dr. Mostoles has observed a number of good reasons why they should be propagated by more people. For one, they are not as expensive to culture. They don’t need very sophisticated housing like the Italian bees. In fact discarded boxes of different shapes and sizes as well as coconut shells are suitable for housing stingless bees. Although they produce less honey, the honey of stingless bees fetches a higher price than those currently produced in commercial bee farms. A colony with 5,000 or more workers can yield about 300 ml honey in three months which is worth P300. But that’s not all the income from a colony of Stingless bees. They also produce a lot of propolis which commands a price of P800 to P1,000 per kilo. Buyers are makers of wellness products because propolis is said to have anti-fungal properties. Stingless bees also produce a lot of wax which is also utilized in making cosmetic and wellness products. Coconut shells Coconut shells as well as old wooden boxES can be used to house stingless bees. stingless bees This is the harvest from a mature colony, including honey, pollen, propolis and wax. The bees also gather a lot of pollen which is a nutritious food supplement that sells for P1,500 to P2,000 per kilo, according to Dr. Mostoles. And the bees are also efficient pollinators of fruit-bearing plants including vegetables and fruit trees. As early as 1995, Dr. Mostoles who is an entomology graduate from Los Baños began working on honey bees, starting with the laywan or the native bee. She remembers helping an investor who raised the Aphis mellifera. He was at first successful but the project died a natural death due to greed. She pointed out that the owner got all the pollen that the bees gathered from the wild which he sold to buyers from Manila. He didn’t leave any of the pollen for the bees to feed on. And so they were starved. Anyway, in 2001, she happened to see a couple of stingless bee colonies in the home of Rodolfo Palconitin in Guinobatan, Albay. That triggered her interest in stingless bees and encouraged Mr. Palconitin to culture the bees commercially, which he did. Today, Palconitin is about the biggest supplier of stingless bee colonies to interested raisers not only in Bicol but also from other parts of the country. Dr. Mostoles is proud to say that many stingless bee raisers have been encouraged by her. And she has observed that many of them have developed their own housing systems. One of them is a Japanese who came up with a double layer box as housing for his bees. Many of them, however, simply use coconut shell as their main housing. That is just right for many families who can’t afford to buy sophisticated housing. Some just perch their housing on trees, including coconut trees. Others perch their housing on wooden posts. stingless bees Although stingless bees do not sting, the worker wears a veil because the bee might enter the nose or the ear. Dr. Mostoles mentioned Eriberto Abad of Goa, Camarines Sur as one of those who trained under her. He and his son trained in 2001. They now have about 200 colonies and are selling honey and nucleus colonies. Nucleus colonies sell for more than a thousand pesos each. Dr. Mostoles has also encouraged her own husband Joseph to combine dragon fruit and stingless bees. Starting with 25 colonies in 2010, he now has 400 colonies. She also mentions Marito T. Bernales, a former president of CBSUA, who placed 40 colonies in his coconut plantation in Pamplona, Camarines Sur. He has observed that the yield of his coconuts has increased by 30 to 40 percent because of better pollination. Students have also been encouraged to go into stingless bee culture. One of them is Raymond Villadares of Milaor, Camarines Sur. Starting with six colonies in August 2013, he has 18 colonies today. Other stingless bee culturists who were encouraged by Dr. Mostoles include Rufino Quiapo, a retired navy captain; Reydel Riorizo and Peter Pontillas, students who started their own project after their practicum; Johnny Monforte who has two bee farms in Pili and in Daet, Camarines Norte. There are several more who can’t be mentioned here for lack of space.

Turning farmers into entrepreneurs

by Zac Sarian We have often seen seed companies putting up demo farms to teach the farmers how they can grow the seeds that they are distributing. That is also being done by government agencies in teaching farmers how to grow rice or corn properly. Now, we have been told that a supplier of chemical inputs and seeds is changing its strategy. Instead of just teaching the farmers how to plant their hybrid rice, it is going to teach them to become farmer entrepreneurs. That is a good idea because that will make the farmers exploit the opportunities that are just sitting around. That could make them more competitive in the marketplace. FULL-BODIED SWEET GUYABANO FRUIT FULL-BODIED SWEET GUYABANO FRUIT – Photo shows a well-formed full-bodied sweet guyabano fruit which looks much better than the usually misshapen fruits in the market. This could be the result of properly pollinated flowers. This is the variety that is being recommended for propagation. It is fleshy and very juicy. It can be made into a juice drink or shake, or eaten as fresh fruit. With the coming of the rains, it is time to plant guyabano seedlings. Seedling plants will usually bear fruit after a couple of years with proper care such as providing enough organic and chemical fertilizers, and also providing ample space so that the tree will not grow very tall and lanky. What are some of the things that could be taught to the farmers so that they will regard farming as a business? RECORD KEEPING – One of the things that could be taught to the farmers is keeping records of many things. A record of the date they plant a certain crop, for instance. A record of how many days a certain crop will be ready for harvest. A record of how many bags of fertilizer (at how much) were applied to the rice crop during one season. And so on. The farmer could record all the cash expenses and then the total sales. With that record, he could easily tell if he is making money or is losing money. He could make comparisons of his expenses and income from different crops that he is growing. Then he will know which crop is more profitable to grow. Then he will know what crop he should focus his efforts on. One person who has kept his records on actual production cost and total sales of his organic pig production project is Jess Domingo of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. As a topnotch accountant who gave up his corporate job to become a farmer entrepreneur, he kept track of his expenses on feeds, weanlings, labor, electricity and water. Because of his accurate recording and computation of expenses, he readily saw that organic pig production is very profitable. The reason? He has come up with a fermented feed formulation that costs almost three times less than the cost of the commercial feed in the market. Now he is ready to expand his organic piggery. Because of Domingo’s actual recording of the cost of producing a piglet for fattening, he breeds his own sows so he can produce his own piglets for fattening. By his own computation, it costs him only about P675 to produce a piglet for fattening. If he were to buy from an outside source, he would be paying about P2,500 per piglet. That means he actually saves P1,825 per piglet by producing his own weanling for fattening. MARKETING – Marketing strategies are what the experts can teach the farmers. Timing of production for an identified market can result in a profitable farming operation. For instance, the farmer is aware of a big farming expo which could be staged by the government or by the private sector. Just like Agrilink which is usually held in the first or second week of each October. This is a market where the farmer can produce ahead of time what he could sell during the big event. One example is Ernesto Abalos who prepared for his bestseller last year. He produced a lot of Paraoakan chickens, mature and small ones. He prepared a lot of roosters for sale because he anticipated that gamefowl breeders would like to purchase some for their own breeding operations. And he was right. He also prepared a lot of female layers because he knew raisers of native chickens are looking for Paraoakan for free-range raising. He was after those who want to produce native chicken for meat. And also for eggs because there is a growing market for native chicken eggs. VALUE OF CLUSTERING – Farmers could also be taught about the value of what is often termed as clustering. The farmers form a cluster (or a cooperative) so that all of them will benefit. As a group, they can more easily ask for assistance from the Department of Agriculture, for instance. As a group, they can procure their inputs at more reasonable prices. Suppliers of inputs provide discounts for volume purchases. As a group, they can also market their produce together so that they can ask for the right price. VALUE OF SAVING AND INVESTING – The trainors can also teach the farmers the value of saving and investing what they earn. We remember a couple who got married right after finishing high school and were given a one-hectare land to cultivate by the parents of the groom. They planted corn and saved all the income from their first crop. For their daily needs, the man purchased ice candy from the town and peddled the same in his barrio. The saving was used to rent a piece of land so they can produce more corn and save more money. When they had saved enough, they bought more land. Some owners also mortgaged to them their properties, which eventually became their own also. After several years, the couple had become owners of more than ten hectares. And they also became financiers. Townmates who needed money to buy inputs went to the couple for loans payable after harvest. Then they also became distributors of farming inputs which they supplied to the farmers who went to them for a loan. The woman was also able to put up her own little grocery in their barangay. They have become farmer-entrepreneurs. Actually, there so many other things that the farmers can be taught so they will become successful farm entrepreneurs. **** **** ****

Victims learn to grow vegetables

by Zac Sarian We just got one heart-warming news from SM Foundation. Some 108 Yolanda typhoon victims from Leyte have graduated from a season-long training on high-value vegetable production, and they are now on their way to be able to stand on their own feet. The training was done in Tanauan town. Farmers from Tanauan were joined by their counterparts from Barugo and Babatngon. The vegetable training is just one of a series of trainings that the SM Foundation has been undertaking in many parts of the country as part of its corporate responsibility. The Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan Farmers Training Program (KSK-FTP) was started more than five years ago in Bacolod City and has been sustained to this day. SMART WAY TO MULTIPLY STRAWBERRY PLANTLETS FOR SALE – The editor of this page saw a smart way of propagating strawberry planting materials for sale in a leisure farm in Taiwan that he visited recently. Photo shows long tables each about two meters wide filled with strawberry plants. In the middle are two rows of mature strawberry in plastic pots that are producing several runners. In each node of the runner is a plantlet that is seated in a small plastic pot where it will take root and grow. After attaining a reasonable size, the plantlet is separated from the mother plant and further hardened before it is ready for sale. In one year, each mother plant could easily produce more than ten plantlets. And in the leisure farm, one plantlet is retailed at the equivalent of P80. These are bought by visitors who go to the leisure farm to partake of good food as well as other organic farm produce such as cherry tomato, wellness products and others. Producing plantlets for sale could be more lucrative than producing fruits for sale. It really makes sense to train the victims in vegetable production. After all, vegetables are very nutritious food. And on top of that, vegetables can be produced in just a few weeks or months, depending on the variety chosen. The vegetables need not be for home consumption only. They could become a steady source of income if the farmers are enterprising enough. Well, we understand that how to become entrepreneurial is part of the training given to the farmers. The trainees, no doubt, have learned the importance of cooperating with one another as they soon established their own organization – the Samahan Ng Mga Magsasaka Sa Tanauan, Barugo at Babatngon. They also elected their own officers. Aside from the vegetable production technicians that taught them how to grow vegetables, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, through Direcor Georgina Hernandez, pledged to help the participants with financial assistance to start their livelihood projects. Aside from the basic farming techniques, Hernandez said they will be given a Social Preparation module to train them to become entrepreneurs, giving them training on value formation and financial literacy. Through Mungkahi Proyekto, no-interest, non-collateral loans payable within two years in staggered amounts, depending on their cropping cycle, will be made available to them. The association will collect and deposit with the DSWD Land Bank account the payment of these loans under flexible payment terms. One of the attendees in the training program is Cirilo Cinco of Tanauan. He started to farm at a young age and had always depended on farming for their livelihood. After Yolanda, his family became dependent on relief goods. He said he got curious when the KSK-FTP was launched so he attended the launching activity. And after hearing the messages from the organizers and partner agencies, he decided to enroll in the training. He soon learned the improved techniques of vegetable production as well as to socialize with fellow attendees from other barangays. Today, Cirilo has already put up his own vegetable project in his backyard. He now produces the vegetables his family needs and some for sale to add to the family coffers. The lone participant from Babatngon town has already become entrepreneurial. He is employing on his farm what he learned in the training. His wife who is working in Malta was able to ask her employer to donate a small tractor so that will help him cultivate his land. He is also willing to share what he learned to his neighbors. Ten farmers from Barugo which is about 65 kilometers away from Tanauan did not mind traveling the long distance. Civic-minded townmates have helped them with their transportation and meal expenses and they religiously attended the lectures and demonstrations. They said they will replicate the training program with 40 farmers from their municipality with DSWD and the Department of Agriculture serving as their mentors. Seed capital will be provided by DSWD while high-yielding vegetable seeds will be provided by SM Foundation and Harbest Agribusiness. Farm equipment will also provided to these farmers to start an alternative means of livelihood after their coconut farms and rice fields were totally ruined by typhoon Yolanda.

Dwarf mango trees make sense for Taiwanese farmers

by Zac Sarian In Taiwan, particularly in Pingtung county in the south, farmers grow their mango trees differently from the way we grow them in the Philippines. During our recent trip to visit leisure farms in Taiwan, we saw hectares upon hectares of mature mango trees that are just about six feet tall. They have been dwarfed for a number of practical reasons. Leo Fang pointing to a dwarf mango tree with bagged fruits Leo Fang pointing to a dwarf mango tree with bagged fruits 40 Low-growing trees are very much easier to manage. In terms of checking pests and diseases, it is very convenient to observe at close range what the problem is. And it is much easier to apply the cure. For instance, if you have to spray the plants against insects, that can be done very conveniently. In the case of mangoes in the Philippines which are allowed to grow as high as 20 meters, it can be very laborious and expensive to spray just one tree. Inducing the tall tree to bear flower can also be very tedious. And when the flowers are overtaken by rain or shower, they have to be sprayed with fungicide immediately to save them. Applying the fungicide too late would be useless. The recommendation these days is to wrap the fruits with paper bags while they are still small to protect them from the very destructive fruitfly and other insect pests. Bagging will result in more beautiful skin of the fruits, and it will also mean less sprayings to keep the insects away. Which also means less expense. The author holds a basket of red mango harvested from dwarf trees. The mangoes in the basket can sell for about P800. The author holds a basket of red mango harvested from dwarf trees. The mangoes in the basket can sell for about P800. In tall trees, bagging the fruits is very expensive because the baggers have to go up the tree to reach the developing fruits. In the case of the dwarf mango trees in Taiwan, bagging is easy as ABC. Harvesting is also very much more convenient in dwarf trees. Harvesters don’t have to climb the trees. And the fruits are handled more carefully resulting in fewer damaged fruits. You will say that tall trees produce a lot more fruits than the dwarf trees. No doubt about that. Big mango trees can produce more than two thousand fruits per season. But that could be much less if they are not well taken care of. Signage in a roadside mango store Signage in a roadside mango store Dwarf mango trees may produce a hundred fruits in one season. It could be less but it could also be more. While these low-growing trees produce fewer fruits, more trees could be grown in one hectare. At four meters apart, one can plant 625 trees per hectare compared to 70 trees of carabao mango planted at 12 meters apart. If the dwarf mango trees could produce a hundred fruits each, that would mean 62,500 fruits per hectare. Since the mango variety they are growing in Pingtung is quite big (3 fruits to a kilo), the total yield per hectare could be about 20 tons. That’s not bad at all from trees that are much easier to manage. How do you produce dwarf mango trees? You plant grafted seedlings. After they are established in the ground, prune the young tree about a foot above the ground so it will produce two or three branches. Nurture these branches to become the main trunks. Let them grow as tall as they can until they attain a fairly good size and then prune them to no more than six feet above the ground. These main trunks will develop branches just below the six-foot height and these will be the fruiting branches. Nurture the trees with adequate balanced fertilizer so that they will be productive. Practice judicious pruning so that you come up with a well rounded tree that is open at the top. This makes thorough penetration of sunlight which is required for heavy fruiting. Drastic pruning to produce dwarf mango trees has not been done on the carabao mango. Local agriculturists often say that the carabao mango is not suitable for such treatment. But why don’t we do our own experiment? There should be no harm trying. Who knows?

Coco sugar worth P12,000 from a tree per year

by Zac Sarian Would you believe that one fruiting coconut tree can yield 60 kilos of coco sugar in one year worth P12,000? And if that same tree is for copra production, would you believe that the same tree could yield only about P320 worth a year? Jerry Taray will tell you that it is so. Jerry and his wife, the former Jocelyn Taliño of Carmen, North Cotabato, are the owners of TreeLife coconut plantation that is the biggest producer of organic coco sugar and coco syrup in the country today. Their products are exported mainly to Europe and other developed countries. CRYSTALLIZATION STAGE – Women workers perform their job during the crystallization stage of the process of making coco sugar. The women workers are paid by the number of kilos they are able to cook in three shifts of 6 to 8 hours each. They can each make a daily take home pay of P250 to P350 which is higher than the minimum wage in the province. Here’s how Jerry explains. The fruiting coconut tree produces an average of 8 mature nuts per month. That’s 96 nuts in one year. These 96 nuts translate into 21 kilos of copra which fetches an average of P15 per kilo or a total of P320 per tree. One-third of this usually goes to the harvester as his share. On the other hand, here’s the case of the coconut tree for coco sugar production. As per their experience in their own farm in Carmen which is a certified organic coconut farm, one fruiting coconut tree can produce 480 liters of sap per year. The sap is collected from unopened flowers and cooked into coconut sugar. Eight liters of coconut sap yield one kilo of coco sugar when cooked. This is worth P200 per kilo at current prices, even higher in the retail market. Thus, the 480 liters of sap per tree per year becomes 60 kilos of coco sugar worth P12,000. Assuming that even if the net profit from coco sugar production were only 10 percent (that’s very very conservative), the profit from one tree would still be P1,200. And since there are 140 trees per hectare, the net profit per hectare would be P168,000. If the profit is 20 percent, you can easily figure it out. Can one tree really produce 480 liters per year? One tree really can produce that much sap. Here’s how. One or two flowers are being tapped 24 hours every day in one tree. And the yield is 1.5 to 2.5 liters per day. That’s an average of 2 liters daily. Say, there are only 240 days of tapping in one year, that’s already 480 liters. Actually, there are more than 240 days of tapping per year. Right now, the Tarays have 8,000 fruiting dwarf coconut trees that are tappable. But as of now, they are only tapping 1,500. They are eyeing to tap more but they have to invest more cooking facilities which could involve millions of pesos. The processing plant should be situated right in the plantation because the tapped sap should be processed within five hours from collection. PET PROJECT — The Tarays have other farming projects like oil palm and rubber trees but their pet project is coco sugar production. They have a total area of 60 hectares (50 leased from the DENR) planted to 8,000 Takunan and Katigan varieties that are dwarf. These are now fruiting, ranging from 7 to 10 years old. The dwarf varieties start fruiting as early as three years from planting. These are highly suitable for sap production because the tappers don’t have to climb tall trees to gather the sap. These varieties will eventually grow tall but not as tall as the ordinary varieties. Coco sugar production provides employment to more people than when the coconut is intended for copra production. To produce the current amount of eight tons of coco sugar per month, there are 25 to 30 tappers who are formed into teams. At the end of the day, each person can collect 90 to 120 liters of sap for which he is paid P4.50 per liter. Which means a take home pay of P405 to P540 per day. The women workers who do the cooking number 10 to 15 per shift of 6 to eight hours. They are paid per kilo that they are able to cook, averaging a take home pay of P250 to P350 per day. That’s way above the minimum daily wage in Carmen town. THE START — How come the Tarays went into coco sugar production? It was not really their intention. It happened that Jerry was able to take over a 50-hectare brush land that was originally leased to another person by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under its Green Philippines Program. The lease is very minimal because the intention was for the once-logged over areas to be planted to something of value. That started in 2004 after the couple returned to the Philippines from their employment in Canada. Jerry said he could not endure the extreme cold so he and his wife returned to the Philippines to engage in farming and business. BLESSING IN DISGUISE — Sometimes adversity can be a blessing in disguise to some people, including Jerry. He recalls that in 2004 there was a long drought in Mindanao and that was a blessing in disguise to him in particular. How’s that? Well, at that time the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Aroman, North Cotabato, had thousands of dwarf coconut seedlings that were originally intended for distribution to farmers. But the farmers refused to get the seedlings even if they were at a give-away price. So the manager of the station convinced Jerry to buy the seedlings on a buy-one-take-one basis. There was a time when some were given away free. From 2004 to 2007, Jerry was able to plant the whole 50 hectares from the DENR and another 10 hectares in another place. Jerry who finished a business course did his own computations and found that there was very little money in copra production. Fortunately, his friend from the Aroman station of the (PCA) offered to train him in coco sugar production. His wife Jocelyn also did a lot of researching on anything about coconut food products. And so in 2012, they started producing coco sugar. The next agenda was to find the market for their products. Fortunately, they were invited by the US-AID to join a trade expo in Cebu where they displayed their organic coco sugar and syrup. Then it was followed by an observation trip to a food expo in Hong Kong sponsored by the Department of Agriculture. There, they met some of the international players in the import and export business. They were told that in order to be able to sell their products in Europe, they have to be certified as organic. The certification by Ceres based in Europe is not cheap but the Tarays were determined to export their products to foreign buyers. In the end they had to spend P500,000 for getting their organic certification. That was the only way they could sell to the organic produce buyers. With their certification, they were able to jumpstart their export. The DA again helped them participate in the Biofach Food Expo in Nuremberg, Germany early in 2013 and their participation has been paying off. They were able to get an order of 13.6 tons from a buyer in Holland who continues to purchase from them. Another buyer from the United Kingdom has been ordering from them 3 to 5 tons every other month. A buyer from Australia has been buying 3 tons every 4 to 5 months. A New Zealand buyer is also purchasing the same amount at about the same frequency. Now they are starting to develop a distribution network in the Philippines. They believe there is a big market for coco sugar because it is a healthy food for people with health problems as well as people who are perfectly healthy.

A promising dairy goat for the Philippines

by Zac Sarian A new goat breed that was introduced barely two years ago promises to be an ideal dairy breed under the tropical conditions in the Philippines. This is the breed called Oberhasli, which has been observed to be more resistant to the hot climate in the country because of its dark red haircoat. This breed was brought in under a program of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) aimed at augmenting the genetic base of the present breeds in the country. a, GREENER PASTURE Beautiful, young, island-born Oberhaslis are groomed for breeding. GREENER PASTURE Beautiful, young, island-born Oberhaslis are groomed for breeding. At the Alaminos Goat Farm in Laguna, the top Oberhasli milker named Colby 464, had yielded an average of 4.5 liters of milk daily for the whole month of March this year. Since April up to now, it has been averaging 3.48 kilos daily. Colby is now in its second lactation. Its milk yield is considered very high for a small animal. Colby’s first daughter named OberLaR 172 is also doing very well. It is now in its first lactation and has been giving an average of 2.3 kilos of milk daily. This milk yield is considered exceptional for a first timer. Rene Almeda, who operates Alaminos Goat Farm (AGF) together with his sons Art and Toti, believes that Oberhasli is perfect for milk production under the hot climate of the Philippines. He has observed that right after the first Oberhasli goats arrived, they were able to immediately adapt themselves to the local weather. The Oberhasli buck at the Alaminos Goat farm; The Oberhasli buck at the Alaminos Goat farm; Goats love to eat the Indigofera, a legume that contains a lot of protein Goats love to eat the Indigofera, a legume that contains a lot of protein They easily adapted to the feeding system at AGF which is grazing them as well as feeding them with cut grass from their so-called Alaminos Salad Garden for goats. Under this system, the goats are fed with freshly cut grass from a field planted to selected forage crops like Indigofera, signal grass, mulberry, centrosema, and others. The latest addition is the highly-touted Pakchong 1 napier developed in Thailand. The Almedas are the recipients of what is called loan-in-kind that is also paid in kind. In July 2012, the Bureau of Animal Industry delivered to Alaminos Goat Farm 18 Oberhasli doelings and one buck under the so-called AGRIPBeS program. The acronym stands for “Accelerating the Genetic Resource Improvement Program for Beet Cattle and Small Ruminants.” AGRIPBeS was initiated by the BAI, funded by proceeds from the USPL 480 program of the US-AID. Out of the 18 does that the Almedas received, they have selected the top performers to form part of the foundation stock for their own Oberhasli Dairy Breed Improvement program. On their own, they also imported an expensive progeny of a champion buck from the United States to beef up their Oberhasli herd. Rene Almeda (center) is joined by visitors near the pelletizing machine Rene Almeda (center) is joined by visitors near the pelletizing machine In a planned breeding program, the top performing Colby 464 and its daughter, OberLar 172, will be bred to their prized import known by its long name OberBoerd Lead The Way. This is the designated herd sire for the top performing Oberhaslis at the AGF, according to Rene. Rene is very confident that by 2015, Alaminos Goat Farm will have established a strong foundation of well-bred, high-milking Oberhaslis. GOOD NUTRITION. Rene Almeda believes that aside from superior genetics, the key to successful dairy goat production is proper nutrition. Other goat raisers are taking a good look at the progress of the Alaminos Salad Garden feeding program with Indigofera as the main tree legume, Rene said. He explained that starting the newly weaned kids with fresh cuttings of Indigofera gives the weanlings an early start. AGF has also come up with pelletted goat’s ration with 30 percent shredded Indigofera. This results in healthy young kids with smooth and shiny hair coat, according to Rene. He further notes that when the kids are fed with Indigofera-based pellets, they don’t get diarrhea. And there has been no mortality among the kids fed with their pellet formulation. Pelleted ration has a very significant advantage. For one, the nutrients are uniformly available in the feed. If the feed is not pelleted, the goat may choose what it wants to eat among the feed materials supplied and it might not be able to get the balanced nutrition it needs. In the case of pellets, the right proportions are intact. Aside from the improved performance of the kids on pelleted feeds, there is also a big savings on the cost of feeds. Rene estimates that by adding 30 percent shredded Indigofera to the pellets, the cost of feed is reduced by at least 20 percent. At the Alaminos Goat Farm in the last two years, mortality was at an all-time low for the newly weaned kids. Diarrhea, which was a common problem for the young animals that are introduced to concentrates for the first time, is now a thing of the past. The addition of shredded Indigofera to the pellets solved it completely, according to Almeda. There you are. You might want to raise Oberhasli goats, too.

Palm oil mill spurs planting in Carmen town

by Zac Sarian Processing plants of whatever agricultural commodity will likely encourage farmers to plant and produce the raw materials needed by that factory. That is true with the palm oil factory that is under final construction in Carmen, North Cotabato. The oil mill is the Univanich Carmen Palm Oil Corporation, a joint venture of Thailand’s biggest oil palm company, Univanich, and local investors with Mrs. Noemi Taliño as company chairman. Jerry Taray, one of the investors and a grower and nursery operator himself, revealed that the new oil mill has been encouraging farmers in Carmen to go into oil palm farming. Before the mill was started to be set up, very few of the small farmers dared to plant this industrial crop because they knew they will have a hard time bringing their harvests to distant factories. It would be very expensive for them. SPROUTED SUPER NAPIER IN TERESA SPROUTED SUPER NAPIER IN TERESA – Farmers who are looking for just a few planting materials of Pakchong 1, the so-called Super Napier, can secure them at the Sarian Farm in Teresa, Rizal. This is to meet the clamor of small-time growers who cannot afford to buy the big volume usually required by commercial suppliers. Pakchong 1 is the fast-growing grass developed by Dr. Krailas Kyiothong of Thailand which is also very nutritious. It is relished by farm animals and fish like goats, rabbits, cattle, carabaos, pigs, chickens and even tilapia. An organic coconut farmer is going to shred the grass for mulching his coconut trees. And he will also use the dried biomass as fuel for cooking his coco sugar. Photo shows the sprouted Pakchong 1 in Teresa, Rizal. On the part of the municipal government, it has come up with its own scheme of supporting the interested farmers from Carmen. It has come up with a “plant now pay later” scheme depending on its savings and available development funds. The program calls for the financing of the planting materials which could amount to P30,000 per hectare. The provincial government of North Cotabato headed by Gov. Lala T. Mendoza, has also its own “plant now pay later” scheme with a yearly budget of P20 million. This can finance the planting of 700 hectares. Some private individuals also have their own financial schemes to help the small-scale farmers who don’t have enough capital. Jerry Taray has his own project of helping Muslim farmers by supplying the planting materials, with the farmers paying for one half of the cost. For instance, the farmer will pay P15,000 for half of the seedlings needed per hectare. The other P15,000 is loan from Jerry, payable with the proceeds from oil milling at the Univanich Carmen oil mill later. Jerry said he has already helped farmers to plant 360 hectares under his scheme. He explained that he wants to help the Muslim farmers so they can also benefit from the construction of the oil mill in Carmen. This way, they could improve their economic status and be part of the inclusive growth that the government has been espousing. Jerry says that oil palm farming could be the key to lift the small farmers from the poverty level. It is ideal for small farmers because once the plantation has been established, there is very minimal labor that is needed to maintain the plantation. The family members can as well supply the labor. The waiting period for the first harvest is just about three years from planting, according to Jerry. Harvesting is continuous and not seasonal, hence the cash flow is constant. From one hectare, Jerry said, a farmer can have a monthly net income of P6,000 to P15,000. If he has two hectares, then he will have P12,000 to P30,000 net income per month. That’s already way above the poverty level. The good thing about oil palm farming is that production could continue for many years. Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona, one of the advocates of oil palm farming for smallhold farmers has written in the July issue of Agriculture Magazine about a very good example of a once-poor Muslim farmer who became rich by growing oil palm. He is Jose Manangka Sagadan of Mlang, North Cotabato. Dr. Pamplona reported that before 2002, Sagadan could hardly meet the needs of his big family. He had to borrow money so his eldest daughter could enter college. In three years from 2000 to 2003, Sagadan was able to plant 8 hectares to oil palm under the “plant now pay later” scheme. And because of the good income from oil palm, he did not have to borrow money anymore to send his five younger children to college. After his five children finished college, Mr. Sagadan used his income from oil palm to build his dream house, bought a brand-new pickup truck, and used part of his income to lease land to expand his plantation. His production area for oil palm now totals over 20 hectares and 16 are already productive, according to Dr. Pamplona. **** **** **** PHILMECH AT AGRILINK — The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) will showcase the results of its latest high-impact research and development projects at the forthcoming Agrilink 2014 which will be held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City from October 9 to 11. Some of the innovations include the tractor-mounted mini-rice combine harvester, rice transplanter, mechanical seeder, compact corn mill, coco water pasteurizer, essential oil extractor and cassava digger. PhilMech’s executive director, Engr. Rex Bingabing, said there are big challenges for our agricultural sector such as climate change, food security through self-sufficiency, the need for globally competitive products and addressing the declining number of farmers. He said that agricultural mechanization can help improve production yield, reduce postharvest losses and increase the volume of agricultural produce for consumption. Bingabing said that proper use of postharvest facilities like dryers and milling will greatly improve the quality of the products. Agricultural mechanization also reduces production time and required labor as well as significantly reduce production costs.

Victims learn to grow vegetables

Victims learn to grow vegetables by Zac Sarian June 27, 2014 Share this: We just got one heart-warming news from SM Foundation. Some 108 Yolanda typhoon victims from Leyte have graduated from a season-long training on high-value vegetable production, and they are now on their way to be able to stand on their own feet. The training was done in Tanauan town. Farmers from Tanauan were joined by their counterparts from Barugo and Babatngon. The vegetable training is just one of a series of trainings that the SM Foundation has been undertaking in many parts of the country as part of its corporate responsibility. The Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan Farmers Training Program (KSK-FTP) was started more than five years ago in Bacolod City and has been sustained to this day. SMART WAY TO MULTIPLY STRAWBERRY PLANTLETS FOR SALE – The editor of this page saw a smart way of propagating strawberry planting materials for sale in a leisure farm in Taiwan that he visited recently. Photo shows long tables each about two meters wide filled with strawberry plants. In the middle are two rows of mature strawberry in plastic pots that are producing several runners. In each node of the runner is a plantlet that is seated in a small plastic pot where it will take root and grow. After attaining a reasonable size, the plantlet is separated from the mother plant and further hardened before it is ready for sale. In one year, each mother plant could easily produce more than ten plantlets. And in the leisure farm, one plantlet is retailed at the equivalent of P80. These are bought by visitors who go to the leisure farm to partake of good food as well as other organic farm produce such as cherry tomato, wellness products and others. Producing plantlets for sale could be more lucrative than producing fruits for sale. It really makes sense to train the victims in vegetable production. After all, vegetables are very nutritious food. And on top of that, vegetables can be produced in just a few weeks or months, depending on the variety chosen. The vegetables need not be for home consumption only. They could become a steady source of income if the farmers are enterprising enough. Well, we understand that how to become entrepreneurial is part of the training given to the farmers. The trainees, no doubt, have learned the importance of cooperating with one another as they soon established their own organization – the Samahan Ng Mga Magsasaka Sa Tanauan, Barugo at Babatngon. They also elected their own officers. Aside from the vegetable production technicians that taught them how to grow vegetables, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, through Direcor Georgina Hernandez, pledged to help the participants with financial assistance to start their livelihood projects. Aside from the basic farming techniques, Hernandez said they will be given a Social Preparation module to train them to become entrepreneurs, giving them training on value formation and financial literacy. Through Mungkahi Proyekto, no-interest, non-collateral loans payable within two years in staggered amounts, depending on their cropping cycle, will be made available to them. The association will collect and deposit with the DSWD Land Bank account the payment of these loans under flexible payment terms. One of the attendees in the training program is Cirilo Cinco of Tanauan. He started to farm at a young age and had always depended on farming for their livelihood. After Yolanda, his family became dependent on relief goods. He said he got curious when the KSK-FTP was launched so he attended the launching activity. And after hearing the messages from the organizers and partner agencies, he decided to enroll in the training. He soon learned the improved techniques of vegetable production as well as to socialize with fellow attendees from other barangays. Today, Cirilo has already put up his own vegetable project in his backyard. He now produces the vegetables his family needs and some for sale to add to the family coffers. The lone participant from Babatngon town has already become entrepreneurial. He is employing on his farm what he learned in the training. His wife who is working in Malta was able to ask her employer to donate a small tractor so that will help him cultivate his land. He is also willing to share what he learned to his neighbors. Ten farmers from Barugo which is about 65 kilometers away from Tanauan did not mind traveling the long distance. Civic-minded townmates have helped them with their transportation and meal expenses and they religiously attended the lectures and demonstrations. They said they will replicate the training program with 40 farmers from their municipality with DSWD and the Department of Agriculture serving as their mentors. Seed capital will be provided by DSWD while high-yielding vegetable seeds will be provided by SM Foundation and Harbest Agribusiness. Farm equipment will also provided to these farmers to start an alternative means of livelihood after their coconut farms and rice fields were totally ruined by typhoon Yolanda.

How the Philippines profited from the global financial crisis.

ALASTAIR HUGHES

The Philippines isn't famed for positive headlines: Political instability and natural disasters have contributed to the archipelago's checkered history. But while the West was busy fending off the effects of the global financial crisis, the Philippines was quietly undergoing an economic revolution.

     In 10 short years, the business process outsourcing industry has grown from zero to an estimated annual revenue just shy of $20 billion in 2014. My recent visit to the country was an opportunity to visit JLL's growing client base there. We fully leased 27 buildings for clients in the last four years and now manage around 370,000 sq. meters of office space. To cope with the demand for real estate advice, our workforce in Manila has grown from 100 in 2008 to 550 today.

Moving up the chain

The rise of BPO hasn't just had an effect on the efficiency of businesses; it's transformed the face of cities across the Philippines. There are new central business districts, from Manila to Cebu, serving this new sector with state-of-the-art office buildings. Set just 2km from the traditional business center of Makati City, Bonifacio Global City is the beating heart of BPO and a prime example of a new wave of built-to-suit business parks.

     Young graduates fill these modern office facilities. A career in BPO maintains a positive perception among the million-strong workforce employed in the sector, and their excellent English has proven popular with American and British call center customers.

     The rapid growth in the BPO sector has also fundamentally changed the way these cities operate. The needs of the "three shift 24 hour" worker has presented secondary business opportunities in the retail, food and beverage, entertainment and residential sectors. When these young, ambitious Filipino's aren't working, they're spending.

     Many people are asking whether the interest in the Philippines means India -- which has long reigned supreme as the word's outsourcing capital -- is losing its edge. But Indian cities such as Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai are now competing for a broader segment of the outsourcing business. Indian outsourcing has in part moved up the value chain. As international businesses become more confident about capabilities offshore, they're beginning to push more complex functions overseas -- they are building higher value manufacturing and research and development centers, for example. Meanwhile, the Philippines, for now, is focused mainly on offering companies great value in some of the lower-level process operations.

Spotlight on recovery

While offshoring and outsourcing are not new concepts, the rise of the sector in the Philippines marks a global trend in the shifting significance of BPO. It came in three phases.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, second right, gestures to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, second left, at the Philippine International Convention Center during the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Manila, Philippines on May 22. © AP

     In the first instance, companies experimented with BPO during the good times as a means of potential cost savings. Post-2008, it was a matter of necessity, as global businesses adjusted to harsher economic realities. The third phase, which we're seeing now as markets recover from the effects of the global financial crisis, marks a systematic change in the way businesses operate: "Increasing productivity" is no longer nice to have, it is essential in order to be competitive, and BPO plays a big part in supporting this. In the Philippines, but also in other outsourcing centers -- India and Eastern Europe, for example -- this can only mean growth, as jobs are created and spending power increases. It has fueled and will continue to drive the requirement for real estate.

     The Philippines hosted the World Economic Forum on East Asia for the first time in May. As a strategic partner to the WEF, we had five JLL delegates attend. The feedback from them was unanimously positive -- about the event and also Manila and the Philippines. Many delegates were first-time visitors and had only read or heard about the country prior to the trip, yet they left with a positive impression having seen for themselves that the country has much to offer. We expect the Philippines to remain in the spotlight of the global economic recovery for a good many years ahead.

For your retirement and other real estate needs, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com. Please call Tel. Nos. (053) 555-84-64/09222737836/09322034315.

‘The sweetest pineapples can be found in Daet’

By Shiena M. BarramedaInquirer Southern Luzon

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THEY DON’T GET ANY FINER THAN THIS  Pineapples from Gawad Kalinga Pinyasan Village in Daet town, Camarines Norte, are offered with pride, especially  the newly harvested butterball pineapples held up by a boy  during the celebration of the province’s Pinyasan Festival. The sweet pineapples are of the diminutive Formosa variety, also called butterball because of its size. The festival celebrating the fruit ended on June 24. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

DAET, Camarines Norte—Heaps of the last of ripe Formosa pineapples—the rejects of the season—sat waiting for buyers on farmer Winnie Palero’s yard at the Gawad Kalinga community as it rained gently in this provincial capital for the first time this month.

Like a picturesque depiction of growing up on a farm, Palero’s children ran around the piles of pineapples as Daet was just settling down after the frenzy brought about by the 10-day Pinyasan Festival that ended June 24.

Palero, 44, said she and her husband Demetrio, 45, were able to produce some 13,000 pineapple heads on their one-hectare land at the Gawad Kalinga Pinyasan Village in Barangay Bibirao, Daet.

Those on her front yard, which pineapple growers like her called “butterballs” due to their small size, were leftovers.

Their community of about 200 households is the primary producer of Formosa pineapples in Daet, which supplied the bulk of the more than 1,000 pineapples given out for free and cooked into various food products at the Pinyasan Festival, according to Daet Mayor Tito S. Sarion.

The Pinyasan Festival, which started in 1993, was conceptualized by Sarion during his second term as Daet town councilor.

The festival was known as the Pineapple Festival during its first few years before it was renamed Pinyasan in 2003 to give it a more local touch, said Sarion.

Sarion, who planted and grew pineapples himself with his 14 siblings and farmer-parents during his youth, said the festival was meant to highlight the importance of the Formosa pineapple variety on the lives of the locals, particularly the poor and the Aeta tribe, locally known as “Kabihug.”

He said his inspiration was the colorful headdresses he saw at festivals, which he thought would best depict the beauty of pineapples and the unique tune and rhythm of the Kabihug’s tribal music.

Cut above other varieties

“Aside from its unique sweetness that puts it above other pineapple varieties in the Philippines, you can do so much with the pineapple,” Sarion said.

He said Daet was expanding its campaign of rebranding the Formosa pineapple as the “Queen Pineapple of the Philippines” to further meld it with the identity of the people of Daet and Camarines Norte.

His own home, which he is planning to open as a Pineapple House Museum to tourists on his 48th birthday on Aug. 30, has more than 300 items with pineapple motifs, ranging from display knickknacks, plates, lanterns, ceiling accents, stuffed toys and kitchen utensils.

The 22-year-old festival has developed and expanded from its beginnings as a simple town event into a provincial festival, featuring a beauty pageant, street dancing competition, float competition, pineapple peeling and cooking contests scheduled during the last two weeks of June.

Free ice cream

Whole pineapples and pineapple-based food like gallons upon gallons of ice cream were given out for free during the entire duration of Pinyasan as one of its unique attractions, Sarion said.

“Our lives became richer since we started growing pineapples,” said Mercedes Sarical, 52, the designated seller of products at the Pinyasan Village. Sarical said most of them were informal settlers before they were given a home by the municipal government of Daet and Gawad Kalinga in 2007.

Palero said she and her husband used to be upland dwellers in Bibirao before they were given their home and farm to till at Gawad Kalinga’s Pinyasan Village. Sarical said Pinyasan Village stands on a 5.3-hectare land and most of the dwellers there are involved in pineapple and vegetable farming. She said three hectares of Pinyasan Village were allotted as farmland and communal plots which they took turns in tilling.

Sarical added the residents there sell the diminutive version of the Formosa, or the butterball, at P2 each while the big ones can be had at P4, except in December when they sell for up to P10. Sarical sells her big pineapples for P8 each in the town market. In December, the market price rises to P20-P25 each, she said.

In the last Pinyasan, they were able to sell more than 1,800 pineapples to the local government and the Daet Food Producers Association. The DFPA is the only producer of Daet’s One-Town-One-Product, a fusion of Formosa pineapple jam and pili nuts on a crunchy pie crust, said Shiela Magana, a DFPA employee.

Unique soil, climate

Sarion said the unique soil composition of Camarines Norte and its climate are probably the main reasons for the pineapples’ sweetness. He said the technique of growing pineapples between coconut trees may also have contributed to its taste.

Delia Maria Recto, 47, a public elementary school teacher and a known cook of pineapple-based dishes in Daet, said the sweet Formosa is smooth to the tongue, unlike some varieties that cause itchiness after a few bites. Sarion said the Formosas in Daet originally came from Taiwan.

Despite claims by other places that they produce the sweetest pineapples, Sarion believes the weather-soil conditions in Camarines Norte produce the sweetest pineapples in the country, as attested by investors who have come to put up plantations in the province.

He said the pineapple, aside from being an international symbol of hospitality and prosperity in Asian cultures, also gives inspiration as the primary emblem of cooperation and identity for Daet.

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