September 2017
Photos, videos and stories of town explorations.
'GDME Fruits and Vegetables' leads PH highland farmers to global market.

✈ The province of Benguet has been making a mark in the international market as a sourcing hub for premium agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, coffee, and other highland crops.

✈ With more than half of its residents or 100,000 farmers toiling on more than 30,000-hectare farms scattered in vegetable-producing towns, Benguet is living up to its moniker as the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines.”


[Benguet Province, Cordillera Region, Luzon Island, Philippines]
MANILA FAME
| 1 | [KIBUNGAN] ► MARICEL HERNAEZ, OWNER OF GDME FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TRADING
The province of Benguet has been making a mark in the international market as a sourcing hub for premium agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, coffee, and other highland crops.

With more than half of its residents or 100,000 farmers toiling on more than 30,000-hectare farms scattered in vegetable-producing towns, Benguet is living up to its moniker as the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines.”

But the farmers from the province, including most areas in the Cordillera, has yet to realize their full market potential in the lucrative export industry. This difficulty contributes to the economic disadvantage of Cordilleran farmers as the region’s agriculture sector records the least contribution to their economy, despite employing 46 percent of the labor force or 348,000 of its total 766,000 abled bodies.

“The lack of drive from our farmers to export much of it has got to do with their local and limited mindset,” said Maricel Hernaez. “Many of our farmers in the Cordillera are producing crops with the idea of harvesting it only either for their own household consumption or for selling at the local vegetable trading post.”
► Taking Philippine fruits and vegetables from highlands to overseas
A former overseas filipino worker (OFW), Hernaez came back to the Philippines with a dream: to abolish the domestic-centric mindset of the Cordillera farmers and help them penetrate the international market.

KIBUNGAN, BENGUET
| 2 | [KIBUNGAN] ► OVERLOOKING A CARROT AND ROMAINE FIELDS IN ONE OF THE HIGHLAND VEGETABLE TERRACES OF MARIA'S FARM, SITUATED ON OVER 2,000 ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN THE TOWN OF KIBUNGAN.
Born and raised in a farming family in Cordillera, her life-mission sprung during her service as a domestic helper for five years in Singapore, where she has keenly followed the sky-rocketing prices and huge demand for highland fruits and vegetables.

“Grabe ang taas ng presyo ng gulay sa Singapore, for example nalang ‘yung isang malaking patatas minsan umaabot ng two dollars at pati ‘yung cabbage nasa mahigit one dollar ang 250 grams. Dito sa Pilipinas, nasa limang piso lang ang patatas na malalaki at yung cabbage, isang kilo na katumbas ng one dollar mo,” she shared. “Kung produkto lang naman ang paguusapan, competitive ang galing sa Pilipinas pagdating sa laki at kalidad.”

In her last working year as a domestic helper, Hernaez met up with the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre (PTIC) in Singapore to seek guidance on her plan to become a vegetable and fruit exporter. In March 2015, she came back to the Philippines and immediately established her company, GDME Fruits and Vegetables Trading, naming it after her parents: Gilbert Domerez (father) and Mercy Espara (mother).

“My parents who made a living through farming have inspired me to pursue this agenda,” she elated. “They are the foundation of my goal to nurture the country’s agri-export market by tapping the promising farming communities in Cordillera.”
► A Tall Order
Having no land to call her own, Hernaez has been operating GDME Fruits and Vegetable Trading for the past two years as its sole networking, monitoring, and marketing officer for grassroots farmers across the Cordillera region.

KIBUNGAN, BENGUET
| 3 | [KIBUNGAN] ► PATCHES OF SUGARLOAF CABBAGES AT MARI'S FARM
KIBUNGAN, BENGUET
| 4 | [KIBUNGAN] ► FRESH, NEWLY UPROOTED POTATOES
In her networking initiatives with the local farmers, it has always been a challenge for her to explain, innovate, and change some of their farming methods and even their products to suit the demand of the global market.

“Going one by one with the farmers, I always explain that we have the tools to compete with other countries. We are situated at a higher elevation with the perfect soil and climate. Most importantly, our farmers are hard-working,” she stressed. “But, I tell them we should comply with food standards and certifications. I also encourage them to plant the crops that are in-demand because if we plant crops that no one wants to buy then it will just go to waste.”

Without a formal academic background in agriculture, she has always been looking for fresh ideas and new ways on how to improve her technical know-how on the export industry by attending seminars and partnering with government agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“I never missed opportunities where I can learn new things. Last May, I joined IFEX Philippines, together with our farmers, where we encountered people who are willing to help us grow,” Hernaez said. “We were also glad to meet foreign buyers that are really interested in our fruits and vegetable products.”

MANILA FAME
| 5 | [KIBUNGAN] ► HERNAEZ POINTS TO ONE OF THE FIELDS OF MARIA'S FARM WHERE A VARIETY OF CROPS ARE PLANTED ALL YEAR ROUND. SUCH AS POTATOES, CABBAGES, CARROTS, ROMAINE, AND RADISH.
For instance, in our cabbages, we are cultivating the scorpio F1 hybrid and sugarloaf varieties. When fully grown, these varieties can reach an average net weight of 2 kilograms each, while your regular lowland cabbage varieties only reach 1 kilograms each. Our is twice the size,” she said.

Her partner farmers are also cultivating strawberry, lemon, parsley, cilantro, kale, mint, basil, alfalfa, arugula, red radish, young corn, fennel leaves, and okra.

Fresh, newly uprooted potatoes.They also have some of the iconic Cordillera processed goods, such as sweet and sour chili sauce, strawberry jam, peanut butter, and kimchi.

Hernaez said an exporting farmer will be able to earn at least 15 pesos more per kilo of their harvest. She added: “Some might even go double the price when depending on their reception on our quality and demand.”

“With these many products, we are targeting the demand in Singapore and other nearby ASEAN countries, as well as those in the Middle East,” she added. “We are also open to offers from other buyers across the globe that can be beneficial to the livelihood of our farmers.”
► Cordillera farmers moving forward
While the high elevation augments the harvest, it also makes highland fruits and vegetables prone to risks of climate change, making its price highly volatile.

“We know that there is a demand for our agricultural products, but the next step is how we can corner that demand? With our talks with people that we met on IFEX Philippines, we should be able to do it if we set our fruits and vegetables at stable prices and produce them at a sustainable rate. It’s a challenge for us here in the highland considering the ever-changing weather conditions,” said Hernaez.

Faced with this predicament, Hernaez is trying to hit two birds with one stone in creating a viable year-round crop rotation system: working on identifying the in-demand varieties crops that are a tolerant to extreme weather and are resistant to pests and diseases.

“With this method, we also can minimize the use of synthetic chemicals and inputs, or apply good farming practices which involve the balanced application of organic and chemical inputs,” she explained.

The former OFW also continues to widen her network to increase their agriculture supply and product selection, allowing small-scale farming communities to accommodate bulk orders from foreign buyers.

KIBUNGAN, BENGUET
| 6 | [KIBUNGAN] ► FIFTY-NINE-YEAR OLD FARMER, DOLORES IGME, SHOS THEIR JUMBO-SIZED WINTER MELON OR ASH GOURD. IGME IS ONE OF THE FARMERS SUPPORTED UNDER THE EXPORT INITIATIVE OF GDME FRUITS AND VEGETABLE TRADING.
At the same time, she is helping Cordillera farmers secure the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification—an accreditation promoted by the ASEAN community and is unanimously recognized in the international market.

Out of the 78 GAP-certified farms in the Philippines, only 4 farms are from Cordillera.

According to the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (DA-BAFS), GAP Certification ensures that a farm is not only in the quality of his crops, but in all aspects of farming.

The GAP standard requires a scrutiny of the history of the farm site and its prior use; the type of soil, and its compatibility with crops and seed sources; the judicious use of pesticides and fertilizers, whether chemical or organic; the sources of potable water for irrigation and washing of crops; the harvest and post-handling procedures; the health and hygiene of the farmer and handlers, and other factors.

“Gusto kong makita sa mga farmers if they can eat their products raw and fresh, ‘yun na kasi uso din because there are a lot of vegetarians. ‘Yung iba kasi they have a lot of pesticide to the point na hindi na pwede makain kasi maamoy or matapang yung chemicals. At least with GAP [certification], we can be one stop closer to this goal,” she said.

Aside from GAP certifications, GDME Fruits and Vegetable Trading is also working to secure Halal certifications for the community farmers as they are targeting the demand for halal fruits and vegetables in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai and U.A.E.

Though the Philippine National Standards for Halal (PNS 2067: 2008), Halal products are at par with international standards to enhance the competitiveness of local industries, and to ensure product quality and safety for the consumers.

“GDME Fruits and Vegetable Trading is committed to prime Cordilleran farmers to become export-ready in the global market so that they would grow together with the company and the booming Philippine food industry,” she said.

If you are interested on premium fruits and vegetables from the Cordillera, please contact Ms. Maricel Hernaez (Owner of GDME Fruits and Vegetable Trading) at 0950-525-1170 or e-mail her at gdmetrading@gmail.com. | end |


Map Showing the Location of Benguet Province

MAP OF BENGUET
► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

✈ This post was filed under the category "People." See more posts related to this below.

✈ The maps I used on this post are from maps.google.com.ph.

✈ All photos are mine.

✈ The insights, condition, and name of places or properties I mentioned here are based on the facts and situation on the day of my visit. Take note that you may have a different experience when you try or see the properties or places mentioned here. Names of places and properties may also change by time so it's not my responsibility to update all the information on this blog because once published, I already consider it an archive and I won't update my narratives because I want them to become my references of what have happened in the past. I'm very particular of the dates because I want my amazing readers to understand that I am writing stories based on my perspective and insights on the day of my visit. You can see dates almost everywhere on this blog. Exempted from this rule are my travel guide posts that need to be updated.

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For this edition of Manila FAME, we put focus on how our culture has influenced generations upon generations of Filipino artisans.

✈ Manila FAME, the Philippines’ premier lifestyle and design event, is set to make waves again among international and local buyers as it returns on October 20-22 with a range of new show features and artisans in a showcase of the country’s rich cultural heritage and design ingenuity.

✈ The 66th edition of Manila FAME will strip down to its roots to present a show built upon the intertwine of the country’s rich cultural heritage and design excellence and the promotion of Philippine products. Artisans from across the country will showcase their best products at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Pasay City across the three-day event.


[Pasay, Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines]
MANILA FAME
| 1 | [FEATURE] ► LED BY PARIS-BASED DESIGN SPECIALIST NELSON SEPULVEDA, NEW GENERATION WEAVES PAY HOMAGE TO PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS AND NATURAL MATERIALS.
No less than eight show features will be included in the upcoming show. New Generation Weaves, a staple of Manila FAME for the past three editions, will return with Paris-based design specialist Nelson Sepulveda at the helm. Sepulveda will work with more than 30 small and medium enterprises to invoke harmony and balance through Philippine craftsmanship and the beauty of natural raw materials.

GREAT Women Project 2 will also return to highlight the works of women artisans across the country. The project was launched by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) in partnership with the DTI Project Management Team and is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

World-renowned designer Tony Gonzalez will also have his own curated setting that will marry the strengths of each Manila FAME participant to create a versatile collection made to match a variety of material requirements, techniques, and price points. Design Commune: Patterns and Palettes will be presented in four themes: Blues and Whites, Ethnic Nomads, Green Tinted, and Natural Black and White.

“Small and medium enterprises from across our country will join us in October to showcase the best artisanal products the Philippines has to offer,” Tugonon added. “Through Manila FAME, we will work towards supporting the success of our artisans and uplifting the Philippine brand internationally.”

The Center for International Trade expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is the proud organizer of the Manila FAME – the second longest-running trade show in the Asia-Pacific, and the only trade event in the Philippines approved by Union des Foires Internationales, a Paris-based association of trade fair organizers founded 90 years ago in Italy.

Manila FAME is a bi-annual business sourcing platform of export ready and finely crafted furniture and home furnishings, holiday gifts and dรฉcor, and fashion accessories. It showcases the best of Philippine design and craftsmanship. For more information, please visit http://www.manilafame.com/ | end |
► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

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✈ This blog and CITEM (under DTI) are media partners, hence, this press release.

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CITEM highlights Aurora’s business, agri-tourism sector in Chinese, ASEAN market.

✈ ...the local government of Aurora will highlight their province's wonderful sights, fascinating culture, and its promising investment opportunities in the 'City of Charm' pavilion.

✈ CAEXPO is the second biggest trade event in China, with a total exhibition space of about 80,000 sqm. and 4,600 exhibition booths with around 57,000 participants. It is the only international trade fair in the region dedicated to promoting the building of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) and celebrating regional economic and trade cooperation.


[Aurora Province, Central Luzon Region, Luzon, Philippines]
SURFING IN BALER, AURORA
| 1 | [BALER] ► BALER IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF SURFING IN THE PHILIPPINES.
The Province of Aurora will take center stage as the Philippines' "City of Charm" in the 14th China-ASEAN EXPO (CAEXPO) in Nanning, Guangxi, China on September 15-17.

As part of the Philippine delegation led by the Department of Trade and Industry-Center for International Trade and Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM), the local government of Aurora will highlight their province's wonderful sights, fascinating culture, and its promising investment opportunities in the 'City of Charm' pavilion.

In their booth, the Aurora provincial government is also set to feature the amazing sight and economic potential of each of its eight municipalities, namely the towns of Baler, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, and San Luis.

CAEXPO is the second biggest trade event in China, with a total exhibition space of about 80,000 sqm. and 4,600 exhibition booths with around 57,000 participants. It is the only international trade fair in the region dedicated to promoting the building of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) and celebrating regional economic and trade cooperation.

"Aurora will be given a chance to promote its premier agriculture sector and tourist destination in the Chinese and Southeast Asian market. This will lead to more employment and livelihood opportunities to its locals through the entry of foreign and domestic capital that will boost our income-generating industries," said CITEM Executive Director Clayton Tugonon.

"Harnessing the economic competitiveness of Aurora province will enable its local to diversify its products and improve the services that it can offer to the local and international markets," Tugonon added.

Agriculture is the main economic driver in Aurora, employing approximately half of the population in this booming industry. About 49,991 hectares or 15% of the provincial land area are cultivated farmlands. Major crops include rice, coconut, coffee, bananas, root crops, corn, citrus fruits, peanuts, and abaca. The province is also a major producer of the Philippine's best-tasting virgin coconut distilled wine, also known as "lambanog," which is made from the sap or “tuba” of coconut tree flowers.

DOร‘A AURORA HOUSE IN BALER
| 2 | [BALER] ► DOร‘A AURORA ARAGON QUEZON MARKER, A RESIDENTIAL REPLICA OF THE WIFE OF THE LATE PRESIDENT MANUEL QUEZON.
As a tourist destination, Aurora is a filled with exciting water adventure. The Pacific Ocean brings the Northeast Monsoon wind, creating ersatile waves suitable for surfing amateurs, enthusiasts, and professionals—earning the reputation as a world-renowned surfing hub.

The province's marine biodiversity is a sight to behold for scuba divers as its underwater terrain is a habitat for a variety of fishes, sea Snakes, turtles, mollusks, and other marine creatures. Some of the fascinating water spots in Aurora are the Dinadiawan Beach, Sabang Beach, Dingalan White Beach, Dimadimalangat Islet, Dicasalarin Bay and Banju Springs.

DOร‘A AURORA HOUSE IN BALER
| 3 | [DIPACULAO] ► DINADIAWAN BEACH, ONE OF THE PREMIER AND UNTOUCHED TOURIST SITES IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF DIPACULAO
Nestled in the arms of the Sierra Madre mountain range, the province is teeming with various land escapades, whether you are a hiker, trekker, or a nature lover. It has some of the most captivating rainforest, a lively eco-paradise for the distinct Philippine flora and fauna.

"In fact, Aurora is where you can find the 600-year- old “balete” tree that was designated the official "Millennium Tree" of The Philippines, the largest tree of its kind in Asia. It is also home to the endangered Philippine eagle and other rare species of amphibians, reptiles, and other birds," said Tugonon. | end |
► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

✈ This post was filed under the category "Travel News and Press Releases." See more posts related to this below.

✈ This blog and CITEM (under DTI) are media partners, hence, this press release.

LATEST TRAVEL NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES | SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

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NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.