What’s cooking in PH food sector?

Hottest trends to be discussed in Philfoodex expo

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:12 AM April 13, 2018

World-class Philippine food brands up for sale

The state of the Philippine food and beverage industry will be showcased at the 14th Philippine Food Expo on April 20-22 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

The theme of this year’s expo, the country’s “only all-Filipino food show,” is “Emerging Trends in Food Trade.”

The event will highlight developments in the food business. Industry players can learn ways to adapt to market demands, identify suppliers and partners, and acquire skills and get introduced to technologies that will help them grow their businesses and be more competitive.

At the press launch of this year’s show, organizers said the event would feature the various players in the industry—processors, producers, growers, exporters, even micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs). Exhibitors would also include packaging and equipment manufacturers, among others.

Some 300 exhibitors have signed up for the expo, about half of them micro, small and medium enterprises.

Aside from showcasing products and services, the expo will feature technical sessions to help participants, particularly those in Visayas and Mindanao, scale up their enterprises.

Seminars include ASPIRE for Agripreneurs (Agribusiness Support for Investments Promotion in Regional Expositions), franchising opportunities, effect of the TRAIN law on the food industry and impact of DOST Set-Up Programs on SME adaptors.

Other topics are trends and business opportunities in the Asean food and beverage industry, threats to the food business, financial assistance for SMEs, productivity and innovation, adapting GS1 barcodes, renewable energy and packaging and logistics services.

Native wines on display

Culinary competitions participated in by different culinary schools will be conducted. For the first time in the history of the competition, there will be a chocolate, coffee and tea festival, highlighting locally sourced raw materials.

Cooking demonstrations and bartending and flairtending showdowns and culinary competitions are also on the three-day program.

Roberto C. Amores, president of The Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization (Philfoodex) Inc., the group behind the event, said while the expo would shine the spotlight on the local industry’s accomplishments and milestones, it would also call attention to challenges and what remained to be done to make the country more competitive, using achievements of other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as benchmarks.

The expo, Amores said, would help Philfoodex members become more competitive with the establishment of the Asean Economic Community. He stressed the need for the Philippines to sync its food industry with that of its neighbors.

He identified some of the problems faced by the food industry as availability of raw materials, technology concerns and insufficient credit and finance opportunities.

Collaborating with Philfoodex in staging the expo are the Philippine Exporters Federation, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and Export Marketing Bureau.

The event is presented with the cooperation of the Philippine Okra Producers & Exporters Association, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, GS1 Philippines, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bank of China, COHREP, ICC Philippines and Oishi.

For more information, contact 949 4054 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Event manager Cut Unlimited Inc. may be reached through 3727023-25 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or their website www.phillippinefoodexpo.com. —CONTRIBUTED

We cannot predict quakes

We cannot predict quakes —Phivolcs

posted April 13, 2018 at 10:50 pm by Manila Standard

No one, not even the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology can predict an earthquake.

The Phivolcs on Friday warned the public against social media posts on the supposed predictions of earthquake occurrence.

The agency reiterated that there is still no reliable technology today that can predict when and where a tremor will happen.

“We cannot predict when or where an earthquake will happen. There is no reliable technology in the world that can confidently predict the date, time and location of large earthquakes,” it said.

Phivolcs also asked the public to avoid sharing false information that will only cause fear and panic.

NOMINATIONS FOR DOST’S BANTOG AWARDS STILL ON UNTIL MAY 31, 2018

The Department of Science and Technology- Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) announces that nomination of media personalities to the Bantog: The Science for the People Media Awards is still on. The Institute shall receive nominations until May 31, 2018.

The Bantog Awards is given in recognition of the important role of media practitioners (print, radio, TV and online), in government and private practice, who made significant contributions to the promotion of science and technology information.

The awards has four categories. The Institutional Media Award is given to an institution or organization that served as a vital link between the science and technology (S&T) sectors and its clients through informative advocacy. Meanwhile, theOutstanding S&T Journalist Award is given to an individual media practitioner who has been an ardent advocate of science and technology whether in print, broadcast, or online. Further, the Outstanding Regional Media Practitioner Award is given to an enthusiastic regional media personality who has shown strong support in promoting science and technology information. Finally, the Outstanding Information Officer Award is given to exemplary information officers in DOST working in the area of communication production and dissemination.

Nominees should be Filipinos or Filipino-owned media companies which have broadcast and published S&T information in January 2017-March 2018. Nominees for individual practitioners from print, broadcast, and online media shall be judged according to substance, form, style, relevance of works, and additional requirements by the board of judges. Meanwhile, nominees for institutional awards shall be judged according to innovativeness, relevance, and commitment to S&T reportage. The DOST Information Officer Award shall be based on his/her accomplishments in print, broadcast, online media, and public relations.

All Bantog Awardees shall receive trophies while the individual category winners shall receive additional cash prizes. The Outstanding S&T Journalists for online, print, radio and TV will all take home P100,000; P50,000; and P25,000 for the first, second and third prizes respectively. The sole winner of Outstanding Regional Media Practitioner will receive P50,000 and the Outstanding DOST Information Officers will get P30,000; P20,000; and P10,000.
For queries and further information on Bantog, please contact STII Public Affairs Unit at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call(02) 837-2071 local 2146 or mobile no. 09493039998 and look for Ms. Ma. Lilibeth P. Padilla.

(By Mark Francis S. España, DOST-STII )