MANILA, Philippines—A pioneering enterprise, which introduced the first canned “laing” to the ready-to-eat food market, is coming up with another Filipino native dish to boost its product line—the canned “pinakbet.”
The traditional concoction of mixed vegetables and shrimp fry is MoonDish Foods Corp.’s (MFC) second acquisition from the Department of Science and Technology.
“[We were able to acquire it] during the first quarter of 2008,” said Ana Manrique, the company’s co-founder.
Just like MFC’s other products, the canned pinakbet’s main market is the Filipino working population abroad. “OFWs are under-served of local products, so that’s our edge [in having them as our main market],” Manrique, 51, said.
With the help of Rufino, her husband and business partner, and Julia, her daughter and export manager, the company has already delivered several shipments to the United States and the United Kingdom on trial orders.
World food market
“I’m happy that we were able to penetrate the US, Australia and Japan markets,” said Manrique. “They have very strict regulations.”
MoonDish currently exports as much as 70 percent of its products to Europe, Canada and the Middle East. These include canned “laing” (taro leaves cooked in coconut), “puso ng saging” (banana heart), Bicol Express, “camansi” (breadfruit), “ginataang ampalaya (bitter gourd cooked in coconut),” “tuyo (dried fish)” and “bagoong sa gata (shrimp paste cooked in coconut).”
Local consumers, however, were treated to an early sampling of the canned “pinakbet” during the product’s “soft launch” at the International Food Exhibit held at the World Trade Center last May.
The introduction had worked to the Manriques’ advantage. “There was some feedback on the bitterness of the ampalaya,” Manrique said, “so we have improved on that.”
No chemical additives
And just like the other canned products, the canned “pinakbet” has no chemical or artificial preservatives. “There are no chemical additives; I want the food to be safe,” Manrique said. The family’s concern is not only for the product’s taste but also for the health benefits that go with it.
With its canning technology, MoonDish has been able to keep the canned “pinakbet’s” shelf life at two years. Its “laing,” on the other hand, can be stored for 21 months at most.
A fisheries graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Manrique was first involved in the food industry through baking, not canned goods. She and her husband, a mechanical engineer, sold goodies like crinkles, brownies and cupcakes in their bakery, Moonbake Breadhouse, named after the Moonwalk Village in Las Piñas City where they reside.
In 1997, the Asian financial crisis hit them hard, forcing them to look for other sources of livelihood. “We were just looking for fallback products for our crinkles,” Manrique said.
Their search led them to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, a DOST attached agency, which encouraged them to try commercializing the “laing.” Now, almost 10 years later, the same institute still helps the couple with their newest canned venture.
Helping small farmers
In return, the Manriques are helping small farmers and other people. “We’ve helped many farmers, from [those making] rice to taro,” Manrique said.
So far, MFC has been tapping a farmers’ cooperative in Quezon for their supply of raw materials. “Now we are developing another cooperative in Bicol,” Manrique said.
Even with the high and steady demand for their products, the Manriques believe they still have a long way to go before hitting it big. “Maliit lang ito (This is just small),” Julia said, referring to their 1,000-square-meter factory in Taguig City.
Although they tried to advertise two years ago in print and radio, the Manriques have stuck mostly to trade shows and food samplings for publicity. “We’re still a small enterprise,” Manrique reiterated.
Still, with not much competition and “more compliments than complaints,” MFC dominates the local production of canned vegetables. For now, the family business concentrates on making affordable and conveniently packed traditional Filipino vegetable dishes that anyone can eat—anytime, anywhere.
Copyright 2009 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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