MANILA, Philippines -- The Rizal provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry is conducting a Pangasius Culinary Festival next Tuesday, October 18, starting at 2 p.m. at the University of Rizal System in Morong, Rizal.

According to Mercedes Parreño, director of Rizal DTI, the event is in conjunction with the celebration of the Consumer Welfare Month with the theme “Sapat, Ligtas at Abot Kayang Pagkain Para sa Lahat” and Fish Conservation Month this October.

The fishfest aims to assemble restaurateurs, resort owners, supermarket managers and purchasing officers, fish producers, investors and other industry players in one venue for a gastronomic experience with various tastes of Pangasius dishes.

Highlight of the festival is a competition in preparing Pangasius dishes by students from culinary schools in the province of Rizal. The competition is open to groups of full-time or part-time students enrolled in a culinary program located in the province.

Each group must be composed of at least five students with the supervision of a professor or culinary instructor. Each entrant must be at least 18 years old. The participating groups will be provided with six kilos of Pangasius (3 kg fresh and 3 kg fish fillet). They will also be given P1,000 as budget for buying the in-gredients.

The groups will cook a Rizal Signature Dish using the fresh Pangasius while a Surprise Dish will be made with the fish fillet.

Pangasius is being promoted as a major product of Rizal province. After all, there are many bodies of freshwater that could be used in producing the fish. At the same time, the biggest Pangasius hatchery in the region is in Rizal, particularly the St. Martha Farm in Teresa owned by retired General Jewel Canson, his wife Cecile and their children.

The St. Martha Farm is not only producing fingerlings, it is also engaged in grow-out operations to produce Pangasius for the market. And part of its diversification is the processing of fresh Pangasius into different products.

Mrs. Canson said she is now producing various products out of Pangasius bearing the brand “Sta. Marta Premium Dory.” These include different flavors of sausages and native longganisas, embutido, fish cake, fishy patties, bottled Pangasius fillet in corn oil and in tomato sauce.

Mrs. Canson says that they usually make their fillet on order so that they are very fresh. The fish used are freshly caught and are grown under very sanitary conditions. They could be much better than their imported counterpart.

At the same time, Mrs. Canson continues with her herbs and vegetable project. She is producing four kinds of lettuce for a trader who distributes the same to customers in Metro Manila.

By the way, Mercy Parreño says the province is promoting a number of products that will provide money-making opportunities to the people in Rizal.

One of the products that is truly from Rizal is the Balaw-balaw produced by the Balaw-Balaw Foods Inc. in Angono, Rizal. This is fermented shrimp paste. Another product of the company is bottled duck dishes. Rizal is also a major producer of ducks.

Makers of beverages are also being encouraged in the province. These include the processors of natural fruit juices and jams, lemongrass juice, instant salabat, Lagundi tea, malunggay tea and others.

There are also makers of fruit wines in the province like the Tropical Fruit Winery Corporation in San Mateo, and the Bugarin Pineapple Growers Association in Pililla which produces pineapple wine and fresh fruits.

There are also enterprises engaged in dairy and poultry preparations. The Arflo Dairy Products in Tanay produces fresh milk. On the other hand, the Llano Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative in Jalajala produces fresh milk, choco milk, pastillas de leche, white cheese and yoghurt out of carabao’s milk.

Among the producers of balut and salted eggs include the Chong Family Corporation of Binangonan and Estanislao Salted Eggs of San Carlos in Angono.

Camote event – An exhibit highlighting camote and a competition in coming up with the best camote prepatations will be held today, October 15, from 9 to 12 noon at the Daza Park Function Room of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The event is under the auspices of the AFP Officers’ Ladies Club headed by Mrs. Blessie Kison, and Mama Sita Foundation headed by Mrs. Clara R. Lapus.

Four groups will participate in the competition. They will consist of members of different ladies clubs in the Armed Forces like the Army, Navy, Air Force and the General Headquarters.

We have been invited to talk on the many benefits of camote and its culture. We will also be one of the judges in the competition. The preparations will be judged according to taste, ease in preparation, costing and presentation.

The AFP Ladies’ Club will be coming out with a useful and informative recipe book featuring all the camote recipes submitted by the members of the ladies clubs, with special mention to the entry winners.