Jollibee to build new dining chain
By Doris Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 5, 2010

JOLLIBEE FOODS Corp. is building a new casual dining chain specializing on coffee and Italian ice cream using a newly acquired master franchise for a popular Korean brand.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange Wednesday, JFC said it had entered into a joint venture to obtain the local master franchise for “Caffe Ti-Amo” (which means Coffee I love You). The joint venture will be 50-percent owned by JFC and 50-percent by local entrepreneur Pamela Tan and her siblings.

In the disclosure, JFC said that the joint venture partners were not related to the controlling shareholders of JFC.

The franchisor will be Caffe Ti-Amo Korea Co. Ltd., owner of the “Caffe Ti-Amo” trademarks based in the Republic of Korea. The restaurant brand was established in Korea in 2006 and had grown its network to 269 stores to become a very successful chain, the disclosure said.

JFC said the joint venture, which will have an initial capital of P10 million, would develop and build a business around gelato and coffee.

“The joint venture plans to open in the Philippines mostly franchised stores and a few joint venture-owned stores,” the disclosure said.

JFC said the first of the “Ti-Amo” stores would open in The Annex at SM North Edsa.”

Analysts said JFC’s entry into this new format was meant to diversify its brand offering and capture opportunities from a growing demand for gourmet coffee shops popularized by the likes of Starbucks. However, this new brand is seen offering a more affordable alternative to other foreign as well as homegrown coffee shop brands.

JFC operates the dominant fast-food service chain in the Philippines. As of end-March, it had a total of domestic 1,569 stores, 692 of which are under the flagship Jollibee brand, 401 under Chinese fast-food chain Chowking, 227 under pizzeria Greenwich, 211 under bakeshop Red Ribbon, 24 under European-inspired deli Delifrance and 14 under budget brand Manong Pepe’s.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. melted fat or vegetable lard
Saba bananas, sliced lengthwise

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Set aside. Mix eggs, evaporated milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Dip saba in batter and deep-fat fry. Drain on absorbent paper. Roll in sugar.

Variation: Sweet camote (sliced thinly) may be used instead of saba bananas.

Source: Let’s Cook With Nora Cookbook
Image Source: Maruya

GMO rice in RP still far fetched
By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) | April 01, 2010

CEBU, Philippines – The Philippines still has a lot of work to do to finally be able to introduce the entry of genetically-modified (GMO) rice, despite the 10-year study on this possibility.

In an interview with Department of Agriculture (DA) assistant secretary Preceles Manzo, he said that although there is a big possibility that the Philippines will soon adopt the modernized farming concept of producing GMO rice, the government specifically the DA, and the BioTech Group of the national government, still have to work on a lot of things, specifically in establishing the “protocols”, such as further study, public/farmers consultation, and as well as implementing rules and regulations.

According to Manzo, although Filipinos have already heard and “a bit familiar” of the popularity of GMO rice in other countries, “they still fear the unknown.”

Thus, careful further study is now being done, as well as consultation with other international experts on GMO rice production, Manzo said.

The BioTech Group of the Philippine government is already on its 10th-year study for the possibility of introducing GMO rice in the Philippines, but there are still mounting job to be done.

The Philippines, the world’s largest rice importer, is one of the several countries currently in field tests for GMO rice crops, Manzo said.

The Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) earlier said that Golden Rice, a Vitamin A-enriched grain it developed, is being bred into local varieties as well in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Vietnam as part of testing to ensure safety.

“We are one of the largest producers of GMO corn in Asia,” said Manzo, explaining that once the protocol of producing GMO rice will be established, the country may also become one of the largest producers of GMO rice.

Aside from rice, the Philippines is also studying on the GMO production of cotton, abaca, and banana, Manzo added.

Despite the hype about the wonders of genetically-modified (GMO) rice, the Greenpeace announced that only three GMO rice varieties have obtained regulatory approval for mass production in the US.

To date, the Philippines is still on the “experimental stage” in its bid to adopt the GMO rice production.

The availability of Golden Rice (produced through GMO) which contains genes from maize and other sources of beta-carotene, was expected to address the deficiency of the micronutrient, Vitamin A, especially among the poor in Asia.

IRRI revealed that over 90 million children in Southeast Asia suffer from Vitamin A deficiency, more than in any other region, and the introduction of Golden Rice in the Philippines may be largely meant to benefit public health instead of boosting yields to curb imports.

Manzo added that there is no timetable as to when the Philippines can officially adopt GMO rice production although IRRI said that the Philippines may follow China as the next Asian country to approve widespread planting of genetically modified rice crops, possibly as early as 2011.

Article Source: GMO rice in RP still far fetched
Image Source: GMO Rice

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines – A resident here has dug up what might be the heaviest singkamas (jicama) in the world.

The giant singkamas, which John Paul Garcia dug up at barangay Cabittaogan, weighed about 23 kilos and is the size of a huge pot.

Normally, a singkamas is as big as an ordinary potato.

According to Garcia, he had a hard time getting the giant singkamas off the ground.

He added that he has no plans of selling his harvest no matter how much the buyer is offering to pay for it, claiming that the giant singkamas will bring him good luck.

The current world record, as recorded in the Guinness World Records, is held by Leo Sutisna of Indonesia for a jicama weighing 21 kilograms. — Report from Ria Galiste, ABS-CBN Ilocos

Source: ABS-CBN Ilocos (March 10, 2010)
Image Source: Singkamas