Manila (3 April) -- To help mitigate the effects of the global economic slowdown, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is pushing for the large-scale processing and manufacture of nutritious and affordable vegetable-based foodstuff such as noodles, bread, burger patties, meatless sausages, cookies and juices for the consuming public, especially the poorest.

The President will inaugurate the Benguet Vegetable Processing Center in Benguet State University (BSU), in La Trinidad on Tuesday, April 7, together with Presidential Management Staff Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan, BSU President Rogelio Colting, and members and representatives of the Inter-Agency Group under the Veggie Noodles Project.

Esperon, who inspected the center recently in preparation for its opening, said the first floor is already completed and it houses the processing and laboratory rooms, cold storage room, quality analytical room, training and demonstration areas, loading and unloading areas and several other production facilities.

He said the acquisition of various food processing equipment and other facilities will boost the production of veggie-enriched products, especially noodles and pasta, which increased from 2,200 packs per month to 19,008 packs per month.

According to Esperon, this processing center is an integral part of BSU's Benguet Vegetable Processing Center (BVPC) Project, which aims to develop quality foods from fresh agricultural produce, and commercialize the production of vegetable-based products, including noodles.

President Arroyo has infused a P10-million financial assistance from her Social Fund in March 2008 to jumpstart this 3-year project, instructing BSU to concentrate first on the development and commercial production and distribution of veggie noodles. This paved the way for the creation of the Veggie Noodles Project, which is part of the BVPC Project, to provide cheaper, yet nutritious alternative foodstuff as well as reduce post-harvest losses and wastage and improve the income of vegetable farmers.

To ensure the success of the project, an Inter-Agency Group was formed led by the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) with members that include PMS, DSWD, DA, BSU, DTI, Benguet Provincial Government, and the private sector, mainly represented by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), food and beverage company RFM Food Corporation, and Liwayway Marketing Corporation, maker of OISHI snack products.

The project involves small-scale processors and noodle adoptors all over the country and other government agencies like NFA and PIA for widespread production of veggie noodles, as well as for assistance in product distribution and promotion. The veggie-based noodles are distributed through the Tindahan Natin (TN) outlets to reach as many consumers as possible, especially the poor communities.

As the Veggie Noodles Project's first commercial-scale product, RFM's "Proud Harvest" squash-enriched pancit canton noodles was launched in July last year with the assistance of the members of the Inter-Agency group, especially the DOST-FNRI, which provided the squash noodle technology. RFM marketed the products in key commercial markets and TN outlets in CAR, Regions I, II, IV, and NCR, in coordination with the NFA and DSWD. As of January this year, NFA reported that 77% or 10,363 packs of the initial delivery were already sold to TN outlets. The RFM, on the other hand, sold 6,795 bundles (12 packs/bundle) in different markets as of February this year and its sales have been increasing.

Today, the Benguet Vegetable Processing Center has already developed 23 variants of canton noodles at an annual capacity of 10,560 kilograms, 21 variants of instant noodles at 5,280 kgs. for market trial, 15 variants of pastas at 6,000 packs, 4 variants of siomai wrappers at 6,000 pieces, 21 variants of cookies at 14,400 packs, 20 variants of breads at 3,000 packs, 7 variants of veggie powder and mixes at 1,200 packs, 2 variants of meatless burger patties, sausages at 600 packs, 27 variants of purees, and one variant of veggie-fruit herb juice drink at 60 liters.

Under contract growing agreements, it has purchased assorted vegetables from farmer suppliers of Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos, thus, improving farmers' income.

Following the President's directive, the project is working with noodle adoptors nationwide to produce veggie noodles using FNRI's existing technologies. FNRI has signed MOAs with 44 noodle adoptors who have already started commercial production as of December 2008.