Serendra with Chit and Reena

We have not been to Bonifacio Global City in a while but when our friends Chit and Reena asked that we come by, we readily fixed our schedule and headed toward that area. That is because every time we would meet this very active duo (in entrepreneurship), there would be something new, interesting discoveries that they would eagerly share. Luckily that Thursday morning traffic was not bad, so we made it to our destination in an hour.

We came upon the Echostore, their flagship outlet in Serendra, that has been redone – the display area was rearranged, perhaps to accommodate all the different products made of natural materials and sourced from various regions, towns, small barrios and cities in the country. The duo was very excited about the successful launch of their store in Davao recently. Yes, that was how far they have spread the principle of sustainable living. Actually, their campaign has not only captured the interest of Filipinos but also nationals of different countries they have visited, promoting local products.

Okay, what’s new at Echostore? Plenty. Can you imagine dried bagoong (shrimp paste)? Well, in the city of Himamaylan in Negros Occidental, a company called Prinasal has produced dried bagoong, vacuum packed and sealed. It can be used as topping for rice, or as seasoning for various dishes. We were delighted to know this because customs officers and guards at the NAIA can be unpredictable. While we have traveled in the past bringing bottled bagoong, our second daughter was not as lucky. Her bottled bagoong and salad dressings were impounded. Now with this dried bagoong in sealed tetrapak, it will be safe to bring. It is sold at P99 for a pack of 99 gms.

Another bagoong concoction is the adobo’t bagoong of Aning Yaman (which we interpret as treasured harvest). A product of the L.A.D.E. Pasti Sani in Filinvest, Quezon City, this is made of shrimp paste, cooked with lean pork, corn oil, vinegar, garlic, tomatoes, raw sugar, chili and spices. This alone can be a simple ulam (viand).

Still in Negros Occidental, the forebears of the Moises family have handed down their recipe for guava jelly. The granddaughter is now marketing this bottled,  300 ml for P250. This is made with pure native guava that is found only in Negros and cooked with sugar. This is something that reminds us of home in Biñan where such a sweet concoction was spread on hot pan de sal.  

Now this is the most exciting and interesting news we got from Chit and Reena. An Italian priest from Don Bosco has made headway in working with the indigenous group Matig Salonga in the small town called Buda in Marilog, Davao where he cultivated organic farming. 70-year-old Fr. Franco Uras, SDB, saw the potential in the breeding of ducks, which were hatching by the hundreds. He formulated a line of gourmet products using duck meat and liver, under the label Padre Ninno. The bottled delicacies, mostly patés, have found their way to Manila via Echostore. Check out Echostore; outside of food products they offer a lot more.

Have a fruitful Sunday!

E-mail me at [email protected].