Marcos town in Ilocos Norte eyes mango processing plant revival

File photo of Mango King Carding Tolentino showing the Ilocos mangoes.

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

MARCOS, Ilocos Norte—The local chief executive of this town plans to revive a mango processing plant here as he tries to encourage more investors to take advantage of the favorable economic activity in this northern part of Luzon.

Marcos Mayor Arsenio Agustin said they had already sought the help of the national government and the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) to assess the facility and to estimate amount needed to revive the mango processing plant here located at the Marcos Agro-industrial school.

In 2007, then Ilocos Norte governor now Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the said building under the watch of the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).

According to Mr. Agustin, they plan to expand mango plantations in Marcos town by encouraging more farmers to plant mango seedlings and make this high value fruit as the municipality’s one town-one product.

To spur economic development in the Ilocos region, it may be recalled that a group of Filipino investors from Hawaii established a multi-million mango processing plant in Barangay Sulbec, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte in early 2006 but this did not last long due to lack of available raw materials for export.

The Pasuquin-based mango processing plant has a capacity of 10 tons in a 24-hour operation, catering to an estimated 250 hectares of full-grown mango plantations in the province. Products from the processing plant include mango puree, sweetened candies and others, exported mainly in Hawaii as well as other parts of the country.

Comments

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

PGIN honors Ilocano heroes of past, present through Heroes Walk

SPO1 Allan Lampitoc Franco of Banna, Ilocos Norte and PO2 Jovalyn D. Lozano of Adams, Ilocos Norte receive a resolution of commendation, a certificate of college scholarship grant to their family members and a P20,000 cash incentive each from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte represented by Governor Imee R. Marcos and Vice Governor Angelo M. Barba in recognition of their bravery and heroic acts in the Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao on January 25. Mr. Franco and Mr. Lozano were recognized on March 10 in time for the unveiling of the second batch of Ilocano heroes at the Heroes Walk located along the Sirib Mile in Laoag City. (Lei Adriano) By Jennifer T. Pambid PGIN-CMO In honor of the heroes who brought freedom, fame and glory to the province as well as to the country in the past century, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Education Department and Sirib Youth Office launched the second batch of Ilocano Heroes Walk on March 10, 2015.

Pagudpud’s tourism transformer passes away

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Retired Philippine Air Force Col. Ricardo Nolasco Jr., owner of Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte passed away on Wednesday evening, July 11, 2018. He was 67. “He did not survive an open-heart surgery,” said Ronald Dominguez, spokesperson of the largest resort at Brgy. Balaoi in Pagudpud. Known as the architect behind the transformation of Pagudpud town as a premiere destination of the north, Mr. Nolasco put up Hannah’s Beach Resort in what was originally meant as a family vacation resort. The rest is history when it expanded into more than 300-room executive villas and cabanas, with on-going infrastructure developments and set up various amenities. As a result, hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists visit here daily. The resort is on a cliff by the beach, which provides a spectacular view of the sparkling blue lagoon. “Yesterday will go down my lifeline as one

The Ilocos Times

Search This Blog