[ Mania Bulletin Online ] August 5, 2008
SANTIAGO CITY – Going organic, the Santiago City government is changing its "One Town, One-Product" (OTOP) from the chunky sweet patupat (glutinous rice cooked in sugar cane syrup and wrapped in small coconut-leaf pouches) to muscovado sugar.
"While the patupat is an Ilocano classic, it cannot provide farmers a lucrative source of income because it is perishable and limited to the domestic market only, compared to the high-value muscovado sugar which commands high price here and abroad," said Santiago City Agriculture Officer Solomon Maylem.
Initially, the city government, through its agriculture department, acquired 260,000 hybrid sugarcane rootstocks now grown at an 8.5-hectare cane nursery in Bannawag Sur to be distributed soon to farmers.
A muscovado sugar mill costing R3 million will be constructed in the sugarcane farms in Bannawag Sur.
"The Department of Science and Technonology (DOST) is giving us P500,000 grant for the project," Santiago City Mayor Amelita Sison-Navarro said.
Maylem said the Philippine Sugar Authority has committed to provide scientific training to local farmers interested to engage in the muscovado sugar production.
"Through the initiative of the Isabela 4th District Rep. Geogidi Aggabao, we went to Tarlac and other muscuvado sugar producing provinces to be able replicate the right technology of producing the trendy organic sugar here in the city," said Navarro.
