The Philippines made a strong impression among the 50 participating countries at its debut at the three-day Natural and Organic Products Asia (NOPA) 2017 that opened on Wednesday, 30 August 2017 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wanchai district.
Philippine Consul General Bernardita L. Catalla, one of the guests of honor at the opening ceremony, said 20 participating Philippine food companies made a strong impact by grouping together in a customized booth organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) under its current campaign “Food Philippines: Taste by Design” at the HKCEC’s Hall D.
She lauded the Philippine pavilion’s “impressive design” and the “high end products” featured at the expo.
The Philippine pavilion, which stood out alongside neighbors Australia, United States, and Thailand, featured various natural and organic products such as rice, coconut chips and sugar, fruit and vegetable preserves, wines and spirits, spice mixes, teas and coffee, pili nuts, juices and skin care products.
Consul General Catalla cut the ceremonial ribbon together with Consul General Michaela Browning of Australia, this year’s Country of Honor, other representatives from the consular corps, InvestHK and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
The DA was represented by Beijing-based Agriculture Counselor Noel de Luna and officials from Manila. Also attending the opening was Vice Consul John Paul B. Iñigo of the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre (PTIC) Guangzhou, which also covers Hong Kong and Macau.
The participating companies are: Los Ricos Compania Corporation; Kapfer and Rivera United Inc.; Pacific Rim Natural Food Products Inc.; Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc; Marigold Manufacturing Corporation (Mama Sita’s); Castillejos Agri-Farms Inc.; La Top Multipurpose Cooperative; JPM Japan Philippines Malunggay Eco Farm Inc.; J Emmanuel Pastries; and Pure Life Health & Wellness Inc.
NOPA was first held in 2014 and is the leading trade platform for natural and organic products. For this year, it hit a record high of 250 booths from 50 countries, and is set to welcome 9,000 buyers all over the world.
