RIYADH, 27 January 2007 — Bonuan bangus, the delicious milkfish produced only in the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan, has finally reached the Kingdom.
An importer of foodstuffs announced the “good news” this week after getting a go ahead from Saudi Arabian Standard Organization (SASO) to distribute “boneless bangus” along with other Philippine food products in Riyadh and nearby places.
“It’s now in the local market. Let all our kababayan (compatriots) know about it,” said Maurice Mangulabnan, assistant general manager of I-Merex Group of Companies, Inc., which teamed up with the Al Tassaum International Establishment to bring popular Philippine foodstuffs to the Kingdom.
Mangulabnan said Pangasinan’s boneless, or deboned, bangus is sought after by Filipinos not at home but abroad because of its unique taste.
He assured customers that I-Merex’s boneless bangus is of the top quality because it gets its shipment only from Dagupan in Pangasinan, dubbed the “bangus capital” of the Philippines.
“None of the regions in the Philippines that culture bangus can produce a unique taste like the Bonuan bangus, which is known all over the Philippines for its quality mouth-watering taste,” Mangulabnan said.
What sets the Bonuan bangus apart from other milkfish is that it doesn’t have a “mud-taste,” he said.
It is believed that fishpond owners in Dagupan feed their bangus with natural seaweeds, which makes their harvests taste different from the rest.
“Having finally penetrated the Saudi market, after getting the clearance from SASO, the introduction of our very own boneless bangus makes us proud as Filipino entrepreneur because it only shows that we can compete with other imported food produce from other countries like Taiwan and Thailand,” said Mangulabnan.
For the moment, he said, boneless bangus could be found at Al-Swalim, Al-Jazeerah Superstore and Bin Madhi Cold Store Establishment. He said I-Merex plans to import more in the coming months for distribution in other supermarkets and stores not just in the Central Region but also in other parts of the Kingdom.