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Food diplomacy

When COVID-19 canceled a festival, the ladies turned to the virtual

FOOD diplomacy takes center stage this month for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and The ASEAN Ladies Foundation, Inc. (ALF).

Because strict quarantine measures have restricted many activities, the annual festival marking ASEAN Month had to be called off. To fill in the gap left by the festival’s cancellation, the ALF commissioned a series of video tutorials that celebrate cuisines from ASEAN member countries. It also serves to benefit the people stuck at home throughout the varying degrees of quarantine. The videos can be seen on the Facebook page of the ASEAN Ladies Foundation (@aseanladiesfoundation.ph), as well as on YouTube.

Noraimi Rosli, spouse of Khairul Hazwan Mohd Nor, the Second Secretary of the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam, introduced the dish Ambuya during an online launch last week. The starchy staple is usually dipped in a sauce. The representative from Cambodia, Loy Chetana, a Cambodian national married to a Filipino, introduced their version of Steamed Fish Curry (called Trey Amok), and will also prepare it on the video.

Meanwhile, Linda Rahmanto, spouse of Widya Rahmanto, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indonesia Embassy, and current president of the organization, talked about grilled chicken in rujak sauce (Ayam Bakar Bumbu Rujak), and Jamu Kunyit Usam, a herbal drink. The dish will be prepared in the video by chef Untung Taurut.

Over at Laos, they’re preparing a chicken salad (Larp Kai), while over at Malaysia, they’re making Amas Masak Merah (a spicy tomato chicken dish), with Iza Karmila Ramli, spouse of Mohd Nor Azrin, Minister Counsellor of the Malaysian embassy preparing the dish. In Myanmar, Myint Thandar, spouse of the Ambassador of Myanmar Lwin Oo, will prepare Mohinga, a popular Burmese noodle soup.

At the homefront, Maria Lourdes Locsin, spouse of DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin, is getting help from chef Myrna Segismundo to prepare Adobo sa Gata (Adobo with Coconut Milk). Singapore will offer a Hokkien Mee, a noodle dish, to be prepared by David Lee of the Defense Attaché’s Office in Singapore. Sirintra Ruangprateepsaeng, the spouse of Ambassador of Thailand Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng, will prepare a creamy Tom Yum Goong, and finally, Tran Hong Linh, the spouse of the Vietnamese embassy’s First Secretary Vu Anh Son, will prepare fresh spring rolls filled with fried chicken.

Asked why they chose those particular dishes to represent their nations, Mrs. Locsin spoke of her choice — “Can you imagine a dish that there are 100 versions of [it]? Aren’t you curious? I’d like to learn like 50 more. I chose adobo because of that. It’s the most common thing. I think in every household practically, adobo is cooked. In every Filipino restaurant, adobo’s on the menu.” Meanwhile, Mrs. Rahmanto said, “I think everybody knows about rendang, satay, and gado-gado. Grilled chicken is also popular in Indonesia. I know a lot of Filipinos here love grilled chicken. I want to introduce this version of grilled chicken.”

“Food brings people together,” said Mrs. Locisn. “We noticed that a lot of people have become creative and productive in the kitchen, especially during this pandemic. So we thought that creating cooking videos highlighting some of the most beloved dishes from our respective countries was a good way to share a little bit of home with everyone.”

The videos can be seen on YouTube via the DFA Special Projects Unit’s page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGMYMRAtFH7JkCtKKpkQUaA), and on Facebook (@aseanladiesfoundation.ph ). The recipes themselves can be found in the online version of this story. 

BRUNEI

AMBUYAT

Ingredients:

Hot boiling water in a kettle

2 cups water, room temperature

1 (or more) packet of ambulung (sago)

Directions:

1. Bring the water in the kettle to a rolling boil

2. Pour 1 packet of ambulung (sago) into a bowl.

3. Add 2 cups room temperature water to the bowl and mix with the ambulung

4. Keep stirring until the liquid becomes firm and sticky.

5. Slowly pour the hot boiling water in a clockwise motion towards the center until you see white particles appearing.

6. Stir until everything comes translucent.

*Best served with cacah (a sour and spicy dip) and the following Bruneian side dishes:

a. Ikan rumahan (fried mackerel with asam jawa [tamarind])

b. Belutak (made up of salted minced meat stuffed into casings of cow or buffalo’s

small intestines)

c. Cacah binjai (made from Binjai and sambal)

d. Daging kunyit (beef with turmeric)

e. Udang Rabus (steamed prawns)

CAMBODIA

TREY AMOK (steamed fish curry)

Ingredients:

For the curry paste:

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large shallot bulb, finely chopped

3 stalks lemongrass (to use the inner tender stalk only, ends trimmed), finely chopped

½ inch galangal (Siamese ginger), peeled and finely chopped

2 Kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (may substitute with lime zest)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chili paste (like Sambal Oelek)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp shrimp paste, optional (may substitute with anchovy paste)

1 cup coconut milk, well shaken

1 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp salt

½ kg firm fish, tilapia fillet or cream dory fillet

1 egg

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

1 cup Chinese broccoli leaves, cut into ½ inch thick ribbons

For garnish (optional):

Sliced red bell pepper

Kaffir lime leaves

1 large coconut to use as bowl

Directions:

1. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the first 5 ingredients to make a paste.

2. Add the remaining curry paste ingredients and pound until all spices are well incorporated.

3. Thinly slice the fish into ½ inch thick bite size pieces and set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the shrimp paste, coconut milk, sugar and salt, whisking to combine.

6. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally.

7. Add the fish, gently folding it into the curry sauce with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

8. Let the amok simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Turn the heat off.

9. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and fish sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of the curry sauce from the pan and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and mix together.

10. Pour the egg mixture with cornstarch into the saucepan and gently fold it into the curry.

11. In another pan, saute the Chinese broccoli leaves until a little bit cooked.

12. Put the Chinese broccoli into the coconut bowl first then put the fish amok on top of it.

13. Serve the amok in a coconut bowl with a spoonful of coconut cream (the thick cream that rises on the top of the remaining coconut milk)

14. Garnish with a few sliced red pepper and a sprinkle of Kaffir lime leaf ribbons or lime zest.

INDONESIA

AYAM BAKAR BUMBU RUJAK (grilled marinated chicken in rujask sauce)

Ingredients:

1500 grams chicken (ideally whole, but you may use cuts as well)

1 ⅔ cups bumbu rujak (a sweet spicy hot dressing; recipe is below)

1 tbsp salt

6 cups water

3 tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Clean the whole chicken and blot it dry

2. Butterfly the chicken

3. Pour cold water in a bowl

4. Add in salt and stir until dissolved

5. Place the chicken in the bowl and marinate it in the salt brine in a fridge for 20 minutes. This process helps to keep the chicken juicy while grilling and adds additional flavor to the meat inside

6. Take the chicken out of the brine and blot dry

7. Generously cover the chicken with the bumbu rujak, or use a ziplock bag and massage the bumbu rujak onto the chicken

8. Marinate for another 30 minutes or for more flavor, overnight

9. Preheat your oven at 350°F or start up your grill until the charcoal has no flame but is glowing

10. Take the chicken out of the marinade and brush lightly with oil

11. Place chicken on a grill rack and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or grill both sides over charcoal until golden brown

12. Brush the chicken with the bumbu rujak and place back in the oven or on the grill

13. Repeat the brushing of the marinade every 5-10 minutes

14. If using a grill, the chicken must be turned after every brushing.

15.  Serve with the remaining bumbu rujak and steamed rice, sliced cucumber and tomato and a lime wedge

For the Bumbu Rujak:

4 tbsp palm sugar

2 tsp terasi* (Indonesian shrimp paste)

6 pcs small bird’s eye chili

2 tsp salt

6 tbsp tamarind pulp

30g garlic

50g shallot

6 pcs Kaffir lime leaves

30g galangal

1 stalks lemongrass

½ cup water

* Bagoong or Thai shrimp paste can also be used, but the flavor of the dish will change slightly

Directions:

1. Chop the palm sugar.

2. Toast the shrimp paste in the oven or under a salamander broiler.

3. Chop the bird’s eye chili, with the seeds for extra spice.

4. Peel the garlic, shallot and galangal. Chop finely.

5. Remove stalks of the lemongrass, and remove the outer layer. With the back of a knife or meat tenderizer, crush the lemongrass until the oils are extracted. Chop the crushed lemongrass.

6. Remove the stems of the Kaffir lime leaves and slice it finely.

7. In a mortar, grind the following ingredients in order:

a. Salt

b. Lemongrass

c. Galangal

d. Kaffir lime leaves

e. Garlic

f. Shallot

g. Toasted shrimp paste

h. Palm sugar

i. Chili

j. Tamarind pulp

1. Once all the ingredients are combined, add the half cup of water gradually.

2. The bumbu rujak may be served cooked or fresh/raw. If cooked, this may be stored in the fridge for up to a week; if served fresh, it must be eaten within the day.

INDONESIA

JAMU KUNYIT ASAM (turmeric and tamarind herbal drink)

Ingredients:

2 liters drinking water

4 pcs pandan leaves

4 tablespoons fresh turmeric

½ cup tamarind pulp

1 cup palm sugar

2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Pour water in a large pot.

2. Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil over low heat.

3. Strain the liquid and discard the solids.

4. Set aside to cool.

*This drink may be served warm or cold.

LAOS

LARP / LARB KAI (chicken salad)

Ingredients:

½ kg chicken

3 tbsp banana heart, shredded

2 tbsp roasted rice powder

1 tbsp fresh red chili, chopped

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp lemongrass, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fried red onion, sliced

2 tbsp fresh red onion, chopped

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp spring onion, chopped

½ tbsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped Cucumber

Directions:

1. Sauté the ground chicken, liver and skin with a little oil, lemongrass and red onion until cooked, over low heat.

2. Once cooled, add the fish sauce, lemon juice, chili, and roasted rice powder and mix well.

3. Add the shredded banana heart and mix well.

4. Garnish with mint leaves, chopped cilantro and spring onion.

MALAYSIA

AYAM MASAK MERAH (spicy tomato chicken)

Ingredients:

1 ½ kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces

20 dried chili, soaked

2 red onions

5 cloves garlic

2 ½ tbsp ginger

3 ½ tbsp galangal

5 pcs lemongrass, crushed

2-3 pcs star anise

4 pcs cloves

3 inches cinnamon

3 pcs cardamom

1 can tomato paste

300 ml coconut milk or evaporated milk

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp chili sauce or spicy tomato ketchup

1 tbsp oyster sauce

Salt, sugar and seasoning to taste

1 pc chicken cube or chicken stock

Vegetable oil for deep frying

1 cup peas, optional

1 onion, round-sliced

3 tomatoes, each cut into 4

Coriander or scallion for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken by rubbing it with turmeric and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes, then deep fry until golden brown. Set aside.

2. Roughly chop red onion, ginger and galangal then blend using a blender or food processor. Add in chili and garlic. Process until it turns into a paste.

3. Heat ½ cup of oil in a wok. Saute the following spices until fragrant: cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and crushed lemongrass.

4. Add in the blended paste.

5. Cook in medium-high heat until the paste bubbles, then lower the heat. Let it simmer until paste is thoroughly cooked, fragrant, and the oil separates from paste.

6. Add in tomato paste, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, oyster sauce, chicken cube/stock and the cooked chicken pieces.

7. Bring up the heat to a quick boil then lower to a simmer until the sauce is thickened.

8. Add coconut milk and peas. Season with salt and sugar to taste.

9. Turn off the heat, then add round-sliced onions and tomatoes. Mix well.

10. Garnish with some coriander leaves or spring onion before serving.

MYANMAR

MONHINGA

Ingredients:

⅔ cup oil

1 cup yellow chickpeas or garbanzo beans

500g catfish

½ salt

8 pcs shallots

2 pcs hard boiled eggs, sliced

3 stalks lemongrass

3 cloves garlic

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp ginger

1 tbsp paprika powder

2 packs (500g each) of thin rice noodles

1 pc banana stem (around 6 inches)

5 tablespoon Rice flour

½ tbsp pepper

Directions:

For the chickpea paste:

1. Put yellow chickpeas in a bowl. Add enough water and cook until soft and tender.

2. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and mix with the chickpeas. Sieve into the pot and boil for 10-15 minutes.

For the garlic and ginger paste:

1. Slice garlic, ginger and the remaining lemongrass (only the tender white part) and pound together until a fine paste is formed.

2. Heat oil in a pan over a medium-low fire.

3. Fry the pounded garlic and ginger paste until fragrant (2-3 minutes).

4. Add the paprika powder and a pinch of tumeric.

5. Add the shredded catfish and continue frying for another 5-7 minutes.

6. Transfer the catfish mixture into the soup pot. Add more water and bring it to a rolling boil.

7. Add the chickpea paste and pepper and continue boiling, removing any scum that rises to the top.

8. Add the shallots and the sliced hard boiled eggs into the soup.

9. Add more fish sauce (optional) and salt as required. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.

For the soup:

1. Peel the outer layer of the banana stem and cut into small pieces.

2. Crush garlic, ginger and 2 lemongrass stalks until you have a paste

3. Add 2 tbsp of fish sauce and a pinch of turmeric powder.

4. Boil the catfish, banana stem and the paste in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.

5. Remove the cooked catfish and set aside to cool.

6. Remove the lemongrass from the pot.

7. Once the catfish has cooled, carefully remove the bones and skin.

8. In the same bowl, add about 6 more cups of water and bring it to a boil.

9. In a separate bowl, mix the rice flour with warm water.

10. Then, put the rice flour mixture into the soup pot and let it simmer uncovered

For the fritters:

1. Put the cooked chickpea in a bowl and add some flour, a pinch of turmeric powder, and 1 ½ cups of warm water. Mix well.

2. Heat a generous amount of oil in a pan on medium-low temperature.

3. Add one spoonful the fritter batter mixture at a time.

4. When the fritters begin floating in the oil, increase heat to medium-high temperature until the fritter turns golden-brown and crispy.

Assembly:

1. Put some rice noodles in a bowl and crush a chickpea fritter over the noodles.

2. Add the catfish soup mixture

3. Add coriander and chili powder on top (optional)

PHILIPPINES

ADOBONG MANOK AT BABOY (pork and chicken adobo)

Ingredients:

½ kg chicken, cut into stewing pieces

½ kg pork belly, cut into stewing pieces

½ kg pork shoulder, cut into stewing pieces

6 cloves garlic, pounded

½ tbsp cracked peppercorns

½ cup vinegar (cane, palm or coconut)

¼ cup soy sauce

2 pcs bay leaf

Enough water to cover meat

1 tsp annatto seeds diluted in ¼ cup water (optional)

Directions:

1. In a wok, combine the chicken, pork garlic, peppercorns, vinegar, soy sauce and bay leaf. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Place wok over medium heat and add enough water to cover the meat.

3. Simmer the mixture for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the liquid has reduced into a thicker sauce.

4. Remove the chicken from the wok and spoon out most of the adobo sauce and set aside together with the chicken.

5. Increase the heat and fry the pork in the remaining sauce until nice and brown, then add back the chicken and pour the sauce into the wok.

6. Gently toss the meats in the sauce while scraping off the toasted bits on the sides and bottom of the wok and stir them into the mixture.

7. Stir in the annatto water. (Optional)

8. Serve warm.

PHILIPPINES

ADOBONG MANOK SA GATA (chicken adobo in coconut milk)

Ingredients:

½ kg whole chicken, cut into stewing pieces

6 cloves garlic, pounded

½ tsp cracked peppercorns

½ cup vinegar (cane, palm or coconut)

2 pcs bay leaf

1 cup fresh coconut milk, 2nd extraction diluted with water

2 pcs finger chili

1/2 cup fresh coconut cream, 1st pressing

1 tbsp rock salt

1 tsp annatto seeds diluted in ¼ cup water (optional)

Directions:

1. In a pot, combine garlic, peppercorns, vinegar, bay leaf and chicken, and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Place pot over medium heat, then add the coconut milk and finger chilis and allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Stir in the coconut cream and stir constantly until the cream is incorporated smoothly into the sauce.

4. Season with salt.

5. Serve warm.

SINGAPORE

HOKKIEN MEE

Ingredients:

1 kg Hokkien noodles (yellow noodles)

600g Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli)

6 to 8 eggs

1 ½ cup pork lard

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Chinese chives (gu chai)

Fish sauce to taste (optional)

Calamansi limes

Sliced chili

Pork and Prawn Stock:

1 kg prawns (deshelled and deveined, the prawn heads should be retained.)

3 pcs squid

300g pork belly

Pork bones

Directions:

Rendering the pork lard

1. Render the pork lard by adding the lard cubes to the wok under medium heat, until the lard cubes become crispy and brown. This will take approximately 30 minutes.

2. Strain the melted lard from the lard cubes and set aside.

Preparing the pork and prawn stock

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the pork bones.  Boil for 5 minutes to remove the impurities from the bones and discard the water.

2. Add water to the blanched pork bones and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and continue simmering for at least 1 hour. You can add pork bouillon cubes to enhance the flavor of the stock.

3. Heat up another soup pot, and add melted lard from Step 2 to oil the pot. You may also use cooking oil instead of melted lard.

4. Sauté the minced garlic and add in the prawn heads. Stir-fry the prawn heads until cooked (reddish-brown).

5. Crush the prawn heads to bring out the flavour and the roe.

6. Add the pork stock from Step 4 and more water to cover the prawn heads and boil for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

7. Once the pork and prawn stock starts to simmer, blanch the prawns and squid in the stock. The prawns should turn red in colour while the squid will become white and no longer translucent. Remove from the stock and let cool.

8. Add the pork belly into the stock and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the pork belly and let cool.

9. Once cooled, slice the prawns, squid and pork belly and set aside.

Stir-frying the Hokkien Mee

1. Blanch the Hokkien noodles with warm water, then rinse with tap water. Drain and set aside. This will get rid of excess “kee” (alkaline) smell.

2. Heat up the wok and add ½ cup of melted lard.

3. Add the eggs and scramble.

4. Add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant.

5. Add the Bee Hoon and toss together with the eggs in the wok.

6. Add the Hokkien noodles and stir-fry together with the Bee Hoon and the eggs. Try not to break the noodles in the process.

7. Add fish sauce to taste. (Optional)

8. Add sufficient pork and prawn stock to cover about ¾ of the noodles. Cover the wok and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

9. Add prawns, sliced squid and pork belly and chives and toss together with the noodles to mix.

10. Serve with sambal chili, calamansi/lime and pork lard cubes.

Variations

Instead of making a pork and prawn stock, you can replace the pork with chicken.

Cooking oil can be used in place of pork lard.

THAILAND

TOM YUM GOONG

Ingredients:

6 pcs prawns

2 cups of water or chicken stock

3 pcs Kaffir lime leaves

2 stalks lemongrass

2 pcs galangal

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 ½ tbsp fish sauce

3 pcs tomato cherries

1 can straw mushroom

1 tsp sugar

4 tbsp evaporated milk

2 tbsp chili paste

Coriander leaves

Fresh chili (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the water/chicken stock in a pot and bring to boil.

2. Add lemongrass, galangal, and Kaffir lime leaves.

3. Add fish sauce, sugar, tomato, mushroom, prawns, and lemon juice. Stir to combine then turn off the heat when shrimp turns red.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the chili paste and evaporated milk.

5. Add the milk mixture to the soup.

6. Garnish with coriander and serve.

VIETNAM

GOI CUON (fresh spring rolls)

Ingredients:

For the spring roll:

300g pork belly

200g shrimps

200g vermicelli

15 pcs Rice Paper

Lettuce, fresh mint leaves, cilantro, chives, cucumber

For the dipping sauce:

1 tsp oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

5 tbsp Hoisin sauce

5 tbsp broth from the boiled pork belly

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Boil the pork belly with 1 tsp of salt. When it boils, turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 25-35 minutes more. You can test to see if it is well cooked by piercing through the meat with a chopstick — if no red water is coming out, then it is ready.

2. Soak in cold water after cooking to avoid blackening. Keep the broth for later use. Cut the pork into thin slices.

3. Next, fry the prawns without oil in medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until they turn orange. Peel and devein. Cut into two halves vertically.

4. Boil and cook the rice noodles for 3-5 minutes and drain.

Assembly:

1. Dip the rice paper into the warm water to soften it, then shake gently to get rid of the excess water.

2. Lay the rice paper on a flat surface. Place the vegetables in a row in the center, leaving a gap of 2-3 inches on each side.

3. Place 2 cucumber slices (cut vertically, around 2 inches), 2 slices of pork, and 2 shrimp halves (keep the orange side of the shrimp facing down).

4. Roll once or twice, then fold both sides inward. Continue rolling the rice paper gently but tightly. Repeat for the remaining ingredients.

For the dipping sauce:

1. In a heated pan, fry garlic in oil until golden brown.

2. Add Hoisin sauce, leftover broth, peanut butter and sugar.

3. Stir well and let it simmer until thick. Around 1-2 minutes.

4. Transfer mixture into a small bowl and top with fresh chili and crushed peanuts.

VIETNAM

FRIED CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS

Ingredients:

500g ground chicken

150g bean sprouts

50g glass noodles

10g wood ear mushrooms

1 carrot

1 egg

2 onions (about 150g)

3tbsp fish sauce

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

30 rice papers

1 tsp cornstarch

Oil

Directions:

1. In advance, soak the mushrooms in water for 1 hour. Remove the foot of the mushrooms once ready.

2. Hydrate as well the glass noodles while preparing the ingredients

3. Finely chop onions and mushroom

4. Grate the carrot

5. Drain the glass noodles and cut them into 2-3 inch sections.

6. To make the filling, mix in a bowl the ground chicken, onions, mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrot, glass noodles, salt, pepper and egg, fish sauce

7. Dilute the cornstarch with 1tbsp of water

8. Briefly soak the rice paper in warm water, drain and lay it on the towel.

9. Put 1 tbsp of the filling near the edge of rice paper, and wait about 10 seconds before handling the rice paper.

10. Fold both sides towards the center, then start rolling the rice paper tightly.

11. To seal the roll, stamp the top edge of the rice paper with the diluted starch. This will prevent the roll from opening up during frying.

12. Fry the spring rolls at 150°C heat for 5 minutes. After, remove and let them cool. Freeze them first before the second frying. This will make the rolls crispy.

13. For the second frying, fry the rolls in 160°C heat for about 4 minutes. Drain after.

— Joseph L. Garcia

AgriNurture extends due diligence for Pay8

LISTED agricultural firm AgriNurture, Inc. (ANI) has decided to extend the due diligence period for its acquisition of information technology company Pay8, Inc.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Wednesday, the company said that it had not completed its due diligence because of “supervening events” such as the anticipated listing of Pay8’s major shareholder and parent company Hatchasia, Inc. (HAI) in the Australia Stock Exchange.

The three companies have decided to extend the period for another 60 days.

“HAI and Pay8 have executed written consent for the company to assign to its affiliate, subsidiary or nominee, its rights and obligations under the Memorandum of Agreement,” the disclosure said.

On July 20, AgriNurture signed a memorandum of agreement with Hatchasia and Pay8 for the acquisition of 51% for P377.91 million of the latter’s authorized capital stock.

AgriNurture’s decision to acquire the Pay8 stake is part of its efforts to introduce an “agricultural ecosystem” that aims to reach farmers in rural areas.

“Under the ecosystem, there will be accredited merchants that will initially be the company and its subsidiaries where the farmers can purchase their farm inputs and other supplies, and the company has the option to buy the produce,” the disclosure said.

AgriNurture said Pay8 will be the financial technology unit of its planned ecosystem, with plans to create a platform for more efficient and faster transactions.

“A platform will be set up wherein orders and payments will be facilitated,” it said.

It said Pay8 is involved in the information technology sector that focuses on business and financial applications and products.

On Wednesday, shares in AgriNurture at the stock exchange fell 0.62% or P0.05 to close at P7.99 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Crackers and milk: New products aim to fill market needs

FOOD companies are always looking for ways to fill the needs of their customers, looking for new niches that they can satisfy. One company decided to tackle a perceived need for a healthy cracker for mindful snacking, while a milk giant now offers an “organic” product for parents looking for healthier options.

MINDFUL SNACKING
Food, beverage, and snack food company Mondelez Philippines is taking a stab at the country’s cracker market by introducing Tiger Crackers while touting the company’s new philosophy of making snacking mindful, according to a regional executive.

“The cracker market in the Philippines is quite large… what we found is that there is a market for something that is healthy, portionable so we made this very unique cracker,” Nikhil Rao, marketing director for cakes, biscuits, and snacks at Mondelez Southeast Asia, told BusinessWorld during a digital interview on Sept. 1.

Mr. Rao figured that the cracker market in the country is worth “a million dollars and growing,” making it a worthwhile segment to invest in.

Tiger Crackers are made by double fermentation to “make it easy to digest,” according to Mr. Rao, but in order to appeal to the Filipino palate, they introduced “unique Filipino flavors:” ensaymada and leche flan, alongside plain crackers.

And because the company is all about “mindful snacking” or making snacking healthier, each snack pack contains three crackers that come to less than 120 calories. A package of 10 snack packs is priced at P50.

The company has also introduced portion control to Oreo cookies, with each snack pack containing just three cookies.

Tiger Crackers were launched in the country in June and Mr. Rao said that the reception has been “very good” and “considering the pandemic and the category being impacted, we have been doing very well [with] the first two months hitting its targets.”

The overall snacking category has declined “by about low single digits” and according to Mr. Rao, this was caused by the lockdowns imposed in the second quarter of the year.

“People didn’t know how to react and a lot of supply to the stores were impacted,” he explained.

Mondelez, he said, has kept its head above water because it is a big company with a lot of big brands under its portfolio. And despite the decline in the snacking category, Mondelez is still seeing 2020 end “handsomely by gaining market share in most of the categories we operate in.”

Aside from Tiger and Oreo, Mondelez also produces Eden Cheese, Tang powdered drinks, Cadbury chocolate, and Cheez Whiz.

The pandemic has disrupted the daily lives of much of the world and the Philippines is no exception and with disruption comes changes, and Mr. Rao said that in the past few months he has noticed several changes in consumer behavior: people are gravitating towards big name brands, are being more conscious of their health and well-being, and are buying in bulk.

“[Families] have kids at home with them. When they’re in school the mother wouldn’t know what the child is eating so when the kids are at home they want to consciously load the pantry or the fridge with stuff they know will be okay for kids to keep eating,” he said, thus explaining the company’s pivot to healthier portion sizes.

Despite the success of Tiger Crackers in the Philippines (even though it has only been a few months since the launch), Mr. Rao said they will not be introducing Tiger Crackers in other Southeast Asia countries yet as they are “focusing on the Philippines because that’s the biggest market, and we want to get it right in the Philippines.”

PROMIL GOES ORGANIC
Due to a growing number of parents looking for healthier options for their children, Promil has introduced an organic variant of its milk product to help parents “as they start this kind of lifestyle,” said a local executive.

“The organic base is still relatively small, but growing steadily. More parents are looking for healthier options,” Maria Cheska Cornelio, associate product manager for Promil Organic, told BusinessWorld via an e-mail interview on Aug. 28.

“It is more for parents who choose to have an organic lifestyle with their children — choosing some aspects of their life to be organic. In case [they are] interested to have this kind of lifestyle, they can easily start the smart way, step-by-step. It does not have to be a drastic change right away. They can start going organic with their child’s milk first,” she added.

But what makes something “organic?” Fruits, vegetables, and grains are labelled “organic” if they are non-GMO (made using genetically modified organisms), if they have not been treated with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and “has no chemical additives or sewage sludge,” Dr. Celeste Gomez of The Medical City pediatrics section and the Institute of Functional Medicine, said during a digital briefing on Aug. 13.

For meat, dairy, poultry, and fish to be labelled “organic,” the animals should not have been treated with hormones and antibiotics and should have been fed organic grains or vegetables and no animal by-products. They also must have had access to pasture, while the fish should be wild caught and not farmed.

Conventional food, according to Dr. Gomez, is still nutritious and “isn’t entirely bad” but the presence of pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria growth add stress on our body systems.

Promil Organic is said to be made with 100% organic milk sourced from certified organic dairy farms and has a formula with higher levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and AA (arachidonic acid) “versus previous formulation to help support the development of children over three years old,” according to a company release.

The milk formula contains DHA, AA, iron, iodine, and Vitamin B12 to help the child with mental and visual development; Vitamin A and C to boost immunity; Calcium, Vitamin D, K, and Zinc to promote proper growth; and dietary fiber (oligofructose) to improve digestive health, said the release.

Promil Organic retails at P1,069 for a 900 gm can and can be bought in physical stores and online via Promil’s official stores in Lazada and Shopee. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Ransomware attacks vs small local firms drop 48.93% in the first half

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

RANSOMWARE attacks against Philippine small and medium businesses dropped 48.93% to 9,701 in the first six months of the year, from 18,997 attempts detected in the same period last year, Internet security firm Kaspersky said.

Kaspersky said there are two main reasons for the decrease in ransomware attacks this year. “One is the decline of one of the biggest ransomware groups that hit organizations worldwide in 2017 and two, because of upgrades in software systems that reduced the vulnerability of computer systems,” it said in an e-mailed statement on Monday.

It also noted that the Microsoft Windows operating system has been the target of ransomware attacks.

Kaspersky defines ransomware as a malicious software that infects computers and displays messages demanding fees to be paid for the computer system to properly work again.

Ransomware attacks in Southeast Asia have actually declined to 1 million in the first half of the year from last year’s 1.4 million.

“Singapore has logged the highest reduction of ransomware detections at 89.79%, followed by Malaysia at 87.65%, and Indonesia at 68.17%,” the Internet security firm noted.

Fedor Sinitsyn, senior malware analyst at Kaspersky, said: “The main factor that contributed to this decrease is the gradual decline of the WannaCry ransomware, which was one of the top verdicts in our statistics. Most probably, with systems getting patched, this uncontrolled worm gets less targets over time.”

But Yeo Siang Tiong, Kaspersky’s general manager for Southeast Asia, said small and medium enterprises should remain vigilant.

“Our industry has been unfaltering in our advanced research and resolute reporting of sophisticated attacks, and we see its important contribution in the weakening of some ransomware campaigns. But we can never be complacent. Prolific attacks may always fly under our radar and we need to continue to watch out for them,” he said.

“The spray and pray tactic of ransomware creators may be over, but we are also observing the rise of the more dangerous targeted ransomware. [T]he recent headline-grabbing incidents involving Maze ransomware and the recent WastedLocker attack, which allegedly earned $10 million in one infection should be a clear reminder for all companies, however small, that we need to beef up our cybersecurity now more than ever against this costly threat,” Mr. Yeo added.

Facebook launches Messenger Kids in PHL

FACEBOOK has launched Messenger Kids in the Philippines, an app that allows children six to 12 years old to use video chat and messaging features in a parent-controlled environment, to provide children a safer avenue to communicate with their peers during the pandemic.

“It is essentially designed for kids to connect with their friends and family in a more controlled and parent-supervised environment,” Amber Hawkes, head of safety for APAC in Facebook, said during a digital conference on Sept. 2.

The app was initially rolled out in the US in 2017 and currently has 7 million users globally.

Ms. Hawkes noted that since the pandemic happened and lockdown measures were imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), they have seen a “particularly fast uptake” as the app is now being rolled out globally this year.

“Children and parents are really finding it of great use to help them stay in touch at this time,” she explained.

Messenger Kids allows children to use Messenger features, including video chats and messaging, but does not create an actual Facebook account for the child as Facebook regulations only allow children aged 13 and up to register for an account.

And since kids aged 12 and below cannot set up a Facebook account, Messenger Kids can only be used by a child once the app — downloaded on the child’s device — has been authenticated using their parent’s Facebook account. Parents also get to control which features their child can have access to and can also manage their child’s contact list. The app also does not have ads nor in-app purchases.

“There are more controls for parents in this app than there are on any of our other products,” Ms. Hawkes said.

Asked why it took three years before the app was rolled out globally, Ms. Hawkes said the time provided them the opportunity to “adapt the product and to make sure that we had all the features in place.”

To create the app, Facebook said they have been working with a team of experts in “online safety, child development, and media” and has consulted child safety advocates and educators to “ensure that the Messenger Kids app balances parental control with features that help kids learn how to connect responsibly online,” according to a release.

Facebook Messenger Kids is now available for download via the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Mini review of Tiger Crackers

THIS writer was sent a couple packages of Tiger Crackers to sample and upon tasting all three variants — ensaymada (a sweet bun), leche flan (creme caramel), and plain — the clear winner is the leche flan flavor because it really does taste kind of like the custard flan with its milky sweet taste. The ensaymada variant is okay, though it only tastes like the cheese topping on the ensaymada.

The plain crackers, while plain, are a bit different from the others on the market. Tiger Crackers is crunchier and airier than Skyflakes — probably due to the double fermentation process it undergoes. It also has a yeastier flavor, again, likely attributable to the fermentation process.

This writer also found it charming that each cracker can be broken into four separate little triangles unlike its competitors whose crackers break off in rectangles, though it is a given that it is harder to get a smooth break because of its crunchiness. In all, it’s a good cracker at a very good price point. — ZBC

Apple plans special event for Sept. 15, new products seen

APPLE INC. on Tuesday scheduled a special event for Sept. 15, with fans and investors expecting a refresh in the lineup of some of the company’s core products.

While Apple uses its September events to showcase its most important products, new versions of iPhone handsets might still take time as the company in July had flagged a delay of a few weeks from the usual timeline.

Other products, usually unveiled in September, include new versions of Apple Watch and iPad.

The event will be streamed on the company’s website from its campus in Cupertino, California, Apple said, without providing further details.

The iPhone maker’s typically cryptic invitation for media read: “Time flies.”

Apple, known for splashy launches packed with hundreds of journalists at its campus, would be forced to tone down some of the excitement this year with the event running virtually for the first time due to COVID-19.

Apple’s marketing chief tweeted a video teaser, with the launch date appearing in augmented reality format, hinting at a 3D element to the event.

“I wouldn’t count on the iPhone 12 being part of any unveiling. With so much hype around the expected 5G capability, timing will be everything and this delay could prove a big issue for Apple,” Investing.com analyst Haris Anwar said.

Analysts have suggested that Apple is likely to schedule a separate event later for the launch of new versions of iPhone.

“If they’re unable to launch in October, then it could seriously hurt sales in the crucial holiday season, where many will be looking to replace their phones with newer models,” Anwar added. — Reuters

Maynilad allots P350M for new treatment plants

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. has earmarked P350 million for the installation of two modular treatment plants in Cavite that aim to provide additional water supply for its 50,000 customers in the province.

The two water treatment plants are projected to produce an additional 13 million liters of water daily and will use ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technology that will treat water sourced from rivers in Imus City.

Maynilad said the installation of the two treatment plants and pipe works are estimated to be complete by February 2021.

Meanwhile, the west zone water concessionaire said it also plans to install additional modular treatment plants, one in Bacoor and another in Las Piñas.

“This will yield yet another 13 million liters of potable water per day, for distribution to the southern portion of Maynilad’s concession area,” the water provider said.

Sourcing additional water from rivers in Cavite is part of Maynilad’s efforts to find a medium-term solution in addressing supply difficulties, amid the government’s plan to develop another major dam to meet rising consumer demand.

Maynilad provides water for areas in the west zone of the National Capital Region such as Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, Manila, Makati, and Quezon City; and parts of Cavite province such as Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

A simple recipe for oyster-sauce scallops to make at home

By Richard Vines, Bloomberg

CHING He Huang is the face of Chinese cooking for many TV viewers. In the UK, she’s known for shows such as Exploring China, while her programs in the US include Easy Chinese: New York & L.A., for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination.

She was born into a farming community in southern Taiwan, where she learned to cook at her grandmother’s knee, and then raised in South Africa and the UK, where she started a catering company. As well as being in demand on TV, appearing with other chefs including Rachael Ray and Ken Hom, she has published nine cookbooks, with a 10th, Asian Green, scheduled for January.

For Bloomberg, she supplied a simple recipe for Oyster-Sauce Scallops and Mangetout (Snow Peas) that first appeared in her book, Stir Crazy.

“This is a super-easy and delicious Cantonese-inspired seafood dish that uses only a few fresh ingredients,” she says. “If you can get fresh scallops from the fish counter, that’s perfect: They are super-sweet and absorb the delicate gingery notes, umami savoriness from buying a good-quality oyster sauce and the rich subtle hits of Shaoxing rice wine that adds a silky sweetness.

“When I cook for a dinner party this is what I love to do at the last minute. I’ll have some fish steaming, some rice in the rice cooker, something roasting in the oven, some veggie tofu stew, and then just wok this little number out. It’s as reliable and as classic as your trusted little black dress.”

The recipe is straightforward but you need to be very fast. The initial cooking time on the scallops is just five seconds, for example, and ditto for the snow peas, so you should have your ingredients lined up in order and ready to go. The wok must be very hot, and Ching suggests a total cooking time of five minutes. (I capped it at four, but checked the scallops were ready so as not to poison myself.) It serves four as a side, but I ate it all myself in a single seating. Yes, I’m greedy.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

10 medium-sized scallops

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

100 grams (3.4 ounces) snow peas, leave whole

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon low-sodium light soy sauce or Lee Kum Kee Double Deluxe Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Garnish:

1 pinch of ground toasted Sichuan pepper (optional)

1 small drizzle of Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil

Preparation:

Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add the rapeseed oil. Add the ginger and toss for a few seconds to release its flavor.

Add the scallops and cook for 5 seconds until seared and browned, then flip them over.

Season with the Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, then add the snow peas and stir-fry for 5 seconds.

Add a small splash of water around the edge of the wok to create some steam to help cook the snow peas, then season with the oyster sauce and light soy sauce and toss to coat well. The total cooking time is about five minutes.

Drizzle in the toasted sesame oil, then transfer to a serving bowl.

Sprinkle over some ground Sichuan pepper and a small drizzle of Chiu Chow Chilli Oil and serve immediately.

Richard Vines is Chief Food Critic at Bloomberg. Follow him on Twitter @richardvines and Instagram @richard.vines. — Bloomberg

Grab, Unilever team up for safer food delivery

A PARTNERSHIP between Grab and Unilever highlights the bigger responsibilities of both companies during this pandemic. While Grab has been instrumental with bringing our essentials right at our doorstep, the hygiene products of Unilever have been helping us keep the virus at bay. To ensure the utmost safety and hygiene at every stage of the food delivery life cycle, Unilever will be providing GrabFood merchant partners and delivery partners with hygiene kits, which includes Lifebuoy sanitizer and Cif multi-purpose cleaner. The products will be used by the partners in their respective restaurants or stores, whether for quick personal sanitation by staff members and drivers, or deep cleaning protocols within the establishment.

“Building trust across communities and consumers is a way to move forward from the challenging situation that we’re all facing right now. With our well-loved and effective hygiene and sanitation brands like Lifebuoy and Cif, we hope that families and individuals continue to trust and rely on the safe meal delivery services of Grab Philippines,” said Ed Sunico, Unilever’s VP for Communications, Southeast Asia. This campaign aligns with Unilever’s Malasakit for All, an effort launched in March 2020 to support communities, partners, and employees during these times. Among the initiatives included are providing hygiene relief packs to hospitals, NGOs, and affected groups nationwide.

The Safer Meals Philippines campaign also aligns with Grab’s broader safety and hygiene program — GrabProtect, which includes a robust suite of policies, steps, and tools to ensure safety and hygiene across the Grab platform. This would include the encouragement of cashless payments, and contactless deliveries between customer and driver. “Keeping our communities safe is core to everything we do at Grab, and we are fortunate to find a partner in Unilever that shares this philosophy and be able to make a difference through our Safer Meals Philippines campaign. At the onset of the community quarantines, we have witnessed our demand in food delivery double as Filipinos rely on food delivery services to provide them with nourishing and comforting meals while staying at home,” said EJ Dela Vega, GrabFood Philippines Head.

“We must remain committed to doing so — safely and hygienically. We believe that by working with Unilever to raise the bar of safety and hygiene in the food delivery industry — apart from providing safer meals to our customers, we continue to protect the lives and support the livelihoods of the many communities who depend on us in these trying times,” said Mr. Dela Vega.

Siam Cement revenues fall on economic decline

THE local unit of Thailand-based Siam Cement Group (SCG) saw its second-quarter sales reduced by more than half after the slowdown in the global economy due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, SCG said it recorded revenues of P2 billion from sales in the Philippines during the three-month period, down by 53% from a year ago. This represents sales from operations in the Philippines and imports from Thailand.

The second-quarter decline brought its six-month revenue from sales down 39% to P5.34 billion, which reflects a slowdown in SCG’s cement-building materials business and exports from Thailand.

However, the global group still managed to record a 33% income growth to P14.8 billion in the second quarter, amid a 12% revenue decline to P141.39 billion, due to efforts to optimize costs. The slowdown in revenue was attributed to lower prices of chemical products during the period.

In the six months starting January, the group’s profits slid 13% to P26.17 billion, as revenues fell 9% to P322.78 billion.

“Even though SCG isn’t in industries severely affected by the pandemic, the company constantly monitors and assesses the situation to be able to respond accordingly,” SCG President and CEO Roongrote Rangsiyopash said in the statement.

“We take a dynamic approach by offering solutions, products and services that better fulfill the needs and capture the untapped market in the wake of growing trends in e-commerce, on-demand food delivery service, and health and wellness. As a result, the operating results for (the second quarter) and (the first half) were relatively less affected by the global economic slowdown,” he added.

SCG has been operating in the Philippines since 1993 through subsidiaries SCG Marketing Philippines, Inc.; Mariwasa-Siam Ceramics, Inc.; SCG International Philippines, Inc. and United Pulp & Paper Co. Its main businesses are in cement-building materials, chemicals and packaging. — Denise A. Valdez

Yields on term deposits inch up as BSP sets first bond offering

YIELDS ON the term deposits auctioned off by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) mostly inched up on Wednesday amid an increase in bond supply in the market, with the central bank set to make its maiden issue of securities next week.

Bids for the BSP’s term deposit facility (TDF) totaled P541.442 billion on Wednesday, surpassing the P360 billion on the auction block. This also beat the P502.084 billion in bids logged the previous week for the P310-billion offering.

Broken down, demand for the seven-day papers amounted to P197.394 billion, higher than the P150-billion offering as well as the P171.969 billion in bids seen on Sept. 2.

Banks asked for yields ranging from 1.7788% to 1.9%, a slightly slimmer band compared to the 1.75% to 1.9% seen a week ago. With this, the tenor’s average rate stood at 1.8276%, rising by 1.47 basis points (bps) from the 1.8129% logged in the previous auction.

Meanwhile, the 14-day papers saw tenders totaling P250.278 billion, beating the P160 billion on the auction block and the P225.55 billion in bids seen last week for the P130 billion up for grabs.

Rates for the two-week deposits ranged from  1.82% to 1.875%, a narrower margin compared to the 1.789% to 1.9% recorded on Sept. 2. This brought the average rate of the 14-day papers to 1.8479%, inching up by 0.55 bp from the 1.8424% seen last week.

For the 28-day papers, tenders totaled P93.77 billion, going beyond the P50 billion up for grabs but slightly lower than the P104.565 billion in bids seen the prior week.

Accepted yields ranged from 1.825% to 1.87%, a narrower band compared to the 1.795% to 1.8998% logged in the previous auction. This caused the tenor’s average rate to settle at 1.8518%, slipping by 0.95 bp from the 1.8613% seen a week ago.

The TDF is currently the central bank’s main tool to gather excess liquidity in the financial system to better guide market interest rates.

“Results of the TDF auction continue to show ample liquidity in the financial system. Moreover, the BSP’s calibration of monetary operations will remain guided by its assessment of market developments and liquidity conditions,” BSP Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. said in a statement.

Yields went up slightly due to “increased bond supply amid the need to finance large stimulus,” said Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort.

The government is looking to raise P160 billion from the domestic market this month: P100 billion via weekly auctions of Treasury bills and P60 billion via Treasury bonds to be offered fortnightly.

It is looking to borrow around P3 trillion this year from local and foreign lenders to help fund its budget deficit expected to hit 9.6% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Meanwhile, BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno yesterday said the central bank is holding its maiden offering of securities on Sept. 18 as it looks to shift to market-based monetary operations.

Mr. Diokno said they will first offer 28-day bills with an indicative volume of about P20 billion, subject to confirmation two days before Sept. 18.

“They (28-day bills) will be offered simultaneously at first, but on different days. Eventually, the 28-day TDF will be phased out,” Mr. Diokno said in a text message.

Under Republic Act 11211 or The New Central Bank Act, the BSP now has the authority to issue its own securities. — L.W.T. Noble

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