New Iligan plant for spiced vinegars creates jobs for locals

Monday, 22 December 2008 10:03 source: http://www.tribune.net.ph

Green Gold Gourmet Corp. (GGGC) inaugurated its suka pinakurat processing plant, 1,184-sq.m. factory building on a 4,292-sq. m. lot, in Barangay Puga-an, Iligan City yesterday.

GGGC — a wholly Filipino-owned family business — is the brainchild of Rene Stuart del Rosario, the inventor of suka pinakurat, a spicy vinegar made from pure fermented coconut nectar and spices that are native to the farmlands of Iligan.

Started in 2000 as a backyard business of the Del Rosarios at their residence in Pala-o, Iligan City with a startup capital of only P28,000, GGGC has grown into a multimillion-peso business.

Del Rosario said he wanted to do his part in providing livelihood and job opportunities to his neighbors. GGGC employs about 200 residents of Puga-an and nearby barangays as managguetes (gatherers of sap from coconut or palm trees), spice and chili farmers, and junk-bottle and carton-box gatherers.

The plant produces four kinds of suka pinakurat – the original spicy suka pinakurat, suka pinakurat with soy sauce called Kuratsoy, the non-spicy vinegar called Way Kurat, and the chili garlic sauce Chigar.

The company also produces garlic chips and shrimp paste (Naprik bagoong).

GGGC products are sold in Davao, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and other areas in Mindanao and the Visayas. The company has also established distribution centers in Metro Manila and in some areas in Luzon.

GGGC’s products have long been a favorite padala for Filipinos with relatives living abroad. GGGC products are also available in some Filipino stores in the United States, Canada and Australia. PNA