After rice, veggies target of self-sufficiency by gov’t

Filipinos may be picky eaters of greens, but by 2016, they should have their fill of sitaw (string beans) and kalabasa (squash) and other vegetables grown around the classic song “Bahay Kubo.”
“After rice, our next focus is to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said at the recent 10th National Vegetable Congress in Butuan City.
In a statement, Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) is aiming to increase domestic self-sufficiency in vegetables from 65 percent to 100 percent and beyond within four years.
Food security
Food security is a priority of the Aquino administration, with rice self-sufficiency topping the agenda. In his third State of the Nation Address on July 23, the President underlined his administration’s goal of making the Philippines a rice exporter.
Once this is done, Alcala said, the attention will focus on vegetables and fish.
Through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (Amas) and HVCDP, the DA has been working to match and directly link farmers’ groups with wholesale market traders and institutional buyers, Alcala said.
The aim is to provide a comfortable profit to producers and sellers as well as a regular supply of reasonably priced, safe and good quality vegetables to consumers, he said.
For example, agriculture officials have been meeting with major vegetable traders from the Divisoria wholesale market in Metro Manila to determine their vegetable supply and demand requirements, Alcala said.
The information will then be relayed to farmers’ cooperatives and groups, allowing them to schedule their production, harvest and delivery operations, he said.
But Filipinos, traditional meat-eaters, are not eating the required daily vegetable serving size requirements.
The country’s vegetable per capita consumption is estimated at 40 kilos, equivalent to an annual requirement of 3.8 million metric tons of vegetables for roughly 95 million Filipinos, Alcala said.
“Such a consumption level is just one-fourth of the recommended dietary requirement of 146 kilos per year, according to the World Health Organization,” he said.
At the vegetable congress, Alcala urged the participants to forge marketing agreements with institutional buyers and consumers, and thereafter plan their respective production and harvest schedules for each commodity.
Alternative farming areas
“This should be done to obtain reasonable profits and more importantly, avoid an oversupply and sudden drop in prices,” he said.
The DA is also identifying alternative areas that are less vulnerable to flooding and drought and able to produce vegetables year round or when it is off season in traditional farming areas like Benguet, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, he said.
This year, the DA through the HVCDP has allotted P643 million, or about half of the program’s P1.3-billion budget, to undertake several initiatives to sustain and prop up the country’s vegetable industry. A similar budget is proposed next year.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/238477/after-rice-veggies-target-of-self-sufficiency-by-govt

Subic is a popular destination for visitors from Manila bringing family out of town for a short getaway to the north. Many visitors stopover in Clark Philippines for gourmet dinner at Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar and shop for fine vintage wine in Clark Wine Center which offers over 2700 selections of fine and rare vintage wines only available in the Freeport zone. With the SCTex – Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway – now opened and the travel time between Clark and Subic reduced to a mere 30 minutes, Clark is much more accessible to residents of Subic. Residents of Subic and nearby towns of Pampanga such as San Fernando frequently travel to Clark to wine and dine at this top rated restaurant. Many stay on after dinner to relax and unwind in the beautiful wine bar called The Magnum Room.

Residents of Manila travel out of town for a short getaway up north visit Angeles city, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines to wine and dine and enjoy a special dinner at the best restaurants in the country. Even people from Subic and Cebu travel to Clark to enjoy a special evening and some great food and rare vintage wine at this fine dining restaurant. The famous wine shop outside Manila in Pampanga called Clark Wine Center is frequently visited by wine lovers and tourists for a bit of wine shopping.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

If you are looking for things to do in Clark Philippines and Angeles City Pampanga, why don’t you do a little wine shopping at the most famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center? One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga. It is one of the best places to buy wine in Pampanga.

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today this wine shop in Clark Pampanga offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s famous wine shop, Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is a well known wine shop that is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

Tel: 0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Road, Ortigas Centger,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

Tel: (632) 637-5019 0917-540-3626 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Yats Leisure Philippines

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While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com