Skip to main content

Bacolod Sugarcane's Industry and Its Massive Business Opportunity with Japanese and Taiwanese Investors

Trying the delicious Okinawa Milk Tea from ITealicious makes me think of the delicious Okinawa brown sugar. I thought about researching Okiwana brown sugar on how it's made. Certain details reveal why the Japanese product is used by certain milk tea establishments around the world.  

The method of making the Japanese brown sugar is described by Dore by LeTao as follows:

Can you guess the origin of this Brown Sugar? Yes of course it is from Okinawa! It is from sugarcane that is grown in Okinawa. Okinawa is famous for their beautiful place, beach, and their longevity. It is well-known that Okinawa’s climate is perfect for sugar cane. With strong southern-island sunlight and minerals delivered by the ocean spray, make Okinawa perfect for growing healthy sugar cane!

Production begins with a healthy sugarcane crop then continues to a slow cooking technique to process the sugar cane juice (this method is referred to as kokuto). This method makes them healthier than the usual brown sugar. Okinawa becomes a premier location for this sugar production in Japan not just because of the technique but because of the specific environmental condition.

The kokuto method of making brown sugar may not be so exclusive to the Japanese after all. Unlike traditional brown sugar where the molasses are re-added--this one uses a slow method that keeps most of the nutrients found in the sugarcane syrup. 

The potential of Bacolod--the sugar capital of the Philippines

One particular place in the Philippines has that potential which is in Bacolod. The Britannica website mentions this special place that might be close to Okinawa in terms of conditions to raise quality sugarcane:

Bacolod, city, northwestern portion of the island of Negros, Philippines. On a coastal plain washed by Guimaras Strait, it lies opposite Guimaras Island and has been called the Philippine sugar capital because of its central location within the nation’s most important sugar-producing area. Bacolod’s growth began after 1800, when it was first used as a convenient gathering point for traffic bound for Iloilo, on the island of Panay. With subsequent development of the sugar plantations, it became Negros’ most populous urban area and a regional trade centre. Its outport, Pulupandan, is situated to the south along the main coastal highway and is an important fishing port.

Bacolod would have more or less the same kind of climate as Okinawa. Okinawa was a humid subtropical climate. Bacolod has a tropical rainforest climate. Though, I think the method of kokuto sugar can still be made. Bacolod is home to many sweets such as Bongbong's Piaya and Merzci due to its abundance of sugar. Much of the sugar I buy are locally made. I think one reason why sugar in Bacolod is really good is because of the ocean mist that adds minerals. The same is said about Okinawa's sugarcane too.

The Tiger Sugar Taiwan franchise, not surprisingly, opened in Bacolod last 2019. The first branch was in Corner 22nd Lacson St. Bacolod City. Bubble tea is something that may have been incorporated into Filipino culture. Filipino culture has been absorbing foreign influence and then Filipinizing it such as how we have siopao with asado or adobo. Halo-halo is a Japanese invention later given a Filipino twist. Milk tea is no different as it becomes part of Filipino culture. I think the business opportunity for Tiger Sugar can be rather huge. Though, hopefully, a Filipino milk tea franchise can soon make its name abroad with its own Filipino unique taste to add to the competition.

It would be good if Japanese investors or Taiwanese investors may take advantage of the fresh sugar cane of Bacolod. I want to think about the mentality of buying local where you go. For example, having gone to Singapore and China, I felt buying local provided value for the trip. It would be nice to try some Singaporean-style food and authentic Chinese food. It would be good to buy the local supply of their raw materials to lessen transportation fees. It would be practical for any investor to buy local as much as possible in the country they're in. Maybe, just maybe, the sugarcane of Bacolod can provide a good ingredient in making kokuto.

It's called the law of substitutes in economics. I remembered how I found Japanese rice too expensive and that Dona Maria (local rice) might make better kimbap at home. Relying on imports from Okinawa can be costly due to shipping fees. Instead, I think Bacolod's sugarcane can either be a supplement or a substitute. Maybe, Japanese manufacturers and Taiwanese milk tea shop owners can take advantage of the sugarcane in Bacolod for their production. The method of making kokuto can still be applied to Bacolod's sugarcane. I don't see any reason why this project wouldn't help the sugar industry in the Philippines. After all, it doesn't matter who buys the sugarcane as long as it's put to good use. Rather than demand to stop imports--farmers should focus on producing competition-worthy sugarcanes that are quality over quantity. 

Meanwhile, it will also mean finding ways to maintain the quality of the sugarcane in Bacolod. Green capitalism seeks to preserve nature as its capital. The continued use of organic farming and the like should be done to maintain the unique taste of sugar products. Okinawa's best brown sugar is done through organic farming. Organic farming should also be promoted and farmers should be taught modernization without compromising nature. Just because we modernize doesn't mean we should ignore the environment. After all, the environment is the most important business capital there is. 

References

"Bacolod" by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

"Do You Know Okinawa Brown Sugar?" by Fenny Haliman (May 22, 2021)

"Milk-tea Fans: Tiger Sugar brings the brown sugar boba craze in Bacolod"

"Understanding Japanese Kokuto, The World’s Healthiest Brown Sugar" by Taylor Morgan (December 9, 2015)
https://gardencollage.com/nourish/farm-to-table/brown-sugar/

Popular posts from this blog

Get Stuck with EDSA, End Up Like Nokia

  Yes, we should never forget what history teaches us. A classmate of mine, back in high school, wrote a simple and blunt essay called "History: A Teacher". I doubt he still has a soft copy, given it was already more than 20 years ago. I'd like to quote Duterte critic Andrew James Masigan wrote this in  Philippine Star --something that should remain relevant: I would never undervalue the 1987 Constitution. It dismantled the legal framework of a repressive regime and established the democratic institutions we enjoy today. For this, I am grateful. The 1987 Constitution was crafted with the best of intentions. It sought to put the Filipino first in all aspects of governance and to level the playing field amongst sectors and peoples.  But it is far from perfect. It failed to consider the importance of foreign capital and technologies and the stiff competition we would have to face to obtain them. In short, its economic provisions were short-sighted . So despite the Constitut...

#SahodItaasPresyoIbaba Economics' Bad Accounting

I would like to apologize in advance to my readers. The picture I'm presenting is in Tagalog, and not all my readers speak Tagalog. I would translate the picture's text into English for convenience. It says:   "Ano ang bumubuo sa mga presyo?" means "What comprises the price?" "Gastos ng materyales" means materials expense "Gastos sa kasangkapan" means depreciation expense ""Gastos sa pasahod" means salary expense "Kapitalista" means capitalist Renta is well, rent "Kayang pababain ang presyo" means "Prices can be lowered". It says that capitalists (industrialists, landlords, bankers) and elitist governments are part in the gross profit. Get rid of excise taxes (either permanently or temporarily) for the prices of goods and services. In the times of crisis, in the burden of sacrifices, we need to be watchful for capacity. Whatever savings for times of difficulty by the workers and countrymen, the...

Past Chinese School Education in the Philippines was Based on "Sǐ Jì Yìng Bèi"

  Chinoys of my age (and older) may remember these textbooks. I called them as the "symbol of trauma". It was memorizing something without understanding it . One would just memorize (without understanding it) because it was typical. Not being able to memorize what was assigned? Get a bad grade? One can expect physical punishment like hitting the hand with a ruler or chili in the mouth. Chinese language teachers are stereotypically strict . The language textbooks (above) are what were used during the 1990s to the early 2000s. As I wrote it, the Sinjiang textbooks aren't effective in teaching Mandarin , in a world where Mandarin has over a billion speakers!  There's a Chinese proverb that says, "死記硬背 sǐ jì yìng bèi" or "Memorize to the point of death". That's exactly what those textbooks are. Memorize to the point of death! Okay, it may sound exaggerated. However, that's how Chinese language teachers in the Philippines were made to teach the ...

Migrante International's Really Bad Economic Literacy

March 17 (which is tomorrow) seems to be an unofficial holiday for some people, right? I'm sickened that the late Flor Contemplacion has been treated like she's some national heroine (and thankfully, tomorrow isn't a  holiday) even after Singapore had proven her guilt. A movie was made by Joel Lamangan called The Flor Contemplacion Story . The call for Migrante (Migrant) International has been to remember Flor even after several years. What's not too surprising was to learn that Flor's sons were all arrested for drug-related charges. Even her eldest son died while in prison. You have Migrante International wanting to end the labor export policy. However, a post by Migrante really shows how this group fails basic economics. I will not post the whole press statement but one part that made my eyes roll. >> Further opening the country’s economy to foreign ownership and control will worsen the exploitation of our people and the environment without creating a susta...

"Filipino First Policy" Has NO PLACE in the Rising Asian 21st Century

I guess nobody saw the Asian 21st Century coming, right? China was once a poor nation but look at it now. Vietnam was once a poor nation but look at it now. Singapore was once a poor nation but look at it now. The late great Lee Kuan Yew wrote his book From Third World to First . I'm afraid some people have been using it to go against the presidency of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. while ignoring what else Lee Kuan Yew had to say. Lee Kuan Yew described the Filipino press to be rambunctious on pages 304-305 which I agree. I'm afraid that the Filipino press may have had a hand in getting rid of any economic or political reforms that could help the Philippines. Yet, one policy has been holding back the Philippines for decades and yes, it's the Filipino First Policy .  Reviewing the Filipino First Policy and why it has no place in the rising Asian 21st century I remembered how the values education subject taught Carlos P. Garcia's stupid Filipino First Policy as a Filipino value...

Has Passing Down Hatred for Singapore (Because of Flor Contemplacion) Economically Helped the Philippines?

PEH.ph It was on March 17, 1995, when Flor Contemplacion was executed in Singapore. I've noticed that I've been addressing her as the late many times, even if the late is a statement that may be ony appropriate if the person has been recently deceased within 10 years. It's about to become 30 years since Flor was hanged in Singapore. However, generational hatred would've been passed down from 1995 up to 2025. Some people are still tagging #JusticeFor Flor. These traits may be passed down from the Batang 1990s to their children in this generation. It may also be passed down from parent to child, even if the child was born in the 2000s to 2010s. Somebody born in 2000s and beyond might even say, "Papa and mama told me about Flor Contemplacion! That's why I hate Singapore!" Talk about a child born in 2004 who's probably angry with Singapore, because his parents kept telling him about how Flor was supposedly "unjustly treated" over there.  Some tim...

My First Taste of Sichuan at Yang Hero IT Park

I was doing some random historical study. One of the many things I recalled from Asian history class was the Chinese Communist Party in Sichuan. It's an interesting piece of historical detail that Mao Zedong (and other Chinese communists) were avid lovers of spicy food . Yang Hero had its first branch in Gaisano Tabunok. It opened a branch in IT Park last May 25, 2023 . The menus had Chinese translations. The establishment has made me realize  the importance of learning Mandarin . True, I could order their food without speaking Mandarin. However, I still feel that the increasing number of Chinese businesses left and right would mean, "You may need to learn some Mandarin now to connect with more people in the world." For a bit of background, here's what I gathered from Sun Star Cebu: Evanmarie Mendoza, social media specialist at Yang Hero, said: “The Chinese barbecue is also a must-try for foodies as it differs from the regular ones that we typically have here in the P...

Tealive's Aren Caramel (Kaong Sugar Caramel) Series

I usually tend to associate sugar with cane sugar. In this case, Tealive (read my review here ) uses a sugar known as gula aren. I did some research and found out that Gula Aren is made from the sap of the sugar palm tree. The fruit is also known as kaong in the Filipino language. Granted, the Filipino language also derives from the Malaysian and Indonesian languages--it may be derived from the Indonesian word kolang kaling . The Philippines may also be producing its own gula aren or palm sugar. Sugar palm or kaong is pretty much grown as a staple in Filipino cooking too. Here's a video from an Indonesian woman. Watching this, it's safe to assume that kaong farmers in the Philippines follow more or less the same routine. Maybe, some people may call it latik though latik is made from coconut milk and not coconut sap. Though, some Filipinos may still call palm sugar as latik. The video above also shows an Indonesian binignit with some kaong. I was shocked to learn kaong is also u...

Getting Stingy at the Cost of Fire Safety?

March is fire prevention month, right? If there are people who are too extravagant then I'd like to talk again about stingy people (read the article here ). I've tried growing up with the stingy vs. extravagant extremes. Some people become stingy even with the necessities. It's one thing to deny a child a children's party since it's a want . It's another thing to deny a child stuff they need all in the name of saving money . Even worse, some people may be more than stingy enough to ignore fire safety. A stingy person just wants to save. It's almost like the story of the Miser and His Gold or The Rich Miser . I really find these stories entertaining at the same time, irritating. The first story has the miser who hid his gold under the ground. Some people today are too distrustful of banks and investments. The second story has a rich man who even dresses in rags, denies his son's shoes, had his wife cook some cake only for him, and was so greedy he had it ...

Started to Invest in the ATRAM Global Equity Opportunity Feeder Fund

It's time to begin a new road into investing. I went from a moderate risk taker to a moderately aggressive risk taker. Of course, I need to be careful with how much money I invest or I don't invest the money that I need. I believe that one could start by investing 15% to 20% of one's income. Basically, it's money that's not needed now. Fortune Recommends gives this ideal sweet spot: Many of the experts we spoke with suggested, as a general rule, to invest a set percentage of your after-tax income. Although that percentage can vary depending on your income, savings, and debts. “ Ideally, you’ll invest somewhere around 15%–25% of your post-tax income, ” says Mark Henry, founder and CEO at Alloy Wealth Management. “If you need to start smaller and work your way up to that goal, that’s fine. The important part is that you actually start.”  Some budgeting strategies account for this, such as the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy, which breaks your monthly budget into three ca...