Re: Scenes from the Coconut fair

September 1, 2004

Sorry I was on dialysis. I was there during the

opening and the closing. You should have tried the

oil from rare earth and epio. that was centrifuged

oil. Were you able to try out the oil of san benito.

i chose not to report on the fair coz i want the

observations to come from you guys. Those who are not

tradersa nd producers.

thanks

Selina

--- P & M Banagale <pbanagal@...> wrote:

> I went last Friday. It didn't seem to have as many

> exhibitors as I expected. I say the booth of Selina

> Sayong but she was not around that time. I liked

> the booth of the Lipa resort, San Benito Farms,

> their bottles were beautiful. They sold their oil

> in thick glass jars. Nice presentation and that is

> the right way to store the oil. A bit expensive but

> then they have quality oil.

>

> Scenes from the

> Coconut fair

>

> It's funny that no one here (posting from Manila

> anyway) has reported

> on that big Coconut show they had in SM Megamall

> last Sunday. It was

> booth after booth of virgin coconut oil and other

> coconut products. I

> think anyone on this list would feel like a kid in

> a candy store.

>

> Here are some photos I took:

> http://www.photos.ph/banggaan/coconut

>

> Sorry if the images are not the best quality, I

> didn't have a real

> camera with me and just used my cameraphone for

> these snaps.

>

> I managed to buy a 1 liter bottle of VCNO for a

> measly 170 pesos ...

> the exchange rate now is 56 pesos to a US dollar,

> so you do the math.

> Quite a bargain if I do say so myself considering

> the oil quality -

> crystal clear and centrifuged.

>

> One of the weirdest aspects of the exhibit was a

> " virgin coconut oil

> fountain " they set up gushing out oil all day.

> That was bizarre and a

> waste of perfectly good oil if you ask me. But it

> did draw a curious

> crowd to the booth.

>

> - jim

>

September 1, 2004

I went last Friday. It didn't seem to have as many exhibitors as I expected. I

say the booth of Selina Sayong but she was not around that time. I liked the

booth of the Lipa resort, San Benito Farms, their bottles were beautiful. They

sold their oil in thick glass jars. Nice presentation and that is the right way

to store the oil. A bit expensive but then they have quality oil.

Scenes from the Coconut fair

It's funny that no one here (posting from Manila anyway) has reported

on that big Coconut show they had in SM Megamall last Sunday. It was

booth after booth of virgin coconut oil and other coconut products. I

think anyone on this list would feel like a kid in a candy store.

Here are some photos I took:

http://www.photos.ph/banggaan/coconut

Sorry if the images are not the best quality, I didn't have a real

camera with me and just used my cameraphone for these snaps.

I managed to buy a 1 liter bottle of VCNO for a measly 170 pesos ...

the exchange rate now is 56 pesos to a US dollar, so you do the math.

Quite a bargain if I do say so myself considering the oil quality -

crystal clear and centrifuged.

One of the weirdest aspects of the exhibit was a " virgin coconut oil

fountain " they set up gushing out oil all day. That was bizarre and a

waste of perfectly good oil if you ask me. But it did draw a curious

crowd to the booth.

- jim

September 1, 2004

My sister and her husband who have stayed at San Benito over a weekend for detox

has tried their oil and has seen its production. She did not say anything

negative about the oil.

Scenes from the

> Coconut fair

>

> It's funny that no one here (posting from Manila

> anyway) has reported

> on that big Coconut show they had in SM Megamall

> last Sunday. It was

> booth after booth of virgin coconut oil and other

> coconut products. I

> think anyone on this list would feel like a kid in

> a candy store.

>

> Here are some photos I took:

> http://www.photos.ph/banggaan/coconut

>

> Sorry if the images are not the best quality, I

> didn't have a real

> camera with me and just used my cameraphone for

> these snaps.

>

> I managed to buy a 1 liter bottle of VCNO for a

> measly 170 pesos ...

> the exchange rate now is 56 pesos to a US dollar,

> so you do the math.

> Quite a bargain if I do say so myself considering

> the oil quality -

> crystal clear and centrifuged.

>

> One of the weirdest aspects of the exhibit was a

> " virgin coconut oil

> fountain " they set up gushing out oil all day.

> That was bizarre and a

> waste of perfectly good oil if you ask me. But it

> did draw a curious

> crowd to the booth.

>

> - jim

>

September 2, 2004

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 06:50:12 -0700, P & M Banagale <pbanagal@...> wrote:

> I went last Friday. It didn't seem to have as many exhibitors as I expected.

I say the booth of Selina Sayong but she was not around that time. I liked the

booth of the Lipa resort, San Benito Farms, their bottles were beautiful. They

sold their oil in thick glass jars. Nice presentation and that is the right way

to store the oil. A bit expensive but then they have quality oil.

I'm familiar with the San Benito oil - they have been selling that in

the Health and Beyond health food and supplement stores for some time.

(Branches in 's Galleria, Glorietta, Rockwell in Makati) - It

does seem that a lot of the money you spend is for that fancy bottle.

It's sturdy enough so I can imagine people will be refilling that with

oil from cheaper suppliers :-)

The main insight I gathered from the fair was that Virgin Coconut Oil

is finally a mainstream product - well in the Philippines at least. No

more hunting for obscure dealers. Finally this will be sold in

drugstores and even supermarkets at more affordable prices.

I read in the papers that even ABS - makers of those bitter melon

herbal capsules - has come out with its own virgin coconut oil effect.

Obviously there is a bandwagon effect going on and consumers will

benefit from better distribution and lower prices.

Can't say the same for overseas markets though - Internet resellers

like Tropical Traditions will continue to price gouge the North

Americans for some time, unless alternatives will pop up.

From talking to some exhibitors, I think some of them will be selling

on the Internet. At least one already is - Figueroa's Nature's

Blessings - and she has an edge in the e-commerce area because she

used to own an Internet service provider (which was subsequently

bought by PLDT and became Infocom).

- jim

September 2, 2004

On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 02:37:12 +0800, Jim Ayson <jazzbo@...> wrote:

> I'm familiar with the San Benito oil - they have been selling that in

> the Health and Beyond health food and supplement stores for some time.

> (Branches in 's Galleria, Glorietta, Rockwell in Makati) - It

> does seem that a lot of the money you spend is for that fancy bottle.

> It's sturdy enough so I can imagine people will be refilling that with

> oil from cheaper suppliers :-)

FYI - here is a photo of the packaging of the oil from " The Farm at San Benito "

http://www.pbase.com/image/33313534

September 3, 2004

On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 10:43:35 -0700, P & M Banagale <pbanagal@...> wrote:

>

> Did you read the Inquirer today? Mamangun a member of the Coconut Assoc. is

selling equipment and offering training for a sum of P120,000. He wants to

bring his

No I dont read the print edition of the Inquirer :-) Perhaps you

can share the URL of the article.

A Google search on " Mamangun " turned up the following in a Google

cache, apparently he is the big cheese in the VCNO association:

------------------------

Virgin coconut oil seen to spur investments in coco industry

The Philippine STAR 03/28/2004

Over the past several months, interest on and demand for virgin

coconut oil (VCNO) have heightened, not only here in the Philippines

but also in other parts of the world.

In the country, the market for VCNO registered a remarkable growth

last year after innumerable testimonies of dramatic healings due to

virgin coconut oil were made public.

o P. Mamangun Jr., president of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers

and Traders Association Philippines, (VCNO Phils.) Inc., and chairman

of Coconut Haven Philippines, Inc. (manufacturers of Viviendo virgin

coconut oil- premium grade), said VCNO will help spur investments in

the coconut industry and eventually help alleviate the lives of

marginalized Filipino coconut farmers.

" Aside from economic gains, we are giving the people the opportunity

to gain from the health and medicinal benefits that virgin coconut oil

provides, " Mamangun said.

The Department of Health has undertaken various studies on selected

HIV patients in the past years. The results have been very encouraging

and have been presented in a number of scientific symposia here and

abroad. These have likewise been widely accepted as encouraging and

have drastically altered the myth created by the negative publicities

on coconut oil. VCNO Phils. is now in the process of documenting the

numerous testimonies of healings attributed to it.

Mamangun, a pioneer in VCNO, started his research and studies on

" coconut white oil " way back in 1983 with some colleagues from UPLB.

His experiments were further developed by his three daughters who, as

part of their scientific projects in elementary and high school,

undertook further studies and provided additional inputs.

At present, his company manufactures premium grade virgin coconut oil

as dietary supplement, and as a base for other beauty products such as

body massage oils and lotions and oils and creams for the hair and

skin, under the label of Viviendo, which is also being run and managed

by his children.

" Premium grade virgin coconut oil is oil derived from first press of

fresh, choice and mature coconut meat, without absolutely undergoing

heat in the process. " Mamangun explained.

" Premium grade virgin coconut oil is the only oil in the market that

retains the natural characteristics of the coconut. Because of the

intrinsic attributes of the process used in obtaining the oil, all the

vitamins, nutrients, anti-oxidants, tocopherol and other substances

that usually dissipate with heat and are beneficial to the human body

remain intact. " he said.

Mamangun said VCNO is called " virgin " probably because of its

pureness, of being unrefined, unbleached and non-deodorized.

Researches show that VCNO is composed primarily of medium and short

chain fatty acids (MCFA) or triglycerides. MCFA is quickly digested,

goes straight to the liver through the portal vein and is transformed

instantly into energy. This means VCNO does not lodge in the other

recesses of the human body, does not produce fat and is

non-cholesterol.

Various studies also indicate that VCNO has a high lauric acid content

which helps strengthen the body's immune system. When ingested, lauric

acid is transformed by the body into the disease fighting Monolaurin.

" Aside from coconuts, lauric acid can only be found in abundance in

mothers' milk, nature's most perfect food, " studies say.

Monolaurin has shown very good results as an antibiotic and antiviral

agent particularly in its potency against lipid-coated viruses and

bacteria. It inactivates and disintegrates the lipids (fats) covering

pathogenic microorganisms, enabling now the antibiotics to easily

penetrate and kill them.

Further studies show that Monolaurin has the ability to inactivate

some lipid-coated microorganisms like the viruses causing HIV,

measles, herpes, visna, cytomegalovirus, sarcoma, influenza, leukemia,

pneumonia and hepatitis C.

Monolaurin has also been found to inactivate the following bacteria:

streptococcus that causes throat infections, pneumonia, sinusitis, ear

ache, rheumatic fever and dental cavities; staphylococcus that causes

food poisoning, urinary tract infections and toxic shock syndrome;

neisseria that causes meningitis, gonorrhea, pelvic inflammation;

chlamydia that causes genital infections, conjunctivitis, pneumonia;

helicobacter pylori that causes stomach ulcers; and gram positive

organisms causing anthrax, gastroenteritis, botulism and tetanus.

Other benefits that can be derived from VCNO are: reduction of risk of

cancer, asthma & diabetes; prevention of platelet stickiness that

causes clotting. VCNO also inhibits osteoporosis and heals damaged

tissues of the skin and prevents its premature aging. VCNO also eases

eczema and alleviates minor skin ailments and eases tension among

others. VCNO is said to also be a probable cure for SARS.

With all these attributes, plus the many uses of both its trunk and

fruits, the coconut is indeed the " tree of life. "

September 3, 2004

Did you read the Inquirer today? Mamangun a member of the Coconut Assoc. is

selling equipment and offering training for a sum of P120,000. He wants to

bring his technology of coconut oil making to the countryside -- to the poor

farmers whose coconuts are bought at such cheap prices. I think the price of

coconut oil depends on technology used. Centrifuge machine is expensive, cold

pressed, is labor intensive and is also expensive, but cheaper than centrifuge.

Traditional cold pressed could probably be the cheapest as it is all manually

produced by the farmers.

As stated in the newspaper article i posted here, the best virgin coconut oil

are those bought from the source in the countryside.

Re: Scenes from the Coconut fair

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 06:50:12 -0700, P & M Banagale <pbanagal@...> wrote:

> I went last Friday. It didn't seem to have as many exhibitors as I

expected. I say the booth of Selina Sayong but she was not around that time. I

liked the booth of the Lipa resort, San Benito Farms, their bottles were

beautiful. They sold their oil in thick glass jars. Nice presentation and that

is the right way to store the oil. A bit expensive but then they have quality

oil.

I'm familiar with the San Benito oil - they have been selling that in

the Health and Beyond health food and supplement stores for some time.

(Branches in 's Galleria, Glorietta, Rockwell in Makati) - It

does seem that a lot of the money you spend is for that fancy bottle.

It's sturdy enough so I can imagine people will be refilling that with

oil from cheaper suppliers :-)

The main insight I gathered from the fair was that Virgin Coconut Oil

is finally a mainstream product - well in the Philippines at least. No

more hunting for obscure dealers. Finally this will be sold in

drugstores and even supermarkets at more affordable prices.

I read in the papers that even ABS - makers of those bitter melon

herbal capsules - has come out with its own virgin coconut oil effect.

Obviously there is a bandwagon effect going on and consumers will

benefit from better distribution and lower prices.

Can't say the same for overseas markets though - Internet resellers

like Tropical Traditions will continue to price gouge the North

Americans for some time, unless alternatives will pop up.

From talking to some exhibitors, I think some of them will be selling

on the Internet. At least one already is - Figueroa's Nature's

Blessings - and she has an edge in the e-commerce area because she

used to own an Internet service provider (which was subsequently

bought by PLDT and became Infocom).

- jim

September 3, 2004

Jim, Sorry it is not available for free.