#tinupig

Abstract

The study under the development of the packaging will determine the acceptability of the product to the market as well to the experimentation of adding cacao (Theobroma) to the Tinupig. Developing the packaging is the first step of the study where the researchers seek the advice of experts on how to make a presentable box that will represent Lasam’s best tinupig. Based on the study conducted by Ahmad & Billoo (2012), it is said that by making good packaging, it has a great influence on the consumer’s buying decision. The appearance of the product will decide whether the product will have more profit or not because it is a tool of self-promotion. The packaging has an important role in marketing. Tinupig plays a significant influence in encouraging or discouraging the purchase of other brands, particularly when the customer selects a similar type of product, because it is produced not only in Lasam but also in Pangasinan, Ilocos, and other regions of Luzon.

Introduction

Food tourism is simple, and there are no substantial discrepancies between the definitions supplied by various authors. Food tourism is commonly defined as "a visit to primary and secondary food producers, food festivals, restaurants and specific locations for which food tasting and/or experiencing the attributes of specialist food production regions are the primary motivating factors for travel” (Buhalis & Costa, (2006). To make it simpler, it can be stated that food tourism is traveling to other destinations to consume their food. But the researchers define food tourism as simply a matter of traveling beyond your immediate neighborhood to find great food. Of course, the further you are willing to travel, the broader your range of culinary experiences will be.

Lasam is very well known to tinupig as the traditional delicacies where rice is the major produce agricultural product. The food known as tinupig, which consists of crushed glutinous rice and coconut strips wrapped in banana leaves, is cooked on a hot stone that has been burnt by charcoal. According to the locals, the tinupig has high demand as pasalubong for OFW’s and to locals residing in Lasam. Tinupig is very important to Lasamenos (people in Lasam) because it is being celebrated as Tinupig Festival.

According to Bicarme (2012), in the year 2005, the Lasamenos set the record for having the longest run of tinupig for about 2.82km long. Tinupig was then loved and appreciated by many people and of their family outside Lasam. By then, Lasamenos celebrates the tinupig festival every year particularly in the month of May and made a great change to the town because visitors from outside the municipality come by and buy products of Lasam that greatly effects the economy of the municipality. According to vendors of tinupig, in typical months, they can make at least 150 boxes with the total of 3,000 pieces of tinupig and during festivals they can make four times the said quantity. Locals say they buy the iconic product not only for them but also for their family from abroad. The product is usually boxed in reused boxes of juice and has never changed since 2005. That's why the researchers conducted the study on how to improve and promote the iconic delicacy of the municipality. Food tourism can affect a community through exporting products from town to town, to cities, and to other countries. And the result will dramatically change the way of living of the people in that community because of the products they make. Rice trading in Cagayan is known throughout the nation. According to Philippine Statistic Authority (2004), With 118.7 thousand farms covering 175.5 thousand hectares, Cagayan came in second. This means that Cagayan is rich in resources when it comes to rice, therefore, the more resources a province has, the more profit the locals possess. The same principle will be applied to tinupig production in Lasam. Thus, researchers are finding new ways to promote and introduce the tinupig.

By innovating the packaging of the traditional tinupig, it will increase the demand of the product and can be sold outside in the town and will also affect the shelf life of the product, because the researchers will make two ways in making the packaging, particularly in the boxing and vacuum sealing. By making a presentable packaging, it will greatly affect the demand of the local product turning it more profitable than before.

The study under the development of the packaging will determine the acceptability of the product to the market as well to the experimentation of adding cacao (Theobroma) to the Tinupig. Developing the packaging is the first step of the study where the researchers seek the advice of experts on how to make a presentable box that will represent Lasam's best tinupig. Based on the study conducted by Ahmad & Billoo (2012), it is said that by making good packaging, it has a great influence on the consumer’s buying decision. The appearance of the product will decide whether the product will have more profit or not because it is a tool of self-promotion. The packaging has an important role in marketing. Tinupig, which is produced not just in Lasam but also in Pangasinan, Ilocos, and other parts of Luzon, has a big impact on whether consumers pick one brand over another or, on occasion, are discouraged from doing so.

Under the experimentation of adding cacao, which is another product of the town, it will also act as an additional factor to health benefit. According to Marie, J., (2015) cacao beans have a rich natural antioxidant compound, and it contains a natural chemical such as a flavonoid, a type of antioxidant compound that promotes general health specifically it stabilizes and ultimately destroy free radicals in the cells and tissues. Thus, it might lower the risk of several diseases. Compared to the traditional tinupig, the researchers are hoping that the newly innovated tinupig will be the key to changing the way of preparing it.