A typical Filipino family celebration will always have “Pancit” as one of the main dishes and this explains why there is a great demand for noodles.
The Philippine pasta and noodles market was valued at $1.1 billion in 2020 (roughly P64-B) and it is projected to grow by 6% over the next five years.
While Chinese noodles are made from either wheat flour and rice flour, Kalabasa or Squash is emerging as an exciting source of “Pancit” not only because of its better taste but also because of its nutritional value.
Prepared as Pancit Canton, Macaroni or Spaghetti, squash is a source of important vitamins and minerals.
This new interest in Kalabasa as the source of excellent tasting Pancit, opens a huge window of opportunity for farmers of North Cotabato, especially those from the highlands of Alamada, Banisilan and Arakan.
This is one of the major agricultural projects which I have identified when I crafted the Blue Print for Cotabato’s Agricultural Development.
The establishment of a “Kalabasa” Noodles Processing Facility is a priority project to produce “Pancit Canton,” Macaroni and Spaghetti noodles.
Easily grown in the cold highlands of my province, Kalabasa could become a major product of Cotabato which will provide income for our rural farmers given the huge demand for the product.
