The large and fast growing Philippine population, considered in the past as a drag on the economy, is now seen as the country’s number one asset in attracting multinational companies.
Among them are top German companies —from consumer brands Adidas, Puma, Hugo Boss and Nivea and automotive manufacturers Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Porsche, BMW and Audi to technology giants SAP, Bosch and Siemens and industrial conglomerates Bayer, Lufthansa and thyssenkrupp.
“The Philippines is indeed a very good location for German companies to be here. You see the growing population of more than 100 million Filipinos. There is a growing middle class that will now be able to purchase products like Langnese honey,” says Dr. Andree Buhl, commercial attaché of the German embassy in Manila during the launch of the honey brand in the country.
Langnese, the leading honey brand in Germany and Europe, is now in the Philippines, after local distributor Fly Ace Corp. teamed up with Fürsten – Reform, the German company behind the brand.
Buhl says the entry of Langnese honey into the Philippine market will help expand bilateral trade between Germany and the Philippines. “The bilateral economic relations are very good already. We have a trade volume of about 5 billion euros, with a slight advantage for the Philippines, because the Philippines is exporting more. Maybe now, with Langnese honey, I am not sure if you will be able to close the gap, because it is 1 billion euros. Maybe you can help a little bit in closing this gap between exports and imports,” he says.
“I am sure that this product will be successful because from my time in the Philippines, for one and a half years, I know that the Filipinos like sweet products very much,” he says.
Fly Ace Corp. president Jun Cochanco says Filipinos deserve world-class products such as Langnese honey, which is known for its purity.
“We at Fly Ace Corp. envision bringing the world’s finest food and beverage brands and products into Filipino homes. We extensively research and carefully choose our product sources because we believe you deserve only the best,” says Cochanco.
Fürsten – Reform export manager Mark Baumgärtner says the Langnese brand represents German quality. “Everybody is aware of Mercedez, BMW, Siemens which are mainly in the field of automotive, machinery and so on. However, a lot of German food products are representing high quality standards as well and are mainly produced by medium and small enterprises in Germany, which are family-owned,” says Baumgärtner.
“Langnese honey is not only the market leader in Germany and Europe, but is also known in 45 countries. The Philippines is our next market,” he says.
Baumgärtner says honey is a healthy product that is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-septic and anti-microbic features.
This is confirmed by Prof. Cleofas Cervancia of UP Los Baños, the president of Apimondia Regional Commission for Asia. However, she says not all honeys are equal, because many brands in the market are adulterated. “Make sure you buy the authentic one,” she says.
Cervancia says a physicochemical analysis of commercial honey from selected supermarkets in Metro Manila last year found that only 24 out of 39 samples, or 64 percent, were authentic. Six of 14 or 42 percent of local honey were discovered to be authentic, while 18 or 25 or 72 percent of imported honey were found the same.
The analysis also found that only two brands passed the European Union Directive, which has the most strict standards for honey.
Cervancia says other brands had adulterated or low quality honey, with either high moisture content, high apparent sucrose or high hydroxymethylfurfural or HMF.
She says the Philippines imports about 80 percent of its honey requirements. “We are producing a very little amount of honey. We import about 500 metric tons of honey every years,” she says.
Fly Ace Corp. brand manager Emie San Beda says Filipinos love honey because of its important health benefits and also because it is a very versatile ingredient in cooking and food preparation.
“However, majority of us do not know that the honey brands you see in the supermarket are not 100-percent real honey. But now, with Langnese brand, consumers can get a honey that is of highest quality and purity. Consumers can have the peace of mind that the honey they are buying is real, authentic and pure,” she says.
San Beda says Langnese honey is available in five variants in the Philippines: acacia, golden clear, black forest, wild flower and lavender.
“When it comes to honey, there’s a reason why Langnese has been around for decades and a consistent market leader all these years—its name is the ultimate representation of what a real and reliable honey should be,” says Canchoco.
