Sagada orange brand misuse alarming

SAGADA, Mountain Province: The municipal government condemned the unscrupulous practice of some businessmen who brand oranges coming from other parts of the country as "Sagada orange".

Mayor Felicito Dula said the mislabeling is uncalled for because traders are deceiving the buyers, especially tourists, into believing that their products truly came from Sagada.

He claimed that the mislabeled Sagada oranges look totally different from those that are produced in the municipality where its harvest season is from October to March every year.

The local chief executive disclosed that there are actually six varieties of oranges that are produced in the municipality — Ponkan Mandarin, Satsuma Mandarin, Valencia Orange, Hamlin Orange, Washington Navel Orange and Clementine Tangerine. The variety that Dula showed to the media is Satsuma Mandarin, which

thrives best in the locality and is one of the most popularly produced orange varieties in the locality.

The mayor expressed hope that by showing the various orange varieties to the public, people will learn to decipher the real Sagada orange from those that are being sold in the various markets around the country.

He advised people to scrutinize the oranges that they are buying from traders to ensure they are purchasing the real Sagada orange, which will are available from October to early March every year.

The mayor noted that tourists or even ordinary buyers deserve to know the genuine products that they are buying.

He noted that this unscrupulous mislabeling will backfire in the future and customers may not patronize the real Sagada oranges.

Sagada is one of the major tourist destinations in Northern Luzon being frequented by foreign and domestic tourists because of its natural attractions like caves, waterfalls and rice terraces that entice people to make the mystical town a must-see destination.

He urged tourists and buyers to be circumspect in buying local products.

He also called on concerned local government units and offices to also help monitor the authenticity of the product labeling of goods sold in their respective areas of jurisdiction to ensure that tourists and even ordinary buyers will not be shortchanged.

The mayor suggested that a massive crackdown on unscrupulous traders should be done to teach them a lesson not to mislabel their products.

Source: TheManila Times