Northern Samar province’s pili nut has made it to the International Food Exhibition in Dubai as one of the products featured in one of the world’s largest food exhibitions.

The provincial government announced on Tuesday that Governor Edwin Ongchuan and his wife, Bles joined the Philippine team of exhibitors at the IFEX held in Dubai on Feb. 20 to 24, 2023.

“Locally-produced pili nuts were among the Philippines’ selection of food, snacks, drinks and other organic Filipino flavors showcased by the couple at the Dubai World Trade Center where the event was held,” it was reported in a local government statement.

Northern Samar is home to a variety of species of pili trees brought to the island by birds coming from the Bicol Region.

These birds fed on pili nuts and left their droppings on the nearest part of Samar Island to Sorsogon, which is Northern Samar, according to the statement.

Although pili trees were first noticed in Sorsogon, it is no longer indigenous to that place since Northern Samar has already been recognized to produce these in the raw or processed state.

Data showed that Northern Samar is the top pili-producing province in Eastern Visayas with 769 metric tons in 2016.

This makes pili one of the thriving industries in the province with huge income potential.

The pili from Northern Samar is a known export product, previously exported to Germany, Korea Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and now Dubai. (PNA)