LuLu Hypermarket is celebrating Philippine Independence Day with a grand retail festival aptly themed ‘Pinoy Fiesta’ to showcase a wide range of best-loved Filipino culinary brands and leading non-food products.Philippine ambassador Alan L Timbayan inaugurated the event at LuLu Hypermarket along D-Ring Road. The event will run until June 18 across all LuLu stores in the country.Timbayan led the event in the presence of officials of the Philippine embassy, the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO), Philippine Airlines, dignitaries, as well as LuLu Group regional director Shaijan M O and other group officials, and leading business firms operating in Qatar. During the event, the ambassador underscored the growing presence of many Filipino products in Qatar, saying the festival is providing an opportunity to promote the ‘Pinoy’ brand to a wider audience in the Qatari market.
“We are happy to know that many of our products, including food and non-food items, are continuously gaining popularity not only among the Filipino community but with other expatriates in the country, as well.“I would like to thank the management of LuLu Hypermarket for sharing with us – the Filipino expatriate community and the embassy of the Philippines – our celebration of the 124th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence. Mabuhay!” Timbayan said.For the duration of the festival, ‘Pinoy Fiesta’ will be highlighting leading Filipino food brands, such as UFC, Mama Sita’s, Purefoods, Lemon Square, Magnolia, Selecta, Jack N’ Jill, Goldilocks, LaLa, SkyFlakes Crackers, Datu Puti, Mother’s Best, Del Monte, Bench, Silka, and Century Tuna, among others. Similarly, there will be a wide range of best-quality agriculture produce and food products from the Philippines – from different soy and oyster sauces to banana syrup and a variety of noodles, delicacies, and packaged foods – carefully curated for LuLu by the group’s sourcing office in Calamba, Laguna in the Philippines, making it possible for LuLu to sell products at the most affordable prices.Lulu Group has longstanding business relations with the Philippines and as a leading retailer in the region, LuLu has always been the major source of employment for Filipino nationals. The Philippine embassy and POLO are working closely with LuLu to enrich the sharing of skillsets and economic opportunities between the Philippines and the LuLu network worldwide.Speaking on the sidelines of the festival, Shaijan said: “LuLu Group has been celebrating the ‘Pinoy Fiesta’ for many years and it is very special this year as it coincides with the 124th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence. “Our sourcing offices in the Philippines have been the major foundation of strength in supporting LuLu’s operations in Qatar with the uninterrupted supplies of best quality Filipino products and agricultural produce.”He said: “Qatari citizens and expatriates alike are quite familiar with the quality of Filipino food products, especially Filipino agricultural produce, which is one of the most diverse ranges in the region.”Shaijan also invited all ethnic and expatriate communities in Qatar “to make use of this unique opportunity to taste the exotic goodness of the culinary specialties of the Philippines” and to explore the wide range of personal care products, among other items that are “best-in-class.”He said special emphasis has been given to filling the aisles of LuLu stores with a wide variety of best-quality agriculture produce and Filipino food products from the Philippines. “You can also take a shortcut to great taste via the LuLu Hot Foods section, which features specialty Pinoy delights, such as adobo, palabok, beef sisig, shanghai, and much more,” Shaijan added.