MANILA, May 11 -- Pangasinan has joined the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines as a province for the first time to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) acquire a bigger market, especially in other countries.

Ten Pangasinan SMEs will be at World Trade Center in Pasay City until Sunday, with food products such as deboned and processed bangus (milkfish) in various flavors, fish and chicken karage (deep-fried and marinated), natural sugarcane vinegar, processed organic herbs, processed catfish products, carabao dairy products, and bagoong (fermented fish paste) products.

"These are well-chosen to give them the edge among the exhibitors at this expo," Pangasinan Provincial Administrator Melicio Patague II said in an intervi...