GOOD SHEPHERD UBE NOT FOR BAGUIO REGION 1 LOCALS

December 24, 2022 Community Billboard

When Jean Louis Cachero went to Good Shepherd at 8am December 22, to buy 2 bottles of the famous ube jam, he was surprised to know Baguio folk were banned from entering the premises.
Cachero was asked to present his ID and was informed by the guard on duty that Baguio and Region 1 locals were not allowed to go in and buy goods from the area. Good Shepherd Management has imposed a “No ID, No Entry Policy,” which aims to control buying of all their products but also bans locals from the two areas.

Good Shepherd sources raw ingredients from Benguet which give livelihood to farmers and is also known for their peanut brittle, pickled chayote,blueberry jam, orange marmalade and an array of other products which locals and tourists patronize. Today, the Good Shepherd ube jam, sold at P350 on site is resold at as high as P600 per jar at outside stores while online shops sell these at as high as P550 per jar.

Cachero was told, locals had the tendency to hoard and resell the products, jacking up the price, which the management is avoiding, pushing administration to impose the rule banning residents from Baguio and Region 1 from purchasing. Companion of Cachero, Princes Cuela, from Bicol, was allowed entry to Good Shepherd as she had identification cards proving her origins.

That day, Cuela bought two jars of ube jam. Market vendors have also been disallowed by the
management to re-stock on Good Shepherd products. There are only two authorized dealers of products, one at a nearby hotel and another at a produce outlet at a church-run mall. Amianan Balita tried to reach out to the management of Good Shepherd Baguio through their social media account and office phone, but was told, the sisters behind the beloved highland products were not
ready to give an official statement.

Maria Elena Catajan