Australian Oranges are Now in Season and are Available in the Philippines!

I love eating fresh oranges as well as drinking 100% freshly squeezed orange juice. They are delicious fruits that have long been considered a valuable part of a healthy and nutritious diet. It is also well-established that nutrients in citrus promote health and provide protection against chronic diseases.

fresh and sweet Aussie oranges and juice 

Given a choice, I'd love to live in a place where oranges are accessible all year round at affordable prices. Filipino-Australian celebrities such as TV host Iya Villania-Arellano, Chris Everingham of the Philippine Volcanoes, and Fely Irvine, a former member of Hi-5 Australia, are very fortunate to have grown up in a country where oranges are part of people's daily lives.

(seated) Iya, Chris, and Fely with
(standing) David, Anthony, Bill, and Suzanne Ong of Victorian Government
photo credit: Austrade

This whole month of August, Filipinos can also enjoy Australian oranges that are not only healthy, fresh, and safe, but also affordable. The Australian Embassy, in partnership with Citrus Australia and the Victorian Government, recently launched "Australian Oranges - Now in Season" to mark the availability of Aussie oranges in the Philippines.

Bondi & Burke Makati

In an afternoon tea with the media held at Bondi & Bourke in Makati City, Bill Tweddell, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, shared how delighted they were to share one of his country's produce. "Australia's pristine growing environment and stringent food safety standards ensure that Australian oranges are of superior quality."

Arugula and Chicken Salad
Chris Everingham's favorite orange dish

You see, Australia's fruit industry is renowned for its world-class food safety standards and innovative traceability systems. "Through this technology, each batch of fruit can be tracked from the farm, to the packing house, up to when it reaches the Philippines," explained David Daniels, Market Access Manager of Citrus Australia. 

Orange Beef Stir-Fry
Iya Villania-Arellano's favorite orange dish

Daniels shared that Australia is having a vintage season thanks to the favorable weather that has led to a superb crop. This means that we'll see bigger volumes of Australian oranges making their way to key supermarkets and groceries in the Philippines this year. Yey!

members of the media enjoying the Aussie orange dishes
photo credit: Austrade

During the launch, aside from enjoying fresh orange wedges and fresh orange juice, we were also treated to dishes cooked with oranges prepared by Chef Wade Watson of Bondi & Burke. The recipes were actually favorite dishes of the three guest celebrities who loved eating them while growing up in Australia.

Chef Wade putting the finishing touches on Fely Irvine's favorite orange dish
Orange Marinated Chicken Breast with French Beans
photo credit: Austrade

Anthony Weymouth, Minister Counsellor and Senior Trade Commissioner of Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), illustrated that Australia's geographic closeness to the Philippines means a shorter delivery time that translates to freshness and prolonged shelf life. "Importantly, the ASEAN Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) enables most temperate fruits from Australia, such as oranges, to enter the Philippines tariff-free [meaning] Filipinos can enjoy superior quality at great value."

fellow blogger Edel and I with Mr. Weymouth
photo credit: Austrade

Australian Oranges - Now in Season runs the whole month of August in key outlets of Landmark, Robinsons, Rustans, S&R, Shopwise, and SM Supermarkets. Buy some and use them in smoothies, salads, even sweet and savory recipes!