The researchers think that the information needed to hypothesize the study will be satisfied by a

consumer. Product differentiation has a direct effect to this group of people (consumer). In order to
satisfy the objectives, the researcher choose to interview a filipino who used to be a consumer overseas,
specifically Saudi Arabia.

The interviewee identifies the differences between the food commodities available in the markets
of Saudi Arabia and Philippines. Dates, a kind of fruit that is widespread in the host country as identified
by the interviewee, cannot be easily found in the Philippines. The fruit requires a certain kind of soil for
it to yield. On the other hand, fruit like mango, which Philippines is known for, cannot be easily found on
other countries like Saudi. The interviewee mentioned about wanting to cook Sinigang (a filipino food)
when she was in the host country but realizes the unavailability of these certain vegetables, kangkong
and white radish. Red radishes are only available in the host country, a certain kind of radish that is not
easily available in the parent country.

The interviewee also shares the absence of pork flavored instant noodles in the Arabian markets.
Also, the processed foods and canned goods are also available in various flavors and meat ingredients,
except for pork. In the Philippines, small eateries or carinderyas, fast food chains and gourmet
restaurants serve their courses with pork meats most of the time. In countries like Saudi, they do not
cater pork meats or if they do, it is only minimal.

Also, in the host counrty, the kind of cooked rice they serve is different in the interviewee's parent
country. In the Philippines, the households and food businesses serve the rice in a normal manner
(plainly cooked in a water). In Saudi, the interviewee emphasizes the way Arabian households and food
businesses serve their cooked rice in a different way. The rice was cooked in a water, but unlike in the
normal one, it was cooked with oil, salt, and ther spices.

In these differences, she cited some various factors that make those arise. One of these is the
resources and other geograpgical factors. Since Saudi is a country surrounded by desserts, their natural
resources are much different from the interviewee's parent country. Unlike in the Philippines, which is
well surrounded by water forms, resources such as seafoods are not easily available in the host country.
This may lead to a huge product differentiation of the business entities that cater the needs of both
countries.

Another factor, especially in plantation, is the climate. The interviewee mentioned above a certain
fruit, named dates which is well founded in the host country but not in the parent country. The
plantation of dates requires a hard rocky soil for it to yield and Saudi's climate is perfect for this kind of
plantation.

The culture of the host country also plays as one of the influencing factors that make the
mentioned differences arise. The interviewee emphasizes the absence of pork meats and pork flavored
foods in the Arabian markets. Countries in Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, are known for being
Muslim countries. Muslims believe that eating pork meats is against their beliefs and religion. In order to
adapt to that, pork meats and pork flavored food commodities are rarely or totally not available to their
markets.
 Substitution or using alternatives is the best way for the consumers to cope up with these
differences, according to the interviewee. She mentioned earlier about wanting to cook Sinigang yet
vegetables like kangkong and white radish are not available. She decided to use red radishes as
alternative. Also, Sinigang is a cuisine that requires pork meat, but its unavailability lead her to
substitute pork with chicken meat or beef.

With these various inevitable factors, from country to country, a consumer, especially who is an
alien to a country need to cope up with these differrences. They adapt gradually to the availability in the
host country's markets and changing the lifestyle the use to have while they are in their parent country,
since they have no choice, for it pertains to one of their daily necessary commodities, the food.