The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will lead officials and leaders of fishermen’s groups of Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay in a 4-day journey starting Jan. 22 to discover and learn new technology to improve the fishing industry of the island-town.
The trip of discovery is part of the commitment I made to Olutanga town Mayor Jun Ruste when I visited the isolated island, known as the Pirate’s Lair, last year.
Among the places they will visit will be my farm in Kidapawan City on Jan. 22 where I will introduce to them the raising of free-range chicken and dairy goats.
From Kidapawan City, they will be hosted by Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib when they visit the National Mariculture Park in Panabo City to see extensive fish cage farming using modern Norwegian fish cages.
On Jan. 23, the group will be brought to the fabrication center of Mindanao inventor Rudy Cane where they will be introduced to a new technology in drying fish and in preparing Spanish Sardines using a retort machine.
Powered by a boiler which produces steam to dry fish and process Sardines, the whole set up will be awarded to the Olutanga Fishermen’s groups to improve the quality and marketability of their produce.
In addition to that, the town’s fishermen will also be given a vacuum-packing machine so that the dried fish that will be produced by the town will be marketed in sanitary vacuum-packed bags with the proper labels for product traceability.
When I visited Olutanga Island last year via a 3-hour “Kumpit” ride from Pitogo, Zamboanga del Sur, I saw the crude and primitive drying method of the Flying Fish or Bangsi (which is actually my favorite dried fish).
The fish was sun-dried on bamboo slats along the streets of the town open to flies and dust making it unsanitary.
In the fabrication plant of Engr. Cane, the officials and fishermen will be taught how to operate the boiler, the steam-powered fish dryer, the retort machine and the vacuum-packing equipment.
After the briefing and orientation, MinDA will turn over to Olutanga Mayor Jun Ruste a P400,000 check to fund the acquisition of the boiler, fish dryer and retort machine.
The vacuum-packing equipment will be my personal donation to the town to complete the equipment set-up.
On the 24rd of Jan., on their way back home to Olutanga Island, they will drop by the town of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte to see a group of women preparing bottled Spanish Sardines.
From there, it will be a long 500-kilometer trip home to Olutanga completing a 4-day 1,300 journey of discovery which is expected to change the lives of the people of the island town for the better.
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