Sorsogon implements OTOP to showcase rich natural resources

By Danny O. Calleja

SORSOGON CITY, June 26 (PNA) – Sorsogon province is gifted with rich natural resources, with fertile land and abundant sea.

Sorsogon harvests rice, coconut, pili, root crops such as camote, cassava, gabi, palawan; vegetables, coffee and cacao that are processed into export quality food products.

Abaca, buri, karagumoy, anahaw and rattan are made into handicrafts for housewares, tables, accessories and novelty items.

Sea products are gathered mostly for both the domestic and foreign markets.

The One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) of various municipalities of the province can generally be classified under processed food to include pili nuts, marine products, root crops, fruits and organic agricultural products.

OTOP, a priority program of the government, harnesses the product potentials of every locality and supports micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to process indigenous raw materials utilizing local skills and talents.

Sorsogon Vice Governor Renato Laurinaria reported the province had an ideal geography perfect for large-scale aqua-marine industries.

It is gifted with four major fishing grounds — Ticao Pass, Burias Pass, Sorsogon Bay and the Eastern Pacific Coast.

“The huge fishing industry of the province validates the claim that Sorsogon contributes a significant amount to the Philippines’ export offish and other aquamarine products,” Laurinaria said.

With its 336-kms. long coastline, fishing is a major activity in the province providing a rich and steady source of livelihood for many fishermen.

Some 17,364 fisher folk relied on fishing for subsistence, Laurinaria said.

It is estimated that 10 percent of the province's marine catch are processed into dried, smoke, bottled and frozen fish products.

Personal consumption accounts only for five percent of its total, data obtained from the Provincial Agricultural Office (PAO) said.

The bulk of fish production are hauled and traded to markets in Metro Manila, the neighboring provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur, Northern Luzon as well as Cebu in the Visayas, the PAO records showed.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) bared a tremendous increase in fish yield of Sorsogon between 2006 and 2007 wherein from 18,443.30 metric tons, the production jumped to 34,146.90 metric tons or an additional of 15,703.60 metric tons representing 85.15 percent.

Export markets for semi-processed crustaceans and crab meat have likewise developed with exporters mostly based in Cebu.

BAS said marine product exports during the same years were US$ 1.189 million and US$ 1.059 million representing 49.1 percent and 45.3 percent, respectively, of the province’s total exports.

Food processors have since ventured into the production of vinegar, virgin coconut oil, honey as well as fresh and dried mushrooms.

These are produced without the use of chemical pesticides, non-organic fertilizers then processed without ionizing radiation and artificial food additives.

An organic food processor produces all-natural vinegar made from coconut nectar, also known as sap, the sweet juice that drips off a newly formed coconut flower bud.

Laurinaria said: "The company is a well-known producer of vinegars like Classic, Virgin, with garlic, with ginger and chili and with wild honey."

These are displayed in major retailers in Manila like Rustan’s, Gourdo’s, Shopwise, Unimart and some health spas that serve as outlets of these products.

The company also exports them to Europe, Japan and US.

Among the OTOP food items that are now fast gaining popularity in the local market is the Uncle Frank’s Roasted Coffee or “kapeng barako”, a roasted organic coffee that offers a discriminating taste of blends and aroma.

Other naturally processed food products are cakes, pichi-pichi, puto, espasol and chips made from cassava, taro and sweet potato.

The “puto-lanzon” from this city remains to be a popular choice for take homes or “pasalubong”, Laurinaria said.

On handcrafted products, the art calling for the skillful use of hands when weaving baskets or doing pottery has been born.

Laurinaria disclosed handicraft was one of the major contributors to the province in terms of job creation and investment generation.

The towns of Gubat, Barcelona, Irosin, Bulusan and Bacon became well known for handcrafted products and various government and non-government interventions in the form of capability enhancement trainings and product development provided to the craftsmen and entrepreneurs resulted in new product lines which have became more fashionable and functional. (PNA)