Bottled bangus in Baliangao a hit

NOT only tamban or galunggong, but bottled bangus (milk fish) is now also a hit in the market.

In every one-time 3,000 manufactured bottled bangus, the Magsillum Arc Cooperative disposes the ready-to-eat no-preservative-added product like a piece of cake.

Edwin Mejos Sr., the coop chairperson, proudly introduced to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro a finished product of local residents in Barangay Mitacas, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental.

Bottled bangus (Loui S. Maliza)

Calling it Baliangao's Best Bottled Bangus in oily French Style with vegetables and spices, the product "is the perfect goodness of cultured, grown and fattened to desired quality fish."

"It is harvested and bottled milkfish cooked with the right combination of native spices to give a delectable taste you will surely enjoy," Mejos said.

Baliangao's Best Bottle Bangus was recently certified by the hazard analysis and critical control point (Haccp) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17025 as having acquired food standards. It is now ready to invade the international market.

The US Agency for International Development (USAid) was behind the firm's acquisition of said certifications along with other nine food companies.

Bottled bangus, he said, captured the local market and the demand is increasing domestically.

"What we [are] concerned so much right now is our capital. Because even though we are given recognition to engage in global distribution, we don't have that much to finance substantial number of our finished product," Mejos said.

"Although we have partners in Manila to help us dispose the product in international market, we would still need to ask assistance from the government. We have the product and the market, but we're still seeking for capital," he added.

Julius C. Verdadero, of the office of the provincial Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Rhalyn J. Paglinawan, the Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer for Misamis Occidental, said the Magsillum Arc Cooperative is the first and only agrarian reform cooperative in the Philippines that received such international recognition.