Jiabong Food Exhibitor rises through trade fairs

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
May 11, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Jiabong’s town pride is mussels (aka tahong).

In a recent forum, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said close to a thousand families are engaged in mussel farming. This number does not even include those engaged in the task of mussel processing.

Danilo Gabin who owns Super JJED has been engaged  in tahong processing since 2004 and he feels proud to tell PIA that he has been getting several invitations to participate in different trade fairs from Luzon to Mindanao.

His tahong crackers, said Bahandi Producers Association of Eastern Visayas (BPAEV), Executive Director Lolee Aures are a big hit wherever the trade fair is held.  “Customers look for tahong crackers!”

Just this month, Danny has received an invitation for a May trade fair, this he said, offers incentives that are difficult to reject.

After joining several trade fairs with the encouragement of DTI’s lady Ruthelma Samonte, Danny has been ‘exposed’ and has been getting orders left and right. DTI also said that Danny was able to get some funding and equipments from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). These equipments have been very useful in his livelihood.

In Catbalogan and neighboring towns, Danny shyly admits that he has 36 outlets for his tahong crackers. Aside from the tahong crackers, Danny also produces salted tahong, Fermented oyster (sisi) and other mussel based products.

He does not reveal the number of employees, he has. Suffice it to say that he is able to enjoy a comfortable life and sends his children to school. “Dara hit katas han tahong!” he quips.

Danny has become an advocate of trade fairs, he said, because he gets the exposure and gets invited to all these business opportunities.