Rock Oyster Processors’ Association inaugurates pilot processing center in Samar

By EMY BONIFACIO, Samar News.com
March 15, 2011

CATBALOGAN CITY  –  A P180,000 worth of processing center for rock oyster production has recently been inaugurated at Brgy. Majaba, Catbalogan City. The facility which was constructed within a 150 square meter lot area will service at least 38 families who are active members of the Majaba-Basiao Sisi Processors Association (MABASI).

Rock oyster production is a primary source of livelihood for the two mentioned barangays. At least 40 to 100 botlles of processed “sisi” sold at 25 to 40 pesos are being produced locally. Rock oyster can also be processed as chips and can be mixed with flour, egg and spiced to taste as crispy “baduya”.

MABASI has been formally organized to venture into rock oyster processing. Initially, it was learned that the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Calbayog through its Director, Fr. Cesar Aculan, has been helping the community after it was greatly devastated by a typhoon, years back. He considers the turned-over infrastructure a dream-come-true and a symbol of cooperation among members of the MABASI and the community folks.

The organization is headed by its President, Ms. Vangielyn Tambalogan. Other Officers include Francisco Cabaguing - Vice President; Madelyn Abrigo - Secretary; Jenelyn Arnoco - Treasurer; Anita Rojo - Auditor; Jovelyn Cabaguing - Bookkeeper and Dennis Rojo as Business Manager. The Board of Directors are Lilian Tambalogan, Teresita Arnoso and Rosalia Tabotabo. The Mass Media Officers are Nestor Tambalogan and Ernesto Bendo.

On the government side, the Department of Trade and Industry extended assistance to the group in terms of their expertise in capacitating its members.  Various trainings were geared towards a standardized processing, uniform and sanitary production, packaging and marketing of rock oysters which were provided by VICTO National, an NGO which is based in Tacloban. In effect, the Samar State University has been contracted to provide the necessary trainings. This assistance materialized under the DTI’s Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Project (RuMEPP) that provided funding assistance amounting to P350,000 for aquaculture development.

Other groups like the Samar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Samar Bankers’ Association, the Local Government of Catbalogan and the media has also been in touch with the DTI and the Social Action Center for other support services in line with this undertaking.

On the other hand, the newly constructed building, equipped with its processing facilities, was made possible through Dr. Stephan Kunz of the AFOS We can.  Dr. Kunz is the Country Director for Justice F, a foundation that is closely coordinating with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in enhancing Small Medium Enterprise (SME) promotion and MSME improvement in particular areas.

Dr. Kunz, a social scientist by profession, has been in the Philippines since the 1990s and has been working with Filipinos communities particularly in the Visayas and Caraga. In Samar, the rock oyster processing in Majaba is a pilot project which he hopes to be replicated in other depressed areas in the near future.

According to Kunz, uplifting the lives of the people is a passion and working with the Samareños is part of the group’s mission. His focus on the environmental issues at the Smokey Mountain in the ‘90s gave him the opportunity to see the living conditions of most Samarnons and Leyteños in the slum areas.

“I can see that the Philippine soil is a potential capital for agricultural development which has long been neglected in Samar. I do not understand why people prefer to stay in squatter areas in Manila when there are so much resources waiting to be developed here”, says Dr. Kunz.

Having worked with the Filipinos for several years, he considers extended families, pakikisama, jealousy, competition even among government agencies, corruption and inability to work together as challenges that hampers personal growth and development. He sees the urgency for public and private partnerships to oversee the sustainable implementation of programs and projects that would improve the quality of life of the people.

However, he stressed his disappointment on dole-outs. Instead, he encourages participation and cooperation among the parent-beneficiaries.

In his inaugural speech, Dr. Kunz assured the MABASI members to bring more expert people to conduct continuous trainings geared towards increasing the volume of their production, improving the quality of their products and considering the hygienic aspects of processing as a priority. He expressed his thanks to the community for allowing them to share a little effort that would bring impact to the lives of its members. He was so happy over the completion of the center and for personally turning it over to the community. He ended his message by cautioning people to stop engaging in dynamite fishing and consider the protection of the environment as a must. “The environment, the fishing grounds and the rock oysters should be protected. You should always consider the effects of dynamite fishing to the environment,” was his final statement.

The turn-over activity was started by a ribbon-cutting and blessing of the processing center by Rev. Fr. Cesar Aculan. Hon. Stephanie Uy Tan did the ribbon-cutting with the assistance of Dr. Stephan Kunz; DTI Provincial OIC, Engr. Meilou Macabare; Samar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President, Dr. Dominador Cabanganan; Bankers’ Association of Samar President, Mr. Bong Abobo and other guests. An actual demonstration on the rock oyster processing was done immediately after the short program which was facilitated by its local members.

As of now, MABASI is already producing quality packaged and labeled “sisi” with export quality in several identified outlets like Monterey in Catbalogan City. “Other orders come through text messages”, says Ms. Vengielyn Tambologan, the association’s President. She further informed that the licensure of their products is now being processed by BFAD.

Hon. Verginia A. Tabon, the Chairwoman of Brgy Basiao, was very hopeful that the project would somehow bring a change to their community. She repeatedly expressed her personal thanks to Dr. Stephan Kunz and all the other sectors that have been helping her constituents. All together, they have committed to take care of their facility and promised to cooperate with one another in accomplishing their goals, improving their craft and becoming productive citizens of the community.

In a related development, Hon. Stephanie Uy Tan committed for a construction of a day care center in the barangay that would help mothers and children alike.