Surigao del Sur is home to a variety of forest, land and marine resources. It prides itself of having virgin forest and untapped mineral resources. Of its 19 municipalities, 17 are coastal towns possessing an abundant array of marine faunas and floras.
Surigao del Sur, being a coastal province, has great business potential for marine culture. For many years now, lot of Surigeños got their livelihood from fishing. Many also tried seaweed farming – a lucrative business since there is bigger demand for seaweed worldwide.
Understandably, only few farmers were able to earn a lot of money from marketing their farm harvest while a lot of middlemen profits from peddling the poor farmers’ harvest they bought at unreasonable prices but sell them at a higher one.
Britania Peebles Cooperative (BPC) located at Brgy. Britania in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, through the suggestion of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) staff, ventured into food processing. The cooperative usually sell their harvest to middlemen.
With the help of DTI’s Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Program (DTI – RuMEPP ) and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (DTI – CARP), BPC members were able to appreciate the profit they could gain by processing their farm output.
The group has started to manufacture seaweed by-products since Britania’s water is home to cultured seaweed (euchema). The group produces liquid agar – a semi-processed seaweed. Initially, they are processing and marketing seaweed yema (milkballs), nata de guso and seaweed pickles. Processing other seaweed-based products, i.e. seaweed cookies and candies, are on their lists.
The group first market exposure was during the 2nd Kaliga Festival or Araw ng Surigao del Sur. An Agri-Tourism Trade Fair was held on June 19-20, 2006. They are scheduled also to attend the Kaliguan Festival ’06 which will run from June 21 to June 25 at Cagwait White Beach.
The group dreams of being the largest producer or processor of Nata de Guso – a product that could compete and substitute the costly Nata de Coco and Kaong.
From my standpoint, BPC’s dream will soon be a reality. I am fortunate that, in one way or the other, I have been part of this dream and their transformation. I believe that one day, they would not be mere farmers but successful businesspersons.
For inquiries and orders, you can contact BPC Chair Antonio Bag-o at (0910) 367-1174 ; BPC Manager Nora Sarmiento at (0920) 828-6376 or you can contact DTI – Tandag and look for Neneng Bautista at (086) 211-3029.
Surigao del Sur, being a coastal province, has great business potential for marine culture. For many years now, lot of Surigeños got their livelihood from fishing. Many also tried seaweed farming – a lucrative business since there is bigger demand for seaweed worldwide.
Understandably, only few farmers were able to earn a lot of money from marketing their farm harvest while a lot of middlemen profits from peddling the poor farmers’ harvest they bought at unreasonable prices but sell them at a higher one.
Britania Peebles Cooperative (BPC) located at Brgy. Britania in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, through the suggestion of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) staff, ventured into food processing. The cooperative usually sell their harvest to middlemen.
With the help of DTI’s Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Program (DTI – RuMEPP ) and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (DTI – CARP), BPC members were able to appreciate the profit they could gain by processing their farm output.
The group has started to manufacture seaweed by-products since Britania’s water is home to cultured seaweed (euchema). The group produces liquid agar – a semi-processed seaweed. Initially, they are processing and marketing seaweed yema (milkballs), nata de guso and seaweed pickles. Processing other seaweed-based products, i.e. seaweed cookies and candies, are on their lists.
The group first market exposure was during the 2nd Kaliga Festival or Araw ng Surigao del Sur. An Agri-Tourism Trade Fair was held on June 19-20, 2006. They are scheduled also to attend the Kaliguan Festival ’06 which will run from June 21 to June 25 at Cagwait White Beach.
The group dreams of being the largest producer or processor of Nata de Guso – a product that could compete and substitute the costly Nata de Coco and Kaong.
From my standpoint, BPC’s dream will soon be a reality. I am fortunate that, in one way or the other, I have been part of this dream and their transformation. I believe that one day, they would not be mere farmers but successful businesspersons.
For inquiries and orders, you can contact BPC Chair Antonio Bag-o at (0910) 367-1174 ; BPC Manager Nora Sarmiento at (0920) 828-6376 or you can contact DTI – Tandag and look for Neneng Bautista at (086) 211-3029.
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