The College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, UP Visayas (UPV-CFOS) led the conduct of a training workshop on the application of good manufacturing practices/ sanitation standard operating procedures (GMM/SSOP) for the small-scale production of fishery products and cooperative development and management to different Peoples’ Organizations (POs) in Northern Iloilo.
UPV-CFOS, through the Institute of Fish Processing Technology (IFPT), conducted a two-day capacity building activity titled “Training-Workshop on GMP/SSOP for Small-Scale Production of Fishery Products and Introduction to Cooperative Development and Management” last September 19-20, 2022.
Held at the Poblacion, Concepcion, Iloilo, the training-workshop was attended by 29 participants from Concepcion and Ajuy particularly from Baskal Operators in Lo-ong Association (BOLA), Nasidman Small Fisherfolk Association (NASFA), and members of the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC) of Ajuy.
Conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) VI- Provincial Fisheries Office-Iloilo and the Local Government Units of Ajuy and Concepcion, the training aimed to equip the participants with knowledge on food quality and safety practices as well as to enhance their understanding on cooperative development and management.
Resource persons from CFOS-IFPT and Iloilo Provincial Cooperatives Development Office (PCDO) shared their expertise to improve the know-how of the participants in seafood processing and cooperative development.
Ms. May Flor S. Muege, faculty member of CFOS-IFPT, introduced good manufacturing practices in processing seafood commodities such as squid, sardines, and blue swimming crab waste (BSCW), which are abundant in Ajuy and Concepcion. Value-added products developed from these commodities include squid siomai, fermented sardines, and BSCW powder/bouillon.
Atty. Arturo C. Cangrejo and Mr. Alfonso R. Baldonado III gave lectures on cooperative development, including the roles and obligations of its members.
Project Leader and IFPT Director Assoc. Prof. Sharon N. Nuñal led the turn-over of the brochures on fish processing technologies produced by IFPT as well as the sample products to the participating POs and the LGUs of Ajuy and Concepcion.
Nuñal assured the POs of CFOS-IFPT’s commitment in their future undertaking where the latter could be of assistance.
The project team was composed of Nuñal, Ms. Rose T. Mueda, Dr. Grace N. Palmos, and Ms. Karmelie Jane M. Monaya.
Mr. Billy Morong, Municipal Agriculturist of Concepcion, expressed his gratitude to UPV for organizing the activity to capacitate their fisherfolk to increase the marketability of their fishery products thereby helping them improve their livelihood.
The participants were also the beneficiaries of the training-workshop on packaging and labeling of priority products and the basic entrepreneurship that CFOS-IFPT conducted last August 31 to September 1, 2022, at Brgy. Mangorocoro, Ajuy, Iloilo.
