By DANNY O. SAGUN
Pangasinan Infocenter
THE favorite and popular Pangasinan bagoong is now available in sachets just like other daily needs like shampoo and coffee, it was gathered Tuesday.

Daria Mingaracal, head of the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office said that bagoong in three forms – bagoong or salted fish, alamang, and padas – packed in tingi(retail)-sized sachets is already being sold at the SM Megamall in Manila. The novel product development strategy even drew the attention of President Macapagal-Arroyo when she recently visited the product exhibitsfor sale in the mall.

The sachet packs may soon be available in the province.

Bagoong, for quite a time now being sold in bottles aside from the usual way of selling the product by the leche (tin cans), is one of the four famous products from Pangasinan. The other three are bangus (the famous tasty Bonuan bangus), meat products (tapa and longanisa of Mangaldan), and bamboo-based products of San Carlos City, Mingaracal told the Pantongtongan Tayo program of the Philippine Information Agency over Radyo ng Bayan-DZMQ.

Despite its distinctive odor which may spurn some foreigners, bagoong is very popular in the country. It is a standard mix for cooking vegetables particularly the native pinakbet dish.
These four Pangasinan’s best products are being promoted under the one-town-one-product program (OTOP) of the national government thru the DTI. An OTOP roadshow is set to be staged in San Fabian this coming September featuring products from the various towns in Pangasinan, she said.
Mingaracal clarified that there is no special fund set aside for the OTOP program but agencies like the Department of Science and Technology and TESDA and the local government units lend their support to the program using their regular budgets. (DOS/PIA)