By Venus May H. Sarmiento

WITH a brand new vacuum packing machine and sealers, expect a cleaner, mess-free packed Dagupan bangus to come your way with its freshness guaranteed up to a month.

Members of the Pangasinan Dagupan Bangus Association, Inc., recently received a vacuum packing machine, a chest freezer and two sealers worth P86,000, from the Department of Trade and Industry as the agency’s donation to the province’s One Town, One Product (OTOP) model

DTI Provincial Director Peter Mangabat said the agency donated the machines to help the processors and vendors guarantee their customers a longer shelf life for their bangus. He said the agency is also willing to help other LGUs to boost their own OTOP models.

PDBPA President Gloria Suarez said the machines will be of great help to her group.

“Marami kaming mga kliyente na naghahanap ng vacuum-packed na bangus pero wala kaming maibigay kasi mahal yung machine na yun, ngayon, mayroon na kami.”(We have many clients who ask for vacuum-packed bangus but we cannot give them any because the machine for that is too expensive, now we have the machine), Suarez said.

Suarez added that all the 26 association members can avail of the machine usage at the association’s office located at the Magsaysay market in the city. She said all her fellow bangus fish dealers and deboners were elated over the DTI assistance for their industry

When asked the difference between a vacuum-pack and the ordinary plastic, Suarez said the vacuum pack is thicker and can preserve the freshness of the bangus for up to a month.

A minimal charge is added to the commodity sought to be vacuum packed, she said.

“Depende sa size ng bangus ang presyo. Meron yung 65 pesos na malalaki at good quality. Magdadagdag lang siguo ng ten pesos para sa vacuum pack.” Suarez said.

Suarez, who has been in the fish and deboning industry for 20 years now said bangus is very much in demand today, especially with all the festivities lined up in the North this summer.