By Gabriel Cardinoza
Inquirer
DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines–It’s now a lot easier to spot the bangus (milkfish) grown in Pangasinan.
They are now labeled either “Dagupan bangus” or “Pangasinan bangus.” Those without these labels are considered “alien bangus,” or grown somewhere else, according to city agriculturist Emma Molina.
“We have to act fast because we cannot ignore and set aside the perception of our consumers,” Molina said.
“Besides, we have to give premium to Dagupan bangus and differentiate them from Pangasinan bangus and from bangus [raised in other provinces],” she said.
Dagupan bangus refer to those grown in the city’s fish pens and ponds while Pangasinan bangus are those grown in other towns such as Bolinao, Anda, Bani, Sual, Lingayen, Binmaley, San Fabian and Alaminos City.
The labeling of homegrown bangus was triggered by the arrival here last month of large shipments of bangus from other provinces, creating fears among local growers that it would impact on the local bangus industry, which is the lifeblood of the city.
“Not only were these sold P15 to P20 cheaper than our bangus but these were also passed off as genuine Dagupan bangus,” said Julita Perez, president of the Malimgas-Aliguas Dagupan Vendors Federation.
To the untrained eye, an “alien” bangus looks exactly like a Dagupan bangus. To tell the difference, one has to smell the gills.
“An ‘alien’ bangus has that distinctive, unpleasant, mud-like odor,” Perez said.
Dagupan bangus, especially those raised in the fishponds in the villages of Bonuan Gueset, Bonuan Boquig and Bonuan Binloc, are said to be the best tasting bangus variety in the world.
But Molina said the labeling system the group has adopted is the best it can do for the moment.
She said in her meetings with local bangus growers and wholesalers that they were thinking of putting individual labels on each package of bangus.
“But we cannot easily implement it because we need to closely coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry because there’s a DTI project under the One Town-One Product program, where the DTI identified that the provincial product would still be bangus,” Molina said.
To ensure that the bangus products are properly labeled, Molina said the city government’s market division had fielded market inspectors to monitor bangus wholesalers.
“There are more than 50 wholesalers and we have identified who are trading Bonuan bangus, who are trading Dagupan bangus and who are trading Pangasinan bangus,” Molina said.
There are only four wholesalers trading “alien” bangus, she said.
“The peculiarity of their operations is that they do not trade ‘alien’ bangus the whole 24 hours that they operate because the ‘alien’ bangus arrive during a specific period,” Molina said.
At least 200 kilograms of “alien” bangus arrive here every other day from Zambales and Bulacan, she said.
“But when the supply is small, the trick is that these are mixed with the Dagupan bangus or Pangasinan bangus. So it is passed off as such, which is detrimental to the industry because we all know that they do not taste like our bangus,” Molina said.
While the city government is still perfecting the labeling scheme, Molina said they could only bank now on the honesty of the wholesalers.
“We told them that we could not protect the industry alone. We can only protect it if it is coupled with honesty and with the spirit of being a Dagupeño,” she said.
“The first that would be ruined is Dagupan’s bangus industry and second, the credibility of the operator. Even if we help each other on the monitoring side, if the person selling it is not telling us the truth, still [we will have a problem],” Molina said.
October 13th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Survival comes in many forms. Although the message looks like becoming self-centered it does promotes better competition for other regions that who would act together to strive for the best and define their identity too. All these efforts if put together by legion of regions then it will be the nation progress overall that create jobs and opportunities.
However, I suggest that middlemen profit should be reduced it such a way the main producer would benefit more. The worker should be given the opportunity to share some profit so everybody would have a motivation to keep up the good work better and better.
The pie is getting smaller and smaller for everyone and a better distribution of the wealth will be good for long term. I realize it will never be equal but anybody who understand life would understand the level on equality one can get in this world. Thanks goodness there are the teachings written in the Holy Bible for everyone who believes to refer on.
Also, let us look closer how the food producers make it economically in life. If you drive in our highways, you can see nice big houses constructed or under construction right on the ricefields. However, the progress seen may not come from the harvest but it comes from labor of the farmer family member as OFW. It is sad to see it this way but that is the situation. However there is something that can be done by able to have better income from the land they till. First they should be made own it and then able to sell their products directly for better income or profit. Second, good products must produce according to demand of the market.
There are more to say but readers could probably think of other things that may improve our situation in general.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I vehemently disagree. We are a fractured people because of regionalism, we tend to discriminate against our countrymen who come from other region, for example, the Visaya, or the Bicolano (I’m a Bicolano), or the Panggalatok. And now you are teaching the innocent Bangus to be racially discriminating as well? Shame on you, Gabriel!
October 9th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
[...] Being Filipino : Pangasinan ‘bangus’ gets its own brand name [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Wow! SO now we are assured that what we have on our plate are fresh and safe bangus…
October 8th, 2007 at 10:23 am
i am zambalenu, we are also suffering that system they are also trading pangasinan mangos as zambales mango the sweetest in the world, especialy the one that came in masinloc, please dont name names because they are also trading goods in zambales especially mangos
October 8th, 2007 at 10:08 am
[...] Being Filipino : Pangasinan ‘bangus’ gets its own brand name [...]
October 8th, 2007 at 9:37 am
It’s good you have this initiative to protect the bangus industry in the city and the whole of Pangasinan. Keep up the good work, but please act fast before these unscrupulous traders tarnish our best bangus industry.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:32 am
options for the Pangasinan/Dagupan/Bonoan bangus producers: (a) follow model used by wine producers of certain regions in France enforce a strict certification and labelling system for Bordeaux, etc., under the system of protection of geographical indications of spirits, or (b) recently, the Kenyan coffee producers banded together to trademark their coffee bean varieties (to the chagrin of Starbucks). The local government in Pangasinan should not only think about local market “intrusions” but global market implications as well. Along with consistency and even improvements in quality, efficiency in production and marketing savvy, protecting the brand or the appellation of Pangasinan/Dagupan/Bonoan bangus can enhance the reputation of the product and the community and help rake in profits for the fisherfolk.