The Dancalan fisherfolk in Castilla, Sorsogon will now have an alternative source of livelihood from the abundance of sardines (Sardinelia lemuru) locally known as “tamban” or “law-law” fish in their area through “tinapa-making”.

According to Barangay Dancalan Councilor for Finance, Delia L. Martinez, fishermen usually discard and throw away their excess catch and are not aware of some processing methods for additional income.

The training on tinapa-making was conducted by the provincial government of Sorsogon.

The participants from Dancalan also received a Smoked Fish starter kit which consisted of a Smoked Fish House, a fabricated stainless strainer, a cooking pan, and 10 smoked wooden trays or “kaping” worth more than Php30,000.00 pesos from the government of Sorsogon also.

“Simula ng maging parte kami ng CADP, maraming blessings at opportunities ang dumating sa aming barangay tulad ng mga pangtanim na galing sa DA, mga pa-seminars at mga tulong na galing sa iba’t ibang grupo at ahensya,” De La Torre said.

Martinez underscored that since 2018, assistance from government agencies and local governments improved the lives of Dancalan residents.

Castilla Mayor Isagani B. Mendoza said that “this intervention will be a big help to the residents of Dancalan, especially since they are still recovering from the pandemic.” It is attributed to the strong partnership and linkage between the local government and government agencies. ###