TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) – Officials of Buguey, Cagayan bared the towns gained after staging the Crab, Malaga, and Guraman Festivals for three consecutive years.
Buguey Mayor Licerio Antiporda III said they have been investing P3 million for the festivities annually but the return on investment is more than double the invested funds.
He said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) established a P9 million-worth of cold chain facility under the Shared Service Facility project.
“The cold chain facility will ensure a year-round supply of Malaga while the local government unit is trying to lower the market price with the development of seaweeds as fish feed,” he said
A P9.5 million hatchery project was also constructed last year as a technology transfer project of the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development through Cagayan State University, Aparri Campus, aimed at providing a year-round source of fry/fingerlings and crablets.
“We are not conducting festivals just to enjoy or spend money, we are conducting these for many reasons. We want to draw awareness on how we can preserve and develop our God-given resources and how we can gather support from other agencies and stakeholders even from the private sectors,” Antiporda said adding that this goal has been realized.
Buguey town is the main source of Malaga in the province and 2023, a total of 183.725 metric tons were recorded by the agriculture office here.
The mud crab is the major product of Buguey but the local government wants to promote also the fisherfolk’s livelihood to include the malaga (siganid or rabbit fish) and guraman (gracilaria seaweeds).
With an average of 70,000 kilograms harvested per cycle of Malaga fish, Antiporda said they are eyeing to double the production soon.
As for seaweeds, the town recorded 500,000 kilograms of harvest last year which was distributed outside the region for processing. (OTB/GVB/PIA Region 2)
