DTI eyes Samar as Tahong Capital

By NINFA B QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 5, 2007

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  In the years to follow, Samar may be the country’s Tahong Capital.

To do this, the Department of Trade and Industry with other government agencies will have the “First Samar Mussel Development Forum” this April 11, 2007. The forum which will be held at the Cocina de Cabral in Catbalogan, will present issues and concerns related to Tahong production. The DTI will also present the Mussel Industry Roadmap.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the 4000 hectare mussel farming area in the province is the biggest in the country.

The industry has also provided the province revenue and is a source of living for many Samarnons. The producers from municipalities Jiabong, Villareal, Tarangnan, top Tahong producers in the province.

Last year, a group of government agencies like Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Samar State University (SSU), Samar Provincial LGU planned to hold the Mussel Congress in December then but due to unforeseen difficulties the activity was postponed.

As it pushes through in a week’s time, tahong producers and the government entities with their stake on the industry will be presenting issues and concerns as regards to the technologies, marketing, environmental issues, financing and livelihood opportunities to the tahong producers in the province.