Physician Turned Fishfarmer, 9 Others Receive Outstanding Techno Adoptors Award
A 52-YEAR old surgeon who later became successful in tilapia farming was awarded as one of the ten outstanding technology adoptors by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) at the Manila Hotel last September 19. They are part of the 50 Men and Women of Science who are recognized by DOST for their significant contribution to science and technology in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
Dr. Jose Ildefonso Costales Jr. of Brgy. Nabbuan, Santiago City owns and manages Palaisdaan Natin, a 3-hectare (ha) fishfarm which produces 8 million fingerlings annually and generates an annual sales and income of P4.2 million and P3.3 million, respectively.
Started without any knowledge in fish farming, Dr. Costales availed of the tilapia grow-out production module of the Consultancy for Agricultural Productivity Enhancement (CAPE) Program under DOST’s Technology Application and Promotion Institute in 2000.
Through CAPE, Dr. Costales constructed a 3,000-square meter fishpond for grow-out culture of tilapia and was given technical assistance on how to profitably manage and operate it.
Two years later, he upgraded his fishfarm into a hatchery after he qualified for Technology Application and Promotion Institute’s Venture Financing Program for the project titled “Technology Module on Intensive Fingerlings Production for Tilapia”. This project got a funding support in the form of soft loan worth P421,880 which he repaid from 2005-2007.
Let’s take a look at the other outstanding technology adoptors.
LETICIA BELARMINO
Leticia Belarmino is the lady behind the success of Lety’s Buko Pie in Brgy. Anos, Los Banos, Laguna. From a production of four pies a day in 1967, it now produces an average of 4,000 pies a week. The company’s success is attributed to its determination, commitment, and openness to adopt new technologies combined with aggressive marketing strategies.
These developments enabled the expansion of his farm into 3-hectare grow-out and nursery which produces sex-reverse tilapia (SRT) fingerlings through the SRT technology he learned from Dr. Rafael Guerrero III of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development.
Lety’s Buko Pie adopted DOST’s innovations such as improved packaging and label design, compliance to food quality and safety, and productivity enhancement program among others. These resulted in the substantial increase in sale of buko pie and its variants.
More importantly, the company has adopted blast freezing technology which paved the way for the entry of Lety’s Buko Pie to the export market. Blast freezing makes the product stable up to one year, thus withstanding long transport.
JOSE BITUIN
Jose Bituin manages Betis Craft. Incorporated or BCI (formerly JB Woodcraft when it started in 1978), a furniture manufacturer and exporter to the United States, Middle East, Australia, and Europe. Based in Guagua, Pampanga, it spawned several groups of furniture companies whose total workforce currently stands at 600 persons.
BCI is known for its fine hand-carved solid wood furniture and accessories like reproduction chairs, tables, mirrors, consoles, bedroom pieces, and case goods. It also caters to the local market.
The success of BCI can be credited to DOST’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute, which provided the company with technical and financial assistance through the installation of finishing spray booth, procurement of a centralized dust collection system, and putting up’its first kiln dryer. Hence, the company was able to meet the moisture content requirement of the export market.
VIRGILIO JOSE
“Pastel”, a Spanish word for cake, is the name of Vjandep Bakeshop’s bestselling pastry product which is a favorite pasalubong from Cagayan de Oro.
Vjandep’s general manager Virgilio Jose has an open mind to innovation, leading the company to avail of the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP) which allowed the modernization of its processing equipment. This and other technical assistance that DOST provided to Vjandep resulted in the increase of production and, of course, the expansion of Pastel’s market which now includes major supermarkets in Metro Manila and other provinces.
JOSEPH LOMIBAO
Joseph Lomibao of Canaman, Camarines Sur produces pill nut products with pill tart as his bestseller. Due to limited capacity and inadequate capital, his production then was limited to 5,000 pieces of tart a month.
He took a major step for his business, the J. Emmanuel Pastries, when he sought the assistance of DOST through SET-UP to modernize and improve the company’s operation and product packaging. For efficient production, the company was provided semimechanized equipment and assisted in various aspects of production.
Today, J. Emmanuel Pastries produces 40,000 tarts a month and rakes in an annual sales of P3 million and permanently supplies pili nut products to Japan, United States and Canada.
CLEMENCIA PADRE
Clemencia Padre’s Ilocos Food Products (IFP) in Bantay, Ilocos Sur is famous for its chichacorn (crunchy corn bits made from glutinous white corn) and other Ilocano delicacies such as basi (sugarcane wine), kamote chips, banana chips, bibingka,,polvoron, and vinegar.
IFP has pioneered the production of best quality Ilocos products through its modern facility and high production standards, which are made possible by DOST’s technical and financial assistance. These have paved the way for the company to reach a bigger market as far as USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guam, Australia, and Japan.
MANUEL SALAZAR
Manuel Salazar is the president and chief executive officer of Pascual Laboratories, Inc. (Pascuallab), a private corporation dealing with the manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical products in the Philippines for over 60 years. It has revived the interest in locally produced pharmaceutical products from indigenous plants and herbs.
In 2005, Pascuallab signed a licensing agreement with the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development to commercialize its two locally developed herbal medicines, ASCOF (lagundi) and RELEAF (sambong), which are widely recognized and accepted by the medical profession and consumers.
DOST said that Pascuallab’s venture into herbal medicines helps sustain and improve the quality of life of many small-scale farmers in their organic farm in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija where the supply of preprocessed raw materials come from.
ARDEN SIAROT
Arden Siarot of Cebu made the right move when he sought DOST’s help in the installation of his’ company’s own electroplating facility for brass casted accents in silver-plated finish in its home furnishing products. This reduced the percentage of rejected products, further improved the quality, and accessed new and bigger markets including abroad.
Using the expertise acquired from the Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC), ACI now produces world-class products of more flexible and intricate designs. What makes it more unique is that ACI uses indigenous materials such as coconut shells, penshells, mother of pearl shells, lampakanai, rattan poles, resin and brass cast accents, wrought iron, fish skins, and leather.
PHILIP TAN
Also based in Cebu, Philip Tan is the president and CEO of Wellmade Motors and Development Corporation, one of the biggest and modern workshops in the Philippines today. It specializes on on-site precision machine; fusion welding and metal manufacturing for industrial plants; heavy construction; power grids; and air, land, and sea transport companies.
Thanks to the automatic gear hobber and milling machines that were acquired through SET-UP, the company no longer imports machinery gear parts. It also remanufactures some metal parts such as aluminum cylinder heads using fusion welding technology from MIRDC, which also extended other technical assistance to the company.
VICTORIA WALLACE
This lady has turned Bohol Bee Farm in Brgy. Dao, Dauis, Bohol from a bee and organic vegetable farm into a resort and restaurant, which produces various products made from local herbs and vegetables. In less than five years, the facility is now a multi-million tourist attraction where tourists and locals keep coming back for a unique experience.
Victoria’s innovativeness is evident in her adoption of various technologies from DOST which transformed her farm into what it is today. Those include packaging and product development, productivity enhancement through the Manufacturing Productivity Enhancement for Export Promotion Program, provision of processing equipment, and training on basic food safety and Good Manufacturing Practices.