(DTI-Eastern Samar)
TACLOBAN CITY — Stricter food safety compliance is opening more market opportunities for coconut-based enterprises in Eastern Visayas, as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urges micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to secure the necessary Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits.
The call was made during the opening of the 2nd Eastern Visayas Regional Coconut Trade Fair at Robinsons Place Marasbaras here where 24 MSMEs assisted by DTI-8 and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA)-8 are showcasing coconut-based food and non-food products.
DTI-8 Regional Director Celerina Bato said the number of exhibitors declined from 28 during last year’s inaugural trade fair, mainly because of stricter compliance requirements for food businesses.
“In line with the directives of the DTI regional operations group, all participating food exhibitors are either holders of a valid FDA License to Operate or have an application already in process,” Bato said.
She said the stricter requirements should be viewed as an important step toward improving product quality and protecting consumers rather than as a setback for businesses.
“This heightened compliance standard is a primary reason our exhibitors are lower than last year, but I see this not as a setback but a step forward for quality and consumer safety,” she said.
Bato encouraged coconut MSMEs to secure their FDA authorization, adding that DTI continues to assist businesses in complying with regulatory requirements.
An FDA License to Operate authorizes an establishment to engage in regulated activities involving food and other health-related products. It also helps ensure that products sold to consumers meet food safety standards.
For coconut enterprises, securing an LTO could allow them to participate in more government-supported trade fairs and gain access to larger markets, including major commercial outlets.
PCA-8 Regional Manager Marlon Terado said FDA compliance could help participating enterprises expand their market reach.
“We expect that since our exhibitors here are already FDA-registered, their market will become wider and they will be able to expand,” he said.
The four-day trade fair features a range of value-added coconut products, from food items to non-food products. Organizers are targeting P1.5 million in sales during the event.
Bato said the trade fair forms part of the implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan under Republic Act No. 11524, which seeks to increase the income and productivity of coconut farmers, promote poverty alleviation and social equity, and modernize the country’s coconut industry through a 50-year development program.
One of the exhibitors is Island’s Best of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, which is showcasing coconut wine, a fermented beverage made from coconut water.
Carmel Amoroto, the company’s sales and marketing specialist, said the beverage has an alcohol content of 13 percent and comes in classic and calamansi variants.
She said coconut wine is different from traditional tuba because it is made from coconut water rather than coconut sap.
Amoroto said the product was developed by her brother, a food technician, and underwent product innovation last year before being introduced to the market this year. Coconut wine is now an addition to the company’s main product, calamansi concentrate.
The 2nd Eastern Visayas Regional Coconut Trade Fair was held from Aug. 13 to 16 at Robinsons Place Marasbaras in Tacloban City.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
