Processed Foods and Seafoods

Processed food is one of the thriving industries in the Province of Capiz. It is visualized that the province would have a dynamic food industry committed to provide quality products where all players are aware and responsive to the emerging markets, trends and global challenges that will sustain economic growth and uplift the standard of living of the Capizeños.

From 2002 to 2008, the industry has significantly provided 1,232 estimated direct employment to the province and an investment of approximately PhP81.76 million. The industry has also posted an accumulated export sales of $49.98 million and domestic sales of P 63.14 million since 2002 to 2007.

Since the processed food industry is perceived as a promising industry that will boost export potential of the province, the following municipalities have prioritized the processed food as their “one town, one product”, Dumarao prioritized processed calamansi, Cuartero for banana chips, Ivisan for coco-based product and muscovado sugar for the municipality of Sigma. 

Given the potentials of the processed food industry, the industry players are confronted by several constraints such as limited access to capital, limited access to technologies and knowledge on current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Total Quality Management (TQM) and inability of the food processors to compete with the multi-national companies, inadequate infrastructure support facilities, absence of common service facilities, weak linkages between producers, processors and traders and lack of information on market trends and development.

Despite these constraints, the province of Capiz is consistently pursuing its target to provide necessary assistance and support to the processed food industry to attain its target to provide employment, increase income and sales (export and domestic) and encourage infusion of fresh capital to expand industry coverage and production capacity.

Another economic base industry in the Province of Capiz with relatively high potentials for contributing to its local economic growth is the processed seafoods which include crab meat, prawn, scallops, oyster meat/sauce and boneless bangus, bottled oyster sauce, canned fish in oil and tomato sauce, dried squid and shrimps, fish tocino, crab meat relleno and crablets.

The processed seafood industry has obtained support of the local government unit and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the “OTOP” concept. The municipalities of Pilar, Pres. Roxas, Panay, Ivisan, Sapian and Roxas City considered this industry as their primary and secondary “OTOP”. (PDPFP, Capiz Province)