ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal (December 29, 2010) - Chefs of famous restaurants and food caterers in Rizal concocted elegant dishes out of the pangasius fish - known locally as cream dory - during yesterday's food festival at the Eastern Manila Hotel, Las Brisas Compound, Ortigas Avenue Extention in Antipolo City.
"The DTI, along with the Department of Agriculture through its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) promote production and processing of pangasius, a highly profitable venture, not only to provide jobs and livelihood but also the means for hunger mitigation and self-sufficiency in food", said Mercedes Parreño, Director of the DTI in Rizal.
Parreño, however, stressed the need to raise the awareness on pangasius and make the fish available in the market, particularly in public markets.
"We are gathered here today to touch base with resort and restaurant owners to complete the value chain of the industry from pasture to plate, thus this food festival where chefs of some of Rizal's best dining places converged to concoct pangasius dishes, proving that the fish indeed can be an elegant main course and commercially viable", Parreño added.
Marilou Quinco-Toledo, DTI Regional Director for the Calabarzon Region, said that the Rizal pangasius industry development project is a good model of public and private partnership as it exemplifies convergence of government agencies, i.e., the Department of Agriculture' Bureau of Fisheries' National Inland Fisheries Technology Center, the DTI, the Rizal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, business and trade associations, and the industry players themselves.
"Starting 2011 and onwards, promotion of the pangasius industry would be at high priority program of the DTI to provide livelihood and employment, and food security", added Director Toledo.
Toledo informed that by just filling-in or supplying the current import quantity would already be sufficient to start the industry rolling.
"If we work together, we can move this industry forward", Toledo said as she rallied the industry stakeholders to federate in a regional level and act for the advancement of the industry.
Rizal Governor Casimiro 'Junjun' Ynares, III, an avid supporter of agricultural productivity, acknowledged the efforts of DTI, DA and the private sector stakeholders. (DTI4A/Charlie S. Dajao)
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