SEEN TO GENERATE EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME FOR THE CITY

THE Dagupan City government is now in charge of the management of the newly rehabilitated Korean-Philippine Seafood Processing Complex (KPSPC) in Bonuan Binloc, which was formally opened on October 20.

Operations of the facility are expected to resume soon, with members of the Dagupan youth to get employment opportunities.

The plant, which was operated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) from 2010 to 2020, specializes in the cold processing and deboning of bangus  (milkfish) and malaga. It has a maximum capacity of five metric tons of processed bangus or malaga per day.

Currently, it operates on a single eight-hour shift and processes an average of 2.5 tons daily.

Officials of both Dagupan and BFAR said that to run a full, cost-effective process, a minimum batch of 2.5 metric tons of fish is required, to be sourced from the various accredited fish farms in Dagupan City and other parts of Pangasinan.

An ordinance authored by Councilor Michael Fernandez was passed on October  20, prescribing the service fee of P15.50 per kilo to be collected by the City of Dagupan from exporters and businessmen who will use the facility.

The City Treasurer of Dagupan is authorized to collect such fees pursuant to the provisions of the Market Code of the city. Another resolution nominates official representatives of Dagupan to the KPSPC board.

Under a single shift operation, the plant can generate revenues of up to P775,000 monthly or P9.3 million annually. The operational cost of the plant can reach up to P300,000 monthly.

When the facility was under BFAR, it was operating at a loss as its revenue was only P1.7 million annually against operational expenses of up to P3.3 million per year. At that time, the service fee was only P12 per kilo.

The KPSPC is HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)-certified, complying with international food safety standards. It is regularly monitored by BFAR Region 1 and the Food and Drugs Administration. Workers at the plant undergo mandatory health checks and annual food safety training. (Leonardo Micua)